Miss

In schools we ask parents and carers for a variety of information so that we are able to care for children as effectively as we can while they are with us. However, we can only ask for information which is directly relevant – for example: ● health or medical information ● records from previous schools ● records for children who have special educational needs. This is confidential information and must be used only for the purpose for which it was gathered. If the information needs to be passed on to others for any reason, parental consent will need to be given. This usually involves parents signing a consent form. Under the Data Protection Act 1998, any organisation which holds information on individuals needs to be registered with the Data Protection Commission. This is designed to ensure that confidential information cannot be passed on to others without the individual’s consent. There are eight principles of practice which govern the use of personal information. Information must be: ● processed fairly and lawfully ● used only for the purpose for which it was gathered ● adequate, relevant and not excessive ● accurate and kept up to date where necessary ● kept for no longer than necessary ● processed in line with the individual’s rights ● kept secure ● not transferred outside the European Union without adequate protection. You will need to be aware of a range of information in your role as a teaching assistant, from issues around the school to the individual needs of the children with whom you work. You should know how and when to share any information you have access to. If you are at all concerned or unclear about whom you can speak to, your first point of contact should be your line manager, or in the case of children with special educational needs (SEN), the SENCO. Many teaching assistants working in schools are also parents of children at the same school, and other parents may sometimes put pressure on them to disclose information. You should not pass on any information about the school or the children before being certain that this is the correct thing to do. If you pass on information without following the correct channels, you will be abusing your position of professional trust and this can be very damaging. You should also be very careful if taking photographs for displays or if filming children for any purpose; again, parental permission will need to be given for this. You should not take pictures of children for your portfolio! You should not pass on information to: ●  other children in the school ●  other parents ●  other professionals unless parents have been consulted ●  visitors. Reassuring children, young people and adults of the confidentiality of shared information 
When you are party to gathering information, whatever this is, you may sometimes be in a position where you need to reassure others about the fact that it is confidential. If you attend meetings or need to be told about confidential items, you should make sure that you let others know your obligations. In most cases, parental consent would need to be given before any information about children can be shared with other professionals. However, if there are any issues to indicate that the child is at risk from harm or abuse, or if there is a legal obligation placed on the school to disclose information, this can be done (see the following case study). There may also be cases where information on pupils needs to be accessible to all staff, for example, where pupils have specific medial conditions such as asthma or epilepsy. In
this case there should be an agreed system within the school for making sure that all staff are aware of these pupils. Some schools may display photographs of them in staff rooms or dining areas, for example, and remove them if the premises are used by others during the evening.