Unit 1: Information, Advice or Guidance – Principles and Practice

Client-centred

The needs of the client must be put first, and not those of the providers, trainers, employers or anyone else (although they may be very relevant).

Confidentiality and impartiality are essential features of a client-centred approach. In some context there may be a conflict; for example, if you work in a training organisation and the course your client would be best suited to is offered an alternative provider, or when confidentially has to be broken for safeguarding concerns.

IAG workers need to make a clear commitment to confidentiality and inform their clients of any limitations to confidentiality from the start of their interaction.  IAG workers need to be fully aware of these limitations to confidentiality.

When is it appropriate to break the boundaries of client confidentiality?

You may, in certain circumstances need to override your duty of confidentiality to clients. This decision is often made to protect a clients best interests or the interests of the public. In most organisations and work places, you may override confidentiality if:

• You have information that suggests the client is at risk of harm.
• You have information to suggest that the client is posing a risk of harm to someone else.

In these instances, you should always follow your organisations policies, guidance and processes and report your concerns to your manager or supervisor.

Ethical or unethical?
Look at the following actions by an IAG adviser. State in the comment box the number of the ones that you think would be unethical.

1. Disclosing confidential information without the client’s consent.
2. Providing out of date information about services offered.
3. Avoiding sexual, financial, emotional or any other form of client exploitation
4. Turning a blind eye to malpractice by other counsellors.

Consider the following scenario, which explains why breaking confidentiality is sometimes necessary.

You are working as a community development worker and you are working with a client who is looking for further information about local groups, activities and classes in the area. When you are discussing their likes and interest with the client, they tell you that they don’t really enjoy much these days, and that they are feeling very low, depressed and have been struggling with their mental health leading them to sometimes self harm. When you enquire further the client explains that they have not sought any professional help but they are also self medicating and have felt suicidal recently.

You are very concerned about this clients mental health and risk of harm to themselves. You explain this to them, but they tell you that they don’t want you to tell anybody else. You believe that you should inform your manager and follow safeguarding procedures which means that you will have to break client confidentiality. You believe that in this situation, it is necessary to protect the client from further harm.

You should explain to the client that you understand why they would not want to share their information, and explain that due to your safeguarding policy that you will need to act upon their best interest and will need to speak to a manager who will be able to make a referral to local mental health services.

You have a duty to protect client confidentiality. However, when a client is at risk of harm or posing a risk to someone else, you may, in certain circumstances, break the confidentiality if it’s done to protect their best interests or the interests of the public.

Impartiality is an essential part of good practice and a client should be made aware of an organisations or the IAG workers limitations. For example a training provider giving IAG, should make clear that other sources of support and information is available in order to be less biased or assist the individual to gain a broader view on the service they may require. Clients ultimately have the responsibility for their choice if they are enabled to understand how to make this choice.

IAG workers can only assist individuals to make a choice on topics directly related to their area of expertise. The difficulty for the IAG worker is where the boundary lies between their role and that of another specialist.  Some of their clients may need that specialist and it is good practice to refer the client on and do it sensitively.