Kalma Baby aim to protect children within our care and to give all franchisees/licensees/employees involved clear, unambiguous guidance as to their legal and professional roles and to ensure good practice within our organisation which is understood by children, parents/carers and the team.  It is a condition of franchising/employment that you will not disclose to any person whatsoever any information or trade secret relating to the affairs of the company, its suppliers or customers either during your employment or after termination.  This will be a requirement that will apply throughout the duration of your contract including any period of notice given or under the notice provisions.  Additionally, all confidential records, documents, manuals, templates, marketing material and other papers together with any copies, extracts, or partner work in the production of documents/events with Kalma Baby thereof made or acquired by you in the course of your contract shall be the property of Kalma Baby and must ALL be returned and deleted from electronic devices upon termination of the contract.

Kalma Baby understand the importance of the learning process to children and to provide a safe and secure learning environment. We aim to implement the underlying principles of Every Child Matters Agenda, in line with current child protection and safe-guarding guidelines and to address the issues, which may arise about confidentiality.  We are committed to developing creative and positive ways for our children’s voices to be heard whilst recognising the responsibility to use, hold and safeguard information received. Sharing information unnecessarily is a breach of trust. We are an organisation that is mindful of our positions of trust by all and a professional approach will be used in all matters of confidentiality.

We aim to:

• Be consistent with messages in our organisation about handling information about children once it has been received.
• Strive to adopt an ethos of trust between children and all franchisees/licensees/employees enabling them to feel safe and able to confide and share problems.
• Ensure that licensees/franchisees/employees, parents and children are aware of our confidentiality, policy and procedures.
• Reassure children that their ‘best interests’ will be maintained.
• Ensure that children/parents/carers know that Kalma Baby cannot offer unconditional confidentiality.
• Ensure child protection issues which arise are then correctly followed by our procedure, working with the guidelines set out in the policy. These are set out in classes as expectations.
• Allow parents the right of access to any records we may hold on their child but not to any other child that they do not have parental responsibility for.

Our process:

Any Information about children is kept private, it will only be shared with those that have a need to know.  Any social services, medical and personal information about a child should be held in a safe and secure place which cannot be accessed by individuals other than those allowed.  Kalma Baby will continue to promote a positive ethos by:

• Kalma Baby director is the Safeguarding/Child Protection Leader and all Franchisee/employees/licensees are responsible for receiving regular training. Certificates are kept at HQ.
• Ensuring Franchisees/licensees/employees are given clear guidance for the handling of child protection incidents as in our policies during training. They are required to have a refresher on safeguarding each year and have regular training on child protection issues.
• Ensuring clear guidance for procedures if a member of Kalma Baby accused of abuse.
• Our teams understand effective growth and development education which brings an understanding of what is and is not acceptable in a relationship, can lead to disclosure of a child protection issue.
• Handling all issues about different types of families in a sensitive manner.
• Information collected for one purpose should not be used for another.

In some cases parents/carers and children will need to be aware that Kalma Baby cannot offer complete confidentiality in all cases.  Where there are circumstances involving child protection or criminal issues complete confidentiality will not be offered. Parents/carers and children should feel reassured that only in exceptional circumstances confidentiality will be broken.  We will continue to communicate with parents, carers and children and ensure members of our franchise/employee/licensee team are available to talk to all parties concerned about issues that are causing concern. We encourage our children to talk to parents/carers/schools about issues causing them worry and may in some cases support the children to talk to their parents/schools.

Children have a right to the same level of confidentiality irrespective of gender, race, religion, medical concerns and special educational needs. A lot of data is generated in organisations by these categories but individual children should not be able to be identified.  Confidentiality is a whole organisation issue. Clear ground rules must be set for any classroom work such as circle time and other session dealing with sensitive issues such as growth development and drugs. Strategies are in place and all children are aware of them for dealing with sensitive information which may fall outside the boundaries of child protection procedures. Organisation needs to be proactive so children feel sup-ported but information is not unnecessarily revealed in a public arena. Even when sensitive information appears to be widely known it should not be assumed by those immediately involved that it is appropriate to discuss or share this information further.  Health professionals have their own code of practice dealing with confidentiality. Staff should be aware of children with medical needs and the class information sheet should be accessible to staff who need that information but not on general view to other parents/carers and children.

Photographs of children should not be used outside of the organisation premises without parents/carers permission. At no time should the child’s name be used with a photograph so that they can be identified.   Information about children will be shared with parents but only about their child.  All personal information about children including medical and social services records should be regarded as confidential. Any personal data will only be kept as long as necessary or for the length of time as stipulated by law.  Staff laptops are password protected and backed up securely.  Addresses and telephone numbers of parents and children will not be passed on except in exceptional circumstances or to a receiving organisation.  Our policy will be reviewed annually or as a need to and as of law changes.