ALS - Confidentiality

Confidentiality

Under the Data Protection Act information about a learner’s disability is classified as sensitive. This means that information cannot be passed on without the learner’s explicit informed consent. Implicit within the Disability Discrimination Act Part 4 is a learner’s right to confidentiality and this reinforces the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

A number of disabilities covered by the legislation are hidden disabilities. It is important that we proactively encourage learners to disclose a disability, not just at admission but also at regular intervals throughout the course.

Braintree College is committed to ensuring that all learners, irrespective of disability, have access to a high quality learning experience. We will make all “reasonable adjustments” to ensure that this happens. We aim to help learners at any stage of their studies so that they can succeed in their chosen course at Braintree College.

We will ensure that all information obtained about a learner’s disability will be treated with sensitivity and passed on in an appropriate manner only with the full consent of the learner. The rights of a learner to confidentiality, including complete confidentiality, will be respected, and discussed with the learner. Braintree College promotes equal opportunities in respect of race, gender, age and disability. We ensure that full educational opportunities exist for all students.

Why disclose information

We appreciate that coming to Braintree College is a challenge as well as an opportunity but the College is committed to your success. We have experience of providing support to students with disabilities to enhance their potential for success. The key to securing appropriate support from staff throughout the course is your Individual Student Support Agreement plan (ISSAP). With your agreement, the Additional Learning Support team will work with you to draw up your ISSAP, which you can give out at your discretion to appropriate staff if you wish and which will be sent to your personal tutor/pastoral tutor (unless you request that this is not done).

If, however, you have concerns with regard to confidentiality, you can opt to keep all the information about your disability and consequent needs entirely confidential. In this case, the Additional Learning Support team will not disclose any details or information you give to them to anyone. This is your right, but inevitably means that where staff are not aware of your needs, such support as you receive will be likely to be inconsistent, ad hoc and at a lower level than we would wish to provide.

We recommend that you contact us if you have any concerns to enable us to discuss this with you in an arranged meeting, to allay any worries or doubts you may have.