Privacy

East Riding of Yorkshire Council will respect the wishes of Children Looked After in residential care in relation to privacy and confidentiality, as long as this is consistent with good parenting, dignity and the need to protect them from Significant Harm.

There are a number of practices to maintain privacy. These include:

1. Children/young people should receive letters unopened unless child protection concerns exist e.g. staff suspect  a letter addressed to the young person has been sent by someone who poses a risk to children;
2. Confidential information about any child/young person should never be left lying around the Home or displayed on any walls;
3. Information about a young person will not be displayed in the office notice boards etc;
4. There would not normally be a need for staff to become involved in assisting a young person  with personal or intimate care. If such a need occurs then this should first be discussed with the Manager or the Senior member of staff on duty Every effort should be made to preserve the dignity of the young person;
5. Children/young people will have a lockable bedroom door, for which they will have a key. Staff do have a master key. However they should consider the young person’s dignity and privacy at all times;
6. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, staff should knock on the door and wait for a young person to invite them in before entering a child/ young person’s bedroom;
   
   These exceptional circumstances are;
   • Staff are unable to get a response from a young person, for example they area heavy sleeper and struggling to get up for school;
   • To take necessary action including forcing entry, to protect the child or others from injury or to prevent likely damage to property. The taking of such action is a form of physical intervention. This would include suspicion that the child is at risk of harm as result of substance or alcohol misuse or smoking;
   • Any other activity/ behaviour which  may be harmful to themselves or others;
   • When staff are intending to enter a bedroom without seeking prior permission from the child/young person, they should be accompanied by another member of staff, should give a clear warning to anyone inside the room and should wait a few seconds before entering to ensure decency and respect for the young person.
7. A child/young person's bedroom is for their use, however, access to the bedroom may be needed by cleaners, workman and staff for routine inspection, cleaning, repairs and refurbishment;
8. Where possible, the Home Manager should ensure that children/young person has a secure drawer or cabinet to keep personal or private items;
9. There should be a room in the home for a child/young person to meet with their parents, family and other professionals in private;
10. Children/young people should be able to make and receive telephone calls in private; this can include the provision of a mobile phone.

1. The Home Manager and Deputy Manager will ensure that staff members carry out the practices to maintain privacy. This includes the provision of a private meeting room and the availability for children/young people to make and receive telephone calls in private;
2. It is everyone's responsibility to ensure that young people residing in the home have privacy, which is commensurate with their age, and that privacy is respected;
3. Staff must refer to the Searching Children/Bedrooms Procedure before undertaking a search of a young person’s bedroom.