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CONFIDENTIALITY
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As
an organisation, SCA collects information and data, and disseminates information and
data as part of its service or operations.
Much of the information and data which the SCA handles or possesses is given or obtained
in confidence. As such, SCA is bound
by Data Protection legislation as well as Charity rules and ethical codes for handling
personal or sensitive data and information(s).
These information and data include members, partners, funders, and members of public
details. These may be held in form of or
for
purposes of statistics, or purely for record, administrative and functional purposes.
SCA is obliged to maintain confidentiality of the
information(s) and data held, which were passed on or given to the SCA on conditions
of trust, confidence and responsibility.
Organisational
confidentiality issues
Staff
must maintain the confidentiality and integrity of SCA’s organisational information(s)
and data at all times. The SCA as an
organisation has confidential information(s) and data relating to its services, operations
and responsibilities, which are
confidential and may be highly sensitive. Breach of such confidential information(s)
or data may be highly detrimental and
damaging, to SCA image, integrity and business, and may threaten the very existence
of the SCA. SCA executive committee
members or members of SCA are therefore under an obligation or duty to maintain such
confidentiality both in the course of their
duty and at all times, and may only release such details with authority or consent
of the SCA executive committee board. If in
doubt, members of SCA may consult with the SCA executive committee members or any
appropriate SCA sub group member. Any
unauthorised disclosure or breach of such confidential information(s) or data, shall
constitute an act of gross misconduct, and will
be subject to the Disciplinary procedure.
Service
confidentiality issues
SCA
executive committee members processes, utilise or maintain confidential details of
members, partners, funders or
regulators as part of their duties and functions. These details are held on the principle
of trust and confidentiality and may only be
used outside of their normal use with consent. SCA executive committee members and
members must therefore apply or make
use of such details in keeping with standards required by the Data protection laws
and SCA confidentiality policy. SCA executive
committee members and members may only make use of such details as are required in
the course of their work, duties and
functions, and must regulate access to such details to those who have authorised access.
If in doubt, SCA executive committee
members or members may consult with Executive committee board or SCA sub group. SCA
executive committee members or
members who are found to be in breach of the confidentiality policy may be subject
to the Disciplinary procedure for serious
misconduct and may be dismissed.
Employment
confidentiality issues
SCA
executive committee members must be aware that the member’s details and matters of
all members (including their own)
are confidential, and can only be disclosed with consent. Accordingly SCA executive
committee members are advised to maintain
the confidentiality of information or data or details relating to membership matters,
which come to their attention or possession,
and may only disclose or utilise such details either by consent or to an authorised
personnel. Any unauthorised use or misuse or
breach of such confidential details will constitute serious misconduct and may be
subject to the Disciplinary procedure.
Internal
usage or sharing of confidential issues
SCA
recognises that the requirements of work and service delivery, may entail the internal
usage or sharing of confidential
information (s) or data held by the SCA.This is acceptable within the confines of
the SCA as an organisation. However, there may
be information(s) and data which are given to SCA executive committee members on the
basis of strict confidentiality and trust as
part of the service delivery or activity. Those particular information(s) and data
must be kept confidential consistent with the
principles upon which it was
given to the SCA and if any requirements or need arises for wider usage or internal
sharing of such information(s) and data, then
the consent or agreement of those concerned must be sought and obtained. Any unauthorised
access, wider usage or internal
sharing of such information(s) or data will constitute serious misconduct and may
be subject to the Disciplinary procedure