Army Welfare Service - Confidentiality Code
The Army Welfare Service (AWS) is staffed by trained and knowledgeable workers, who are sympathetic to people’s needs and can give confidential support to enable them to cope with Service life and to solve their own problems. The principles of confidentiality and their practical implications are in general well understood. But there will be occasions when situations arise in which those concerned with welfare will be unsure how to behave.This will arise, in part, from people misinterpreting the principles themselves, which is natural given that each of us will usually react differently to events as they arise.
Confidentiality - Definition
The moral obligation of someone involved with another person’s intimate affairs to preserve that person’s confidence and trust.
Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of anyone dealing with the intimate affairs of another not to reveal to any third person, without the consent of the client, any matter relating to the client which is known by the person involved in his or her capacity as a counsellor or other form of welfare worker. It is the duty of the person dealing with the intimate affairs of another to take all practical steps, through training and proper provision of good administrative arrangements, to prevent the improper revelation of any personal matters relating to a client.
Exceptions - General
The responsibilities referred to above are not absolute. Exceptions based upon the requirements of the law or the exceptional needs of society and the Armed Services have to be recognised and taken into account. The client’s consent to disclosure must be respected at all times and only in specific instances will the client’s refusal to give permission to disclose aspects of information be over-ridden by other factors. Good practice will limit to the minimum the sharing of information about a client to another agency or within the AWS.
Exceptions - Specific
Occasionally a problem will arise which questions whether or not confidence should be maintained at the risk of some individual or social harm. There is no hard and fast rule to this dilemma and under such circumstances the application of conscientious and mature judgement will be the only answer. Good communication between client and welfare worker will usually solve such dilemmas but where this is not possible the advice of a Line Manager or supervisor must be sought before confidence is broken. Once a decision is made and disclosure necessitates a breach of confidence the following procedure must be adopted: the client will be informed that confidence will be breached, unless it is decided that to do so would create a serious risk to the physical safety of the client, the welfare worker, or some other third party.The disclosure must be kept as limited as possible.
A careful note must be made of the disclosure as part of the case record and should show the extent of the disclosure, to whom it was made and when, the reason for it and who was consulted beforehand.
It is generally accepted that confidentiality may be broken under the following circumstances:
- When there is a serious risk of harm to the client such as threatened suicide
- To protect others. For example information about possible child abuse must be disclosed to the proper agencies
- To prevent a serious criminal act, especially where others might be endangered or harmed. For example by physical assault or terrorism
- In the Army there is a requirement to protect the interest of the Service. Particularly:
- Against a breach of security
- When the military effectiveness of a soldier will be badly affected
- Where Military Law is directly contravened
The Code of Confidentiality will be broken for Service reasons without the agreement of the individual concerned only as a last resort when a Service man or woman can no longer carry out his or her duty properly through physical or mental impairment.
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