Confidentiality Policy

Truly Scrumptious Early Years Nursery

At Truly Scrumptious Early Years Nursery, we are committed to ensuring that all children, families, and staff feel safe, respected, and valued. We understand that confidentiality is essential in building trust, supporting families, and maintaining a professional environment. This policy sets out how we will handle sensitive and confidential information within our setting.

Confidentiality Commitments

To uphold confidentiality at all times, we will:

  • Ensure that parents/carers can access records relating to their own child only. Information about other children will never be shared.

  • Require that staff do not discuss individual children or families with anyone other than the child’s own parents/carers, unless necessary and with prior consent.

  • Keep information shared by parents/carers confidential, and only pass it on with their consent, unless a safeguarding concern overrides this.

  • Ensure that personnel matters (e.g. staff performance, grievances) remain confidential to those directly involved.

  • Store any safeguarding concerns or evidence in a secure, confidential file, accessible only to the child’s key person, the Manager, and the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL).

  • Comply fully with the Data Protection Act 2018, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018, and guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

  • Ensure that any confidential information seen or heard by staff remains within the nursery and is not shared externally.

  • Require that children’s abilities, behaviours, or needs are only discussed with the child’s parents or involved professionals, with parental consent—unless safeguarding concerns apply.

Staff Expectations

  • Confidentiality is a professional obligation. Staff who discuss a child or family outside the appropriate professional context may be suspended without pay and subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal. This includes sharing information with ex-employees.

  • Information may only be discussed as needed for:

    • Curriculum planning

    • Safeguarding

    • Nursery management

  • Any staff discussions about children must be conducted respectfully and in private.

Sharing Information in Exceptional Circumstances

  • While we strive to maintain confidentiality, there may be legal or safeguarding reasons that require us to share information without consent.

  • In such cases, information will be shared with relevant professionals on a strictly need-to-know basis and handled in a way that protects the welfare of the child and the integrity of all involved.

Parents and Confidentiality

  • We kindly ask parents/carers not to discuss other children or families. Please consider how upsetting it would be to hear another parent talking about your child.

  • While parents/carers may choose to share personal information with other parents or staff, the nursery cannot be held responsible if that information is shared beyond those individuals.

  • If you are facing difficulties, the Nursery Manager is available to offer confidential support and signpost to appropriate services.

Relevant Legislation

This policy is aligned with the following statutory and regulatory frameworks:

  • The Children Act 2004

  • The Data Protection Act 2018

  • General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018

  • The Human Rights Act 1998

  • The National Standards for Under 8s Daycare (2001)

  • Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Principles (2008, revised 2012)

Policy Reviewed By: Brittany Vant – Nursery Manager – 22/05/2025

 

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