Confidentiality and trust
Young people need to know what will happen to the things they share. This chapter helps you explain confidentiality and safeguarding clearly, build trust and act safely when you need to share information.
* This toolkit gives general guidance. It does not replace your organisation’s safeguarding policy, professional judgement or local safeguarding procedures. Local referral routes may vary.
Why clear words matter
Before a young person decides whether to talk, they may be wondering: “Who will find out?” Be clear about what you can keep private and when you may need to share information. This helps young people make an informed choice about talking to you. Research shows one of the biggest reasons young people do not ask for help is fear of who else will find out.
My mum worked at my school. If I talked to my teachers, there'd be no escape. The sports coach was external. It was always strictly between me and them.Young person, from one of our focus groups
Questions young people may have before they talk
Short answer
Only if I am worried that you or someone else is not safe.
What to do
This matters most when the difficulty involves home, or when a parent works at the school. Explain clearly what you may share with family and what you will keep private before the young person decides whether to talk.
Short answer
Only if they need to know to help keep someone safe or provide support.
What to explain
If information needs to be shared within a team, say who will be told, what they need to know and why.
Short answer
Sometimes. Be clear about what will be recorded, where it will go and who can read it.
What to explain
Young people need to know whether something they share will become part of a record and how that information may be used.
Short answer
Not automatically. A referral is a request for the right support, not a decision to remove a child.
What to explain
Name clearly what would and would not lead to a referral. Explain that children’s social care may offer advice, support or further assessment, depending on the concern.
What you can say at the start
These are not words to memorise. Use them in your own voice and adapt them to your role.
“Before we start, I want to explain how I handle private information. I will not share what you tell me just because it is difficult or because someone may disagree.”
“If I think that you, or someone else, may not be safe, I may need to ask another adult for help. If that happens, I will tell you what I am going to share, who I will share it with and why, unless telling you first would make someone less safe.”
Be clear about what you may record or share in your setting. Do not promise to keep a secret.
Only share information when it is necessary, relevant and proportionate. Tell the young person what will happen, unless doing so could make someone less safe.
Something like: "The only time I would have to tell someone is if I was really worried that you, or someone else, was not safe. Even then, I would talk to you about it first, and I would tell you who I was going to talk to and why. I would not go behind your back."
This is the heart of it. The young person is not asking for absolute secrecy. They are asking not to be surprised, and not to be betrayed, but to be informed.
Put this into practice
Choose the step that fits your role and the time you have.
Before your next conversation
Decide how you would explain what may stay private and when you may need to share information. Keep it honest and simple.
Practise the words
Practise the opening script out loud until it sounds natural. Make sure it matches your role and your organisation’s safeguarding policy.
Build it into your setting
Work with young people and colleagues to agree clear, plain-language wording about confidentiality and safeguarding. Check that it matches your organisation’s policy and local procedures.
Need to understand safeguarding and what happens next?
See Chapter 5: Safeguarding, sharing information and getting help →