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Confidentiality policy

Withington Child Contact Centre recognises the contact process requires explicit confidentiality which all Contact Centre volunteers are obliged to observe.  Therefore we require that:

  1. Volunteers undertake not to discuss or disclose any details of a family attending the centre.

  2. Volunteers do not make verbal or written reports about anything that happens in the centre.

  3. The dates and times of a family's attendance will be made available to referring agencies upon request.  No other information will be released unless

    1. A child is considered to be at risk of harm either inside or outside the Contact Centre

    2. Anyone using the centre or a volunteer is at risk of physical violence.

  4. A parent's details such as his/her address and telephone number will not be passed to any other person (including their former partner) or agency without their permission. The only exceptions will be if

    1. A child is felt to be at risk of harm

    2. Anyone using the Contact Centre or a volunteer is at risk of physical violence

  5. Unless there is a prior agreement which allows them to do so, solicitors, CAFCASS officers, social workers or any other individual or agency will not be allowed to carry out family assessments on the premises.

  6. All potential volunteers must have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at enhanced level.  The results of this check are made available to the Safeguarding Officer of the Withington Methodist Church and the Chair of the Management Committee.  Please see the Disclosure and Barring Service Policy for more information.

  7. All information relating to families and volunteers are kept in a secure place at all times.

  8. All information relating to families and volunteers which has not been used for three years will be treated as confidential waste and disposed of as such.

  9. Contact Centre users, volunteers and referrers will be made aware of the existence of this policy and will have access to it upon request.

  10. This policy is reviewed annually and was last reviewed in ​March 2024.

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