The Responsible Handling of Information

1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE
 
1.1 Body Positive recognises the need for strict confidentiality in relation to people affected by HIV and Aids and in particular to people’s status, be it positive, negative or untested. The consequences of one’s diagnosis becoming known publicly can be and have been disastrous.
 
1.2 Within Body Positive some people publicly declare themselves to be HIV+. This is important for a self-help organisation, for example among the membership and Board of Directors, HIV antibody positive people are never in the minority.
 
1.3 As an employer of paid and unpaid staff Bedfordshire Body Positive has a responsibility to ensure that information about staff and volunteers is held and used properly.
 
1.4 As an organisation, Bedfordshire Body Positive is constantly dealing with internal issues, which are not appropriate for public discussion.
 
1.5 It is the right of individuals to judge for themselves what personal information may or may not be disclosed and passed on, and to whom. An individual may choose to keep private and personal issues, whether or not a disclosure is damaging to him/her. Generally speaking, personal information should only be passed on with the specific consent of the person involved.
 
 
2. HOLDING AND USE OF INFORMATION
 
2.1 As a general principle, information should be kept on a ‘need to know’ basis. To determine whether someone needs to know a piece of information, we need to ask ourselves questions such as: ‘Is there a legal requirement for the person to know?’, ‘is the person unable to use or provide a service unless they know?’
 
2.2 A list of all members of Bedfordshire Body Positive is stored in a Bank’s safe and is accessible only to the Company Secretary.
 
2.3 A list of all people who receive the news sheet includes names and addresses, is only accessible to the Project Manager and one volunteer.
 
2.4 Names and addresses and telephone numbers of volunteers are kept on a disc accessible only to the Project Manager, the Volunteer Co-ordinator, the Chairperson and the Company Secretary as appropriate.
 
2.5 First names and phone numbers of people booking for massage sessions or counselling sessions are obtained in case of emergency cancellations.
 
2.6 People using services or taking part in any activities maybe asked to give their first name, town, area of town (if applicable), post code of origin and ethnic identity, for monitoring purposes. It is not intended that this information should be traceable back to any individual.
 
2.7 Bedfordshire Body Positive must by law, keep records of the names and addresses of staff. There are also records of absence, leave and meetings. These records are only available to the Chairperson, Director of Finance and those delegated, or, in emergencies, any member of the Board of Directors.
 
2.8 Information about staff is expected to be shared only directly ‘upwards’ not ‘crossways’. For example, a delegated Director member may formally discuss issues with the Chairperson.
 
2.9 Formal meetings between Directors, staff (such as appraisals, grievance or disciplinary meetings) are set up as directed in conditions of employment and no other people should be involved. The Board meetings are not intended to be used for discussion about individual staff, except in circumstances specified in condition of employment.
 
2.10 The meetings of the Board of Directors are confidential, although the minutes are available to members of Bedfordshire Body Positive either at the office or if a written request is sent to the Company Secretary.
 
2.11 Information about people using services or taking part in activities maybe passed on in circumstances where this is necessary to implement internal disciplinary or grievance procedures. Personal information maybe passed on where, if it were not, significant damage would be caused to Bedfordshire Body Positive Members. Such sharing of information maybe done only to the extent that is necessary to protect the organisation or the people in it.
  
2.12 Where it may be helpful to pass on information, permission must be sought from the person concerned. (For example, information about volunteers being passed from one group to another; referrals to other agencies, and the like).
 
2.13 The only people who are allowed to speak to the press or mass media on behalf of Bedfordshire Body Positive are: the Chairperson, the Project Manager or those properly authorised by them. To speak ‘on behalf of’ includes making any connection between oneself and Bedfordshire Body Positive.
 
2.14 Breach of confidentiality, as defined in Policies and Procedures, can (but need not) be treated as gross misconduct.