Confidentiality

Personal information about clients is accessible only within the Student Counselling and Advisory Service. Staff of the service will not pass on personal information about clients (including information on attendance) to anyone outside the service (including academic staff), subject to the following exceptions:

• Where a member of staff of the Student Counselling and Advisory Service has the express consent of the client to disclose the information or data.
• Where the member of staff of the Student Counselling and Advisory Service would be liable to civil or criminal court procedure if the information was not disclosed. In such circumstances, consent to disclose the information will be sought from the client, if at all possible, unless the law states otherwise.
• Where the member of staff believes that the client or a third party is at serious risk. In such circumstances, the counsellor will normally encourage the client to pass on the information to the relevant person/agency. If there is no indication that this has happened, or likely to happen, or if the risk is believed to be sufficiently serious, the counsellor may pass on the information directly. Consent to disclose information will be sought from the client, if at all possible.

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