Confidentiality
The Wellbeing Service confidentiality statement reassures you that information you share with us is secure and will be treated confidentially, except for rare occasions outlined below.
Students who use our service are often anxious about confidentiality and the kinds of records that are kept. We hope this information helps to explain our position and reassure you. If you have any specific concerns, please contact the service directly at听wellbeingservices@bangor.ac.uk 听
Working as a team within the Wellbeing Service, we aim to provide the best possible support for a variety of different and sometimes complex issues.
The Wellbeing Service is an Organisational Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and as such works within its Ethical Framework for Counselling Professions.
When you talk to the Wellbeing Service Team, your information is treated with confidentiality.
It will not go on your degree records or transcript that you have had support from us. Information won't be passed on to anyone else, including your tutors, parents, friends, or any other University staff unless you specifically give permission for us to do that, or in very exceptional circumstances.
On occasion, and normally with your permission, we may discuss ways of supporting you with others in the team, such as colleagues with specialist knowledge or expertise. These colleagues may include Mental Health Advisers, members of the Student Support and Wellbeing Team, or others.
When we might talk to someone about you
At your specific request
In some cases, you may ask us to pass information on to someone else. For example, if you have experienced a bereavement and are worried it may affect your exam performance, it may be easier for our staff to pass this information on to your academic school.
Where an individual poses a risk to themselves or others
If you give us information which suggests that you, or another person, is at risk of actual harm, we will normally ask your permission to contact someone who might be able to help.
If circumstances permit, we would try to contact you to discuss things, ideally obtain your agreement, and make you aware of what is happening before breaking confidentiality.听听On very rare occasions there may be an emergency where it is not possible or appropriate to seek your permission before such a disclosure to safeguard you or another person.
Where a legal obligation exists
In exceptional circumstances we may be required by law to disclose information and would be liable to civil or criminal court procedure if the information was not disclosed. Where possible and appropriate we would try to contact you to discuss the situation before making a disclosure.
If there are fitness to practice or study concerns
In some exceptional circumstances we may be required to disclose information if this pertains to a Fitness to Practice or a Fitness to Study concern.
In supervision
As a requirement of their profession, Counsellors, Art Psychotherapist and CBT Therapists must undertake supervision during which they discuss their work with their supervisor. Supervisors are required to maintain confidentiality. Since the supervision is focused on the work of the supervisee, they do not have to reveal your identity to their supervisor.
Personal Data
You provide us with personal information when you complete the self-referral enquiry and registration forms, and this is stored on a password protected database on a secure University virtual server. Access is limited to staff within the Wellbeing Service. Your personal information will only be used to facilitate administrative processes, such as contacting you to arrange an appointment, and in an aggregated and anonymous way to produce statistics about the profile of Wellbeing Service users.
A limited number of IT Services staff have access to the server on which the database is stored for the sole purpose of system administration. IT Services ensure that the server is maintained in line with best security practice.
If you have concerns about the processing of your data, please see the University听Data protection policy
Gender re-assignment is a protected characteristic under the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and the Equality Act 2010. Any information we receive from you concerning gender status and transition history may be shared internally within the Wellbeing Service and will not be disclosed to external parties without your express permission.
Record Keeping and Data Protection
A record of the support you have received is kept by the Wellbeing Service.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Act 2018 supports your right to access your notes. Contact the Wellbeing Service to request information about the process.
- Reviewed and Updated:听 9 September 2024
- Next review date: 9 September 2025