Confidential Info Disclosure policy

[pete]

How do people handle it when they discover information about a student that is sensitive or confidential but the school might/should be made aware of (in sense of loco parentis)?

 

The reason I ask is we check our proxy logs regularly to see who's up to no good, but also to ensure that useful sites aren't being blocked. This can lead to some sensitive (and sometimes just bloody disturbing) information being discovered.

 

So if you find randomuser has been visiting sites dealing with (for example) teenage pregnancy* a _lot_, what do you do?

 

*most of my teachers are sensible enough (now) to let me know when they're covering something like that in form periods.

[MkII]

Interesting question. I think i'd put it to our Social Inclusion guys, and it's thier job to know what to do about it.

 

A bit vague, but that's our policy as far as i'm aware. HTH.

[GrumbleDook]

This was a question raised 3 years ago at a seminar at BETT when talking about network security and emails that might be viewed by sysadmins. The session was run by the crew that did the internet safety guidelines for DfES / Govt and IIRC the general response was that if you put in your AUP that any information which is sensitive may be released to the relevant people within the school then you are covered.

 

If the relevant people in the school are the Form Tutor / Head of Year for informing about when you think a student is pregnant then they should be informed whether you found out by overhearing a conversation or by catching an email about it.

 

If you have no policy for dealing with whether students may be pregnant then there is not much you can do.

 

Yet again, the policies and procedures imp strikes.

[Ric_]

In a past life I came across emails being passed back and forth between a group of pupils planning their after school sex orgies! (Further evidence that it IS necessary to block webmail and only allow use of the MONITORED school email system).

 

I passed this onto the head who dealt with it in the appropriate manor - I believe that the parents were shocked when given the printouts to read!

[pete]

In a past life I came across emails being passed back and forth between a group of pupils planning their after school sex orgies! (Further evidence that it IS necessary to block webmail and only allow use of the MONITORED school email system).

 

Yup, it's easy to deal with when they're abusing the system / being bloody stupid - but needs a slightly more cautious approach in the initial example. If the Internet is the only place they feel they can get info from, I'd rather they got contact info for help through that than just sat and worried about $problem.

 

I've had a word with the deputy head responsible for child welfare, (did everyone else get leaflets about child protection last term?) and the official position is: If there's a possibility of harm / abuse to the child (or I'm not sure if such is the case), pass the info onto her, that way I (and the school) are covered and any necessary action can be taken.

 

So that's my policy for the time being. With the usual "information has come to my attention that suggests X, but does not confirm it - please _check_ the info before acting upon it" disclaimer.

 

Cheers

 

Pete