Introduction

Confidentiality is one of the foundation stones of any support work. If you approach us in need of our support, we understand that you must be able to trust the person you are speaking to. Trust takes time to build up and assuring you of our respect and confidentiality is an important way of building this trust.

We know that any breaches in our Code of Confidentiality, whether it be intentional or otherwise, can do harm, particularly when you are feeling at your most vulnerable. Breaches in confidentiality are taken extremely seriously by CSF as it can be damaging both to you, and to our reputation.

Our Code of Confidentiality includes all communications, whether they be spoken, email, text or social media.

Volunteer responsibility

All of our volunteers have received training and information about their role and responsibilities. As part of that training, they have committed to treat information they receive about you, as private and confidential. This undertaking continues after the volunteer and/or you end their/your relationship with CSF.

Our volunteers will explain the confidentiality policy to you during their first contact/meeting with you and will offer you a copy of the Code.

There are some circumstances where information about you and your situation may be shared within the Cancer Support team, this can be: -

1.       When there are more than one of our volunteers working with you to support you

2.       When our volunteer needs to consult with another team member in order to obtain guidance

           on how best to support your particular needs

3.       When our volunteer needs to consult with another team member for support relating to their

           own volunteer work

We must make you aware that there are some exceptional circumstances where is may become necessary to disclose information to a third party. However, we would try, wherever possible, to discuss this with you and gain your consent, prior to disclosure.

These circumstances would be: -

1.       If it is deemed that you are at significant risk of harm e.g. suicide or abuse. In this case there is

           a  legal obligation for us to act under French law of 'non-assistance a personne en danger'

2.       It is justified in the wider public interest for example to protect others from the risk of

           significant harm

3.       It is required by law or court order

4.       If you make a formal complaint against a volunteer or the organisation, in response to such a

           complaint

In all the above cases, personal information is shared only where it is strictly necessary.