Privacy and confidentiality

It is important to keep other people's privacy and any need for confidentiality in mind when running a P&C. Here are some points to help you think around these issues.

Meetings

  • Determine confidentiality of information and documents you are taking into a meeting
  • Seek permission from the person/people concerned so that the matter can be discussed
  • Seek extra background information only on a 'need to know' basis
  • Do not discuss confidential matters, or provide confidential documents, without permission
  • Only use confidential information in your possession to inform the meeting in a general way, without revealing details
  • Do not reveal names or other identifying details when providing examples relevant to discussion
  • Ask the confidentiality status of any documents or information provided by others

Parent information, especially email addresses:

  • Only request the level of information that is necessary, e.g. for P&Cs, name, email address and phone number(s) should be enough
  • Restrict access to any email distribution of lists to the minimum number of office-bearers; do not make them generally available to members
  • Do NOT sell/provide lists to commercial organisations
  • Schools do not give parents' information to P&Cs. Similarly, P&Cs should not hand on any personal information they have.
  • Email IS correspondence - ensure it is relevant, valid and respects confidentiality
  • Use blind copy for distribution to lists (BCC) so that parents’ email addresses are not visible to others
  • Use 'reply to all' with great care, and don't inadvertently use it to exchange emails with one person on a list
  • Delete (and ignore) private emails sent to you by mistake
  • Anything in writing, including emails, can be used in legal cases, e.g. defamation
  • Personal information is any information from which a person can be identified, e.g. some email addresses, photos

See also Council’s privacy policy as a guide.

back to top