to think this is breaching confidentiality and what should I do?

[SecretMinceRinser]

I visited the office of ds's school today to do a crb check so I can help out at the school. I was sat down at the desk of someone else who worked there but wasn't in that day. Laying in full view on the desk was a piece of paper that said 'Safeguarding Alert'. I glanced down at it and saw the title and though I'd better not look at it but as completing the crb application was dragging on I became more and more uneasy that it was left there for visitors to the office to see so I decided to read what was on the paper in more detail.
It had the full personal details of a mum of a child at the school, her child and the childs father - full names, dob even a physical description of each of them. It also detailed the fathers criminal convictions. It went on to say where the family had moved from and how they hadn't been co-operating with ss and that there was a history of domestic violence along with a ton of other personal stuff about the family/finances etc.
I don't know the family in question and won't repeat what I've read but that's not the point is it? There were drawers in the desk that the paper could easily have been put into out of sight.
I want to mention it to someone to ensure that personal stuff like that is stored more carefully in future but not sure who to speak to/what to say.
It did occur to me after the event that I could have mentioned it to the man in the office who was dong my application but he is a bit of an arse to be honest and not the sort of person that would take kindly to being told how to do his job. Anyway I didn't say anything at the time so too late to do that now. WWYD?

You were doing them a favour by reading it, where you?

It said 'Safeguarding Alert'. Two words that are quite serious in the context of a school setting on their own, let alone together. You didn't need to read it to know that it was confidential.

But I think you should tell the Head exactly what it said, in detail. And then come back and tell us in detail what she/he said to you.

i hope no one goes into my ds's nursery and does that!

I visited a school once where the safeguarding sheets were on the wall of the staff room.

You see, I was a trusted visitor. I was duty bound not to pass on what was clearly confidential information. It was obvious.

Well I would only be helping out in the classroom as a volunteer so I wouldn't be privvy to that sort of stuff.
I didn't read it upside down it was facing me and right in front of me.
I read it because I wanted to be sure what was on it if I was going to say anything.
People who go in to listen to the kids read have no safeguarding/confidentiality training and I don't think I or any other parent should just be trusted with that kind of info. What if the mum/dad was a friend of mine?
And for all the people saying I was nosy I suggest you try sitting with a piece of paper slap bang in front of you for 1/2 hour and not look at it! I didn't read every word but saw what I wrote above.
And for the record I won't be repeating it in an identifiable way to anyone (I have changed some details here).

YANBU, and I think you're getting a hard time here OP. Perhaps you shouldn't have read it. But the far more pressing point is that you shouldn't have been able to read it.

To everyone saying the OP is BU, if it were your family referred to in the report would you be annoyed with the OP for reading it (bearing in mind that she is not gossiping about it), or with the school for leaving it where people who don't need to know could read it?

You may be made aware of a child with safeguarding issues for their own safety- volunteer or not

If the confidential and private document that they have a legal obligation to keep confidential and private under the Data Protection Act is left in a room where parents are taken to fill in a form, the school (not the person who sees it ffs) is clearly liable and at fault.

If there is a history of DV then seeing such info could put people's lives in danger.

You really should report in writing to school govenor (who are ultimately responsible) and head (who should investigate and ensure different procedures are put in place).

I read it because I wanted to be sure what was on it if I was going to say anything

Yeah right

If you were that 'concerned' you could have said to the guy in the office "Excuse me, this has 'Safeguarding Alert' written on it, should it be in my view"

It was that simple.

This is why I hate giving confidential information to anybody. I'd be VERY annoyed if they left it lying about on their desk because 'it's not a public office'. This sort of stuff should be in a locked filing cabinet when not in direct use.

Even if u just volunteer in a class the school will still ask you not to pass on any information that you hear or talk about the children outside of the classroom.

So the paper would have been facing away fom the man? But towards the visitor's chair, right under your nose, and you were shown in and left there?

Yes, that's poor.

Well I didn't think it was that simple because maybe that piece of paper might get put away but if procedure doesn't change it could be my personal business left all over the desk for all to see next week!

So what did the man say when he came in and realised he'd left a sensitive piece of paper facing the vistor's chair, right under your nose? Did he move it?

Yes LineRunner - it was his colleagues desk who wasn't in and their workstations are opposite each other with a screen between them. I was told to sit in the colleagues chair.

I can't believe the reaction of people here. Schools have parents and children wandering through offices and staff rooms all the time (PTA/governors and fund raising volunteer work)

'Need to know' means exactly that. I would not expect every staff member to 'know' and certainly not volunteers.

Distributed - I am currently advertising a project by distributing letters about it, left on tables knowing they will be picked up and read.

Data protection law specifically says data should be locked away.

Q: What security measures should be in place to protect personal information under the Data Protection Act?

A written security procedure should cover the levels of protection appropriate for the different records you hold. It will not say lying on a desk that the public sit at, is fine.

He didn't come in - he was sat there the whole time. I've no idea if he knew it was there.

While that may be true chipsplease, it's hardly the point is it? Imagine this is your personal information. You probably wouldn't object to a parent helper interacting directly with your child knowing the relevant parts of this information. But surely you would object to every parent interviewed by the school having complete access to all of it?

The OP has already clearly stated she isn't going to spread the information she read. So whether or not she can keep her mouth shut isn't the issue. And I doubt it's a test by the school, but if it was it would be a test to see if she rightly reported confidential information just lying about!

I feel I should also point out that I'm not even a volunteer yet. For all they know I could fail my crb. I was in a position that any parent or grandparent/carer of any child at the school could be in.

The public don't sit at the desk- its a staff office. The op is applying to work at the school albeit voluntarily.

Well mockingjay I don't know the child - they are certainly not in ds's class so I won't be interacting with them directly.

When you attend parents evening, many teachers cover up the grades of other children.

I hardly think that a social services report is less important.

OP - I would personally talk to the head. Tell her that the doc was left in full view of everyone and it was unavoidable to see what it was about. Tell her you were upset because it made you realise this could be your personal info.

If you get a defensive response you may have to go to the governor.

It may affect the way you are treated (if they are defensive) or they may appreciate a discreet heads up to a lax member of staff

Ah I see that was the point you were making!

If the op was that concerned she should have mentioned it there and then. Before reading it all and then reporting back to an internet forum.

The OP was trusted as someone who has been accepted (subject to CRB) as a volunteer in that school.

That is why she was allowed to sit at the desk....and that is why she should have called the man over and told him there was a 'safeguarding alert' document on the desk.

Instead she chose to nosey through every detail of it and not to tell him.