Confidentiality

The most important role of the YES staff is to listen to the young people who walk through the door. Sometimes they need someone to talk to about something going on in their lives which is making them unhappy. They can talk to us in confidence about anything that concerns them. They won't be judged and we will support them in any way we can, whether it's just info or advice or a bit more ongoing support. We also offer up to 6 regular one hour sessions which (when structured like this) we class as informal counseling. It's their decision and there's no pressure.

The most important factor in developing trust, credibility and confidence from young people is for them to know that what is said within the YES is safe with staff and volunteers. Due to this we appreciate the importance of our confidentiality policy. The extent to which we operate this includes keeping a confidence from other members of staff and volunteers unless, with the individuals permission, we consult someone else or there are exceptional circumstances (outlined below).

To sum it up we adhere to the following statement;

- confidentiality will be maintained at all times and will not be broken without the young person's permission, except in exceptional circumstances.

Exceptional circumstances are defined as;

- Real danger of severe harm or death to themselves or others. - Immediate medical treatment is necessary.

Further to this we operate a client contract which is on display within the office, which states under clause (5);

- "We expect all young people using the YES shop to respect confidentiality, anything heard or seen within these premises should not be taken out of the shop."