Confidentiality

College Leaders will be privy to confidential information regarding Members across the entire College. This information must be kept confidential to the College Leaders team. This is extremely important. According to the College Leaders Code of Practice which you have agreed that:

You must not use or disclose, nor permit to be used or disclosed, any such information except in the proper course of fulfilling your responsibilities of employment.

The Members’ Handbook also makes mention of confidentiality regarding matters relating to Members:

Members should be aware that study, behaviour and health matters are not confidential to an individual College Leader but to the team of College Leaders and the Head of College and Deputy Heads of College. This is important for pastoral care purposes.
Members are asked to please not put individual College Leaders in a difficult position by asking them to keep such matters confidential to themselves. Because the Head of College has concern for the whole College, the College Leaders are obliged to consult with the Head of College. The Head of College will only share personal or sensitive information on a "need to know basis".
College Leaders may suggest to Members that it might be more appropriate if some matters are shared with a counsellor, a Chaplain or other support service provided by the University, the Otago University Students Association (OUSA), or some other community service organisation.

Behaviour matters are usually brought up at the weekly College Leader meetings unless there is some urgency in which case the Head of College should be advised earlier.

Serious health matters should be referred to the Head of College and/or Deputy Heads of College privately and a decision will be taken as to whether to inform other College Leaders. Ordinary health concerns such as flu and stress-related illnesses can be shared on the Sickness Slack channel and mentioned at the weekly meetings.

If College Leaders are aware of personal matters that affect a Member they must use their judgement and discretion in terms of what they do or do not do with that information. If the matter will adversely affect “study, behaviour, and health” the Head of College and/or Deputy Heads of College should be informed.