Our work with young women and girls remains confidential and we do not discuss the content or nature of our work with young women with external professionals or other young women unless we must.

​

• Where we could share information we seek young women’s consent to do so.

• All Abianda practitioners are having continuous and transparent conversations about the boundaries of confidentiality and information sharing in their work with young women.

• All practitioners explain to young women the distinction between sharing information externally and internally at Abianda.

• All young women are shown their referral form in their introductory session. As such please only include information that pertains to the referral criteria for the project. Please refrain from including full case histories. We do not need to know this.

​

When We Share Information Externally

We break confidentiality and share information when:

​

• a young woman discloses information that makes us believe that they or another young person or vulnerable adult is experiencing, or is at risk of experiencing, abuse (significant harm);

• a young woman discloses information that makes us believe that a serious crime is going to be committed;

• a young woman discloses information about a serious crime that has been committed and it is in the public interest to share that information.

 

When Might We Share Information?

We may share information outside of the organisation about seemingly less significant details we learn about young women in regard to risk and safeguarding issues. We may make the decision to do this because it means we can access additional support for young women, or because we think the information will contribute to the multi-agency efforts to recognise abuse or support safeguarding efforts and efforts to target perpetrators or locations of concern.

 

However, in all of these circumstances, we will always seek the consent of the young woman before doing so. We explain what our concerns are, and why we believe it might be useful for her and other professionals/partners to be aware of this information. Wherever possible we facilitate and support young women sharing this information themselves, and being in control of what gets shared.

 

Our ongoing transparency with young women around information sharing supports:

• the development of a trusting relationship

• demonstrates to the young woman how equal and consensual relationships work

• allows her to take control of the safeguarding efforts, or be a partner in these efforts

• demonstrates loyalty to our participation principles and increases young women's opportunities to influence decision-making in the safeguarding process

   

Keeping Young Women Informed 

In honouring our participation principles and in meeting young people's human rights, we prioritise keeping young women informed in a way that they understand and is safe. At every step of the decision-making process, we seek out ways that we can increase the young woman's influence and involvement in decision-making.

 

This might include:

• Seeking her consent for us to attend professionals and statutory meetings (Looked After Child (LAC) reviews, Child Protection (CP) conferences, professional meetings, strategy meetings, etc);

• If she is unable or does not want to attend meetings, we consult her on how she would like us to represent her and what she would like professionals to hear;

• We update her progress, and seek her wishes on what she would like to happen next;

• We inform the professional network that we will not progress with certain actions and meetings until we have sought the young woman's consent and input.

​