Student Confidentiality Statement

Introduction

1. This statement provides guidance to students on how and when to disclose information to Northeastern University London (the University) and what the student can expect once a disclosure has been made.
2. The University has a duty of care to protect its staff and students from harm, as far as is practicable and foreseeable. This duty of care extends to directing those in need of support to relevant support services and encouraging them to take up the support available.
3. This statement applies to both prospective and current students. For the purposes of this document, ‘students’ includes undergraduate students, postgraduate students, mobility students, and higher and degree apprenticeship learners.
4. This statement applies to students who may disclose a disability, medical condition, alleged sexual misconduct, or a personal matter not related to their health or disability to any member of staff.
5. Confidential information and personal data are not equivalent, but they can interact. For more information, please refer to the Data Protection Policy.

General Principles

Disclosures and Information Sharing of Disabilities

6. The University strongly advises students to disclose any disability-related need(s) and/or condition(s) at the earliest opportunity in order for the University to meet the student’s individual study and personal safety requirements. For further information refer to the Student Disability Policy. The University also advises students to share information about a disability, mental health or health condition, even if they do not believe that additional support is required, so that the University has a record and can provide support more quickly should an issue arise.
7. Students have the right not to disclose a disability or to request that the existence or nature of their disability be treated as strictly confidential and therefore not shared with relevant staff across the University. However, the student should be aware that this may impair the ability of staff to provide them with the most effective teaching or services.
8. The University is committed to respecting students’ privacy and to treat sensitive information with all due care. The University must also ensure that it acts appropriately to offer support to students and to safeguard students and staff. Therefore, information disclosed by a student may be shared between staff in Student Support and Development and Residence Life and key managers in order to deliver support and manage risk as set out in the Student Welfare Policy. In these circumstances, the information will be shared only on a need-to-know basis and restricted to the minimum information necessary to carry out support and safeguarding functions.
9. Students should be reassured that when they seek help in confidence, the information they reveal will not be shared with any third party, including family, without their consent except in exceptional cases as set out in the section titled Confidentiality.
10. Student Support and Development (SSD) may receive sensitive information regarding a student from other students, staff, family, and external services. In these circumstances, information may be shared on a limited basis with appropriate people within the University. This is to ensure that students are provided with the most coordinated and timely support possible, as well as to ensure that potential or existing risk is managed appropriately. For more information in managing risk, please refer to the Student Welfare Policy and Support to Study Policy.

Disclosures and Information Sharing of Personal Relationships

11. Students are strongly advised not to enter into personal relationships with University staff. If this is the case, the staff member is required to disclose the personal relationships between themselves and students according to the Personal Relationships Disclosure and Conflict Management Procedure.

Disclosures and Information Sharing of Sexual Misconduct or Assault

12. For all allegations of sexual misconduct, the University has a mandatory reporting policy (Please see the Sexual Misconduct Policy for more details).
13. All University employees are obligated to report allegations of sexual misconduct to Report and Support as soon as possible.

Confidentiality

14. Requests for strict confidentiality may mean that:
    1. No, or a less satisfactory, reasonable adjustment can be offered.
    2. No, or limited, support can be offered.
15. There may be certain circumstances where the University needs to disclose information that the student has shared, such as where there is a risk of harm to the student or others, or where reporting of an alleged incident is mandatory. In these circumstances, the University will look to obtain the consent of the student where possible, explain why there is a need to disclose the information, and who will have access to this information.
16. Where the University feels it is necessary for the student to have external support (for example, from emergency services, medical services or next of kin) to help ensure their personal safety, and where students do not consent to share this information as stated above, or where it is not practicable for the University to obtain consent, the University reserves the right to escalate concerns in line with their duty of care. The University may seek to notify other relevant individuals or services where:
    1. The student is considered likely to be a danger to themselves or others.
    2. The student has a medical emergency.
    3. The student is subject to a procedure resulting in their suspension, expulsion or removal from the University.
    4. Disclosure is required by law and/or is in the public interest (for example, terrorist activities or money laundering).
    5. The University is made aware of a student under the age of 18 years or a vulnerable adult who is being abused or is at risk of abuse as set out in the University’s Safeguarding Policy.
17. The University strongly advises students to register with a local GP and agree to information sharing with them. Students who do not agree to information sharing with their GP are at risk of not being able to receive the right support or services.
18. SSD may request permission from individual students for information sharing with NHS, private health or mental health services, or with family members or close friends in order to help ensure appropriate support is in place.

Reporting, Monitoring and Reviewing

19. The Student Welfare Policy sets out how student welfare will be monitored and overseen.
20. The Sexual Misconduct Policy sets out how the incidents reported through the Mandatory Reporting Policy are monitored and overseen.
21. The University is obliged to provide anonymous data to the designated data body (Jisc/HESA) and the Office for Students on student disabilities and service usage as required by conditions of registration.

Version History

Footnotes

¹ E.g. Terrorist activities or money laundering.