South Ayrshire Multi Agency Partnership
Information For Workers
Domestic Abuse and Confidentiality
Refer also to your own policies and procedures.
Confidentiality is an important part of most people's work. However, where domestic
abuse is concerned, staff need to be particularly cautious. The following precautions
should be standard practice for all staff working with domestic abuse:
- Any notes taken during an interview and any information the woman offers must be
kept confidential.
- Check whether or not it is safe to send her correspondence to her home address.
If not, make alternative arrangements.
- Records, written and electronic, should be clearly marked to ensure her whereabouts
remain confidential.
- Talk to the woman and find out her views on whether or not she wants contact with
anyone, eg family members, other agencies. Discuss whether she wants messages and
correspondence passed on or not.
- Permission should be obtained if contact is to be made with any other person or
agency.
- If you get a request for information from another agency such as the police or other
services, always take a name and telephone number and phone them back to check the
call is genuine. Many agencies still operate via a switchboard. Information should
be shared on a need to know basis only.
- You should only pass on information about an address if the woman has given clear
consent in writing. (Except in cases which involve child protection issues.)
- If the woman is concerned that she could be traced through the Benefits System,
it is possible for her to change her National Insurance Number.
- Don’t accept or agree to pass on messages, letters or gifts unless the woman
has explicitly requested this. By agreeing to take a message or letter, you are
letting the man know you know how to make contact with the woman, putting the woman,
yourself and other staff at risk.
- Remember that abusers can be extremely ingenious in finding ways to elicit information.
- Keep clear records of all attempts by anyone to trace the woman, and the reasons
given. This may be important if there is an assault and evidence is needed against
the perpetrator.
- The sharing of anonymised information between domestic abuse service providers is
of great importance in identifying gaps in service provision.