Confidentiality

1. EXPLORING CARE VALUES
Lesson 2 - CONFIDENTIALITY

2. STARTER
 Complete activity worksheet in workbooks on

3. BY THE END OF THIS SESSION YOU
WILL
 Identify the four basic principles of values in health
and social care
 Define the term confidentiality
 Explain when it is acceptable to breach
confidentiality and assess the reasons for this

4. HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO BE TREATED?
 There are 4 basic principles that form the basis of
effective Health and Social Care practice.
 These are the values that you will return to time and
again to ensure that Health and Social Care work is
being done properly.

5. ACTIVITY
In your groups, consider how you expect to be
treated by others.
What about if you were in hospital having
your appendix removed?
Feedback to the group

6. CARE VALUES
Confidentiality
Dignity
Respect for the
Individual
Explain what you think these
mean….then…
Match the statement to the
definition…
Safeguarding and
Duty of Care

7. CONFIDENTIALITY
 A duty of confidence arises when one
person discloses information to another
(e.g. patient to clinician, service user or
carer to social worker) in circumstances
where it is reasonable to expect that the
information will be held in confidence.
 information that can identify individual
patients or service users must not be used
or disclosed for purposes other than health
or social care without the individual’s
consent, some other legal basis, or where
there is a robust public interest or legal
justification to do so.
Demonstrated by courtesy, good
communication and taking time should be
shown to you as a human being and as an
individual, by others, and.
Never putting you in a position where you
feel embarrassed
protect the rights and promote the interests
of individuals.
Allowing individual’s rights to control their
lives
Respect diversity.
Promote equality
RESPECT FOR
THE INDIVIDUAL

8. DIGNITY
 A state, quality or manner worthy of esteem
or respect; and (by extension) self-respect.
Dignity in care, means the kind of care, in
any setting, which supports and promotes,
and does not undermine, a person’s self-respect
regardless of any difference. Or, as
one person receiving care put it more
briefly, 'Being treated like I was somebody'
SAFEGUARDING
AND DUTY OF CARE
• ‘Safeguarding means protecting peoples’
health, wellbeing and human rights, and
enabling them to live free from harm, abuse
and neglect.’ (CQC, 2010)
• protecting children and vulnerable adults
from maltreatment
• preventing impairment of children’s health or
development
• ensuring that children are growing up in
circumstances consistent with the provision
of safe and effective care.

9. CONFIDENTIALITY
 We all assume that we understand what
confidentiality is and know how to apply it to
everyday situations. However, in health and social
care the rules are rather different.
 For example, you might tell your best friend
everything, but you cannot tell them everything
about the users of the service where you work.
 This would be breaking the rules of confidentiality.

10. THE RULES OF CONFIDENTIALITY ARE:
 Not discussing one individual with another
 Not sharing written information without permission
 Secure storage of records, including those stored
electronically.

11. WORKBOOKS AS1
 Read the list and tick the statements that you think
are correct
 Compare your answers with your group
 Do you all agree?
 Are there any differences?
 Complete the statement in your workbook what
confidentiality is to you
 Compare with your group, what are the differences
and similarities?

12. BREACHING CONFIDENTIALITY
 There are occasions when confidential information
must be shared:
 For example, if an individual was at risk of being
harmed or of harming another person.
 All health and social care settings have procedures
that must be followed with regard to the breaching
of confidentiality. There is a clear difference
between following a procedure that would mean
informing the manager or senior member of staff on
duty, and telling a friend.
 Do you know the difference?

13. MAINTAINING CONFIDENTIALITY

Eileen has terminal
cancer. She tells her
District Nurse that she has
had enough of living and
is going to end her own
life tomorrow. She says
that it is her choice and
asks the District Nurse not
to interfere
Yasmin tells her new
Health Visitor that her
boyfriend is violent and is
beating her. She asks the
Health Visitor not to say
anything as she is
frightened of what might
happen. Yasmin and her
boyfriend have a three
month old baby
Jennifer goes to her GP for
contraceptive pills. She asks
her GP not to tell her parents.
She is 14 years old.
Margaret tells her care worker
that her first child was given up
for adoption because she was
unable to look after her.
Jim is a resident in a residential
home. He recently lost his
granddaughter in a car accident
and has been very withdrawn
from the rest of the group. Katie
has joined the care home from
Walsall College and has asked the
care workers why he is so quiet.
Rosy attends Baker Street Day
Centre all the time. She has
recently not been attending due
to a fall and other service users
have noticed this and asked the
staff.

14. ACTIVITY
 Describe in which scenario you would maintain
confidentiality and why?
 Describe in which scenario you would breach
confidentiality and why?
 Discuss as a group
 Extension task: Have you had to break
confidentiality? Write notes and share with group

15. RECAP – CAN YOU?
 Identify the four basic principles of values in health
and social care
 Define the term confidentiality
 Explain when it is acceptable to breach
confidentiality and assess the reasons for this