Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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

295 replies

SecretMinceRinser · 22/02/2012 23:20

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?

OP posts:
mockingjay · 22/02/2012 23:51

and if she had a time machine i'm sure she would. but she's asking for the next best solution Wink

LineRunner · 22/02/2012 23:52

It all sounds bizarre, OP. Whenever I've done a [enhanced] CRB check I get sent the form to complete and send it on to the relevant HR department.

Why did they have to have you in, anyway?

ToothbrushThief · 22/02/2012 23:53

Even if she was employed there would still be information governance issues about such a sensitive document left lying around.

Staff office/heads office wherever - the point is that only those people who need to know should have access to it and that does not include all of the school. It certainly does not include prospective volunteers who will also be parents.

SecretMinceRinser · 22/02/2012 23:53

Well hindsight is a wonderful thing but all that would have done is got that piece of info put away.
Do you honestly think that relying on people not looking at peoples personal info that is right in front of them is adequate? Would you be happy if that was your info?

OP posts:
SecretMinceRinser · 22/02/2012 23:54

I'm not sure if I had to go in but I was just told to take my documents to the office and they did it online asking me the odd question along the way - ni number etc.

OP posts:
ToothbrushThief · 22/02/2012 23:54

Do you honestly think that relying on people not looking at peoples personal info that is right in front of them is adequate? Would you be happy if that was your info?

...and here lies the basis of data protection.

RustyBear · 22/02/2012 23:55

Yes, the school needs to rethink its procedures for security of confidential documents, but I still can't see why you thought it was necessary to read the document - just pointing out that you were left with it for half an hour and could have read it would be sufficient, you didn't have to actually read it.

Birdsgottafly · 22/02/2012 23:55

I am a CP SW and our office is only occupied by our team and has occassional visitors who are privy to CP information (other professionals), but we are still not allowed and do not leave documents on the desks.

If we get a file out or access the computer recording system and we have to leave our desk, we put the documents away, or log off the computer.

This is a breach of the LA guidelines for handling sensitive data.

OP you need to report this,there would have been informationon there that as a volunteer,you should not be privy to.

There is no justification for this to have been left in view, that family will have a file and that document should have been in the file.

WorraLiberty · 22/02/2012 23:55

Well hindsight is a wonderful thing but all that would have done is got that piece of info put away

BINGO!

That's exactly what it would have done

And then after it was put away, you could have complained to the Head.

SecretMinceRinser · 22/02/2012 23:57

Well tbh if I do speak to the head I would rather ask that my name isn't mentioned.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 22/02/2012 23:57

I agree with Birds but there was also no justification in the OP reading it either.

Especially when she could have pointed it out to a member of staff straight away.

mockingjay · 22/02/2012 23:57

SecretMinceRinser, if I were in your situation (and didn't desperately need the volunteer position) I would report this in an email to the head. Missing out that you read the whole thing - just the title.

It is possible that the head will (mistakenly, IMO) think YOU are at fault. But at least they will tell the staff member to be more careful and prevent potential disasters. And I actually don't think telling the staff member yourself would've been that useful. He obviously doesn't think of confidential information in the proper way, or it wouldn't be there in the first place. So a bollocking from the head would be a lot more effective long term than you saying 'please put that away'.

SecretMinceRinser · 22/02/2012 23:58

I still have to speak to this man as my child attends the school.

OP posts:
LineRunner · 22/02/2012 23:58

I see what you mean, OP, they wouldn't have all your docs already because you hadn't formally been recruited for a job.

SecretMinceRinser · 22/02/2012 23:59

I don't need the position at all. Was just responding to a request from the school for parents/carers with a few hours to spare.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 23/02/2012 00:00

I still have to speak to this man as my child attends the school

So what??

"Excuse me, this has Safguarding Alert on it... here you are"

Quiet word with Head later on and job done.

Sorry but there was no justification whatsover in you reading all those details and I think deep down you know it.

Or one would hope you do anyway.

EauDeLaPoisson · 23/02/2012 00:01

You admitted you chose to read it- you didn't have to. No it shouldn't have been left on a desk you were invited to sit at but you need to take some responsibility for not only reading it but also posting about it on mumsnet. You have no right to feel holier than thou about it

ToothbrushThief · 23/02/2012 00:02

I'm curious about posters knowledge of information governance and data protection.

Birds is obviously trained (as am I)

The onus is on the holder of that info, not the person exposed to it.

Regardless of location it should be either actively being worked on or locked away.

SecretMinceRinser · 23/02/2012 00:04

I don't feel holier than thou that would be the posters who deny they would look at a piece of paper left in front of them for 1/2 an hour.
Yes I had a closer look because I genuinely didn't know what a Safeguarding Alert was and for all I knew it could have been a template or something. I could have read a lot more if I wanted to. It was a full side of a4.

Worral if I didn what you suggest it would have been fairly obvious I had gone to the head wouldn't it?

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 23/02/2012 00:04

Toothbrush again I agree

I'm Chair of Govs at my DS's school so I know a little bit about it

BUT a document left on a desk doesn't have to be read by the OP in order for her to make a point.

All she had to do was hand it to someone.

mockingjay · 23/02/2012 00:05

I am actually quite shocked at the number of posters honing in on the OP's behaviour. While not ideal, that really is a tiny problem compared with the school leaving this sort of information open to the public. And it was open to the public - the OP doesn't work at the school.

WorraLiberty · 23/02/2012 00:06

No Secret it wouldn't have been fairly obvious

The Head could quite simply have reminded everyone about confidential documents being on show in the office.

And even if it was obvious what exactly do you think would happen?

You still didn't have to read it.

mockingjay · 23/02/2012 00:06

Toothbrush to answer your question, I have absolutely no training in data protection. I am a bit shocked though because I would've thought it was just common sense that if you are trusted with data it's down to you to protect it.

EauDeLaPoisson · 23/02/2012 00:07

People went mad on a similar thread about someone reading their friends confidential work survey and posting it on here- not one person suggested it was anyone else's fault but the person who read it

SecretMinceRinser · 23/02/2012 00:07

No I didn't but we can argue all day about how much I should have read. I read enough to satisfy myself that it shouldn't have been left where it was.

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread