Unlock has a policy of providing confidentiality to those we are in contact with.
Individuals regularly entrust us with sensitive personal information in good faith that it will not be shared with others. To ensure that individuals can be confident in sharing this information with us, it is important for us to be clear that any personal information provided to us will not be shared externally without your consent.
All individuals who contact us have the right to decide what information they choose to share with us. However, it may sometimes be necessary for you to share a certain level of information with us before we are in a position to assist.
In some cases, it might be helpful to share your information with others. This will always be made clear in advance, and you will be given the opportunity to give your consent.
Where you give your consent for your details to be shared, you will be sent a copy of any letters, forms, emails or other communications containing your personal information that have been sent relating to you (removing any third-party details if necessary).
In some cases, we may use your experiences to publish case studies. Written permission will be obtained before publishing case studies that personally identify an individual. Alternatively, we may produce anonymous case studies without an individual’s consent because any personal details will have been removed and the situation sufficiently disguised so that the individual concerned cannot be identified.
Exceptions to confidentiality
Personal information will not normally be passed on to others outside of Unlock. However, confidentiality may not be applied in the following circumstances;
- Where you (or the person to whom the information relates) give your consent.
- Where the information is already available to the public from other sources.
- When there appears to be a serious risk of harm to you, e.g. a threatened suicide.
- To protect others. For example, information about possible child abuse will be disclosed to the appropriate agency.
- To prevent a serious criminal act where others may be endangered, e.g. an act of terrorism.
- Where the information is in the form of a summary or collection of information so framed that it is not possible to ascertain from it information relating to any particular person.
If a member of Unlock has to break confidentiality then the person whose personal information it is will normally be told that this is going to happen (verbally if possible, or in writing if suitable).
