The Haven IHC

The following external agencies who can work with students at The Haven are:

Autism Spectrum Disorder Team

Barnardos Advocate

Brook Advisory Clinic

CAMHS

Children’s Community Physiotherapy

Child in Care Nurse

CLEAR (children linked to or experiencing abusive relationships)

Devon and Cornwall Police

Diabetic Clinic

Education Welfare Officer

Family Support Workers

First Light

Haven Coordinator

Headstart

Intercom Trust

Jigsaw

Kernow Young Carers

Kooth

North Devon CAMHS and Paediatric Psychology Service

North Devon STEPs

Paediatric Nurse

Penhaligons Friends

School Nursing Team

Social Workers

Speech and Language Support

Targeted Support Youth Worker

Victim Support

Y7 – Y13 counsellors

Women’s Centre

Youth Workers

Youth Offending Team

Young People Cornwall

YZUP

In addition to the above sessions, a wide range of meetings are held at the Haven every week such as Team Around The Family (TAF), Child in Care (CIC) review, PEPs, Core Groups, Child in Need (CIN), Child Protection, Interagency Reviews and student/professional/parent training.

Contact Numbers for Support Services (72Kb PDF)

Confidentiality statement of The Haven

We provide a confidential and non judgemental service to all young people attending the Haven. All young people have the right to confidentiality and we are here to listen and not tell. The only reason why we might have to consider passing on confidential information without your permission, would be to protect you or someone else from very serious harm. We would always try to discuss this with you first. We will always help and support you in talking to your parent/carers.

Introduction

The Haven is an Integrated Health Centre, one of three in Cornwall, all of which were built on school grounds and opened in 2009. The Confidential Policy of The Haven should be read in conjunction with the Budehaven Specialist School’s Confidentiality Policy 2010. However, at the request of students, staff, Governors and the broader community, the staff of The Haven, endeavour to follow the Department of Health Best Practice Guidelines (DH2004) and code of practice; Confidentiality (DH2003), which clearly states that the duty of confidentiality owed to a person under 16, in any setting, is the same as that owed to any other person.

Note;

At times when a Young Person’s whereabouts would ordinarily be recorded such as lesson time, the relevant pastoral support or SEN staff are informed of their attendance at the Haven and expected time of leaving. This protocol has been discussed and agreed with the Haven Management Group, Senior Management Team and Governors. However, the reason for attendance will remain confidential.

Responsibilities of Health Professionals

All health professionals must follow their professional codes of practice and the law. This means that they must make every effort to protect confidentiality. It also means that no identifiable information about a Young Person is passed to anyone or any agency without the express permission of that Young Person, except when this is essential for providing care or necessary to protect somebody’s health, safety or well being. Therefore, all Young People can expect that their personal information will not be disclosed without their permission except in the most exceptional of circumstances.

Where a health professional believes that there is a risk to the health, safety or welfare of a young person or others which is so serious as to outweigh the Young Person’s right to privacy, then they should follow the South West Child Protection Procedures.

All health professionals are individually accountable for their own actions. They should also work together as a team to ensure that standards of confidentiality are upheld, and that improper disclosures are avoided. Any decision to disclose information to protect health, safety or well being will be based on the degree of current or potential harm, not on the age of the Young Person.

All health professionals should have in mind the need to encourage Young People to discuss issues with their carers or parents. However the needs of Young People are paramount and the health professionals will not insist that a Young Person’s parents or carers are informed of any advice or treatment they give.

Consent

Health professionals, such as School Nurses, can give confidential health advice and treatment to Young People. Young people under the age of 16 can consent to medical treatment if they have sufficient maturity and judgement to enable them fully to understand what is proposed. This was clarified in England and Wales by the House of Lords in the case of Gillick vs West Norfolk and Wisbech AHA & DHSS in 1985. The judgement in the House of Lords referred specifically to doctors but it is considered to apply to other health professionals, including nurses.

Although it is an offence to have sex with someone under the age of 16 it is lawful for doctors to provide contraceptive advice and treatment without parental consent providing certain criteria are met. These criteria are known as the Fraser Guidelines (Appendix 1). Although these criteria specifically refer to contraception, the principles are deemed to apply to other treatments.

Even if the health professional does not consider that a young person has sufficient understanding to consent to treatment, the consultation can remain confidential.

Health Professionals in School

Health professionals, such as nurses, invited into schools to contribute to sex and relationship education programmes must follow the Sex Education Policy of the individual school. Outside the education context, the health professional can work according to their relevant professional code of conduct.

For example, school nurses working as part of the sex education programme must follow the sex education policy of the school, however, if an individual pupil asks for contraceptive advice in a one-to-one situation nurses are allowed to give such advice and/or treatment in confidence, providing the Fraser guidelines are followed. This is in line with Budehaven Specialist School Confidentiality Policy 2010.

School staff and visitors to The Haven are asked to respect the Confidentiality Policy, however, it is recognised that school staff are governed by School Policy therefore all Young People are advised to be aware of this.

Acknowledgements and References

This policy has been devised by The Haven in accordance with:

· Royal College of General Practitioners. Brook. 2006. Confidentiality and Young People toolkit.

· DH 2001. Seeking Consent: Working with Children

· DH. 2003. Confidentiality: NHS code of practice

· DH. 2004. Seeking Consent: Working with Children.

· DH. 2004. Best practice guidance for doctors and other health staff on the provision of advice and treatment of young people under 16 on contraception, sexual and reproductive health.

· HM Government. 2006. Working together to safeguard children

· www.brook.org.uk 21/06/2010

Appendix 1

South West Child Protection Procedures

Fraser Guidelines

It is considered good practice for workers to follow the Fraser guidelines when discussing personal or sexual matters with a young person under 16. The Fraser guidelines give guidance on providing advice and treatment to young people under 16 years of age. These hold that sexual health services can be offered without parental consent providing that;

• The young person understands the advice that is being given.

• The young person cannot be persuaded to inform or seek support from their parents, and will not allow the worker to inform the parents that contraceptive/protection, e.g. condom advice, is being given.

• The young person is likely to begin or continue to have sexual intercourse without contraception or protection by a barrier method.

• The young person's physical or mental health is likely to suffer unless they receive contraceptive advice or treatment.

It is in the young person's best interest to receive contraceptive/safe sex advice and treatment without parental consent.

The degree of [Fraser] competence of a young person needs to be assessed on an individual basis and fully documented. This will vary with age, maturity and with the implications of the treatment or advice they are seeking. Young people under sixteen who are Fraser competent can consent to treatment. A child or young person can say they wish to withhold consent to their information being shared with another agency. A professional, however, may override this if they are of the firm view that not to do so may jeopardise the safety and welfare of the child or young person or that of another vulnerable person.

South West Child Protection Procedures www.swcpp.org.uk Accessed 14/05/10