Promote Good Practice in Handling Information in Health and Social Care Settings

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HSC038 Promote good practice in handling information in health and social care settings To understand the requirements for handling information in health and social care settings, the first step is to identify the legislation: The Data Protection Act 1998. This Act stipulates the rules for manual and electronic processing of personal data (e.g. names, addresses, dates of birth etc.) and ensures that every company which keeps such records is responsible for the data collected, how it is used and to whom it can be given. This Act has eight legally enforceable ‘data protection principles’: • Information must be processed fairly and lawfully • It must be used for limited and declared purposes • It must be accurate, up to date and relevant • Information must be held no longer than necessary • It must be kept secure • May not be transferred overseas unless safeguards are in place • Individuals have a legal right to see any personal information you have stored about them Confidentiality is a central trust between a service user and a health and social care setting to enable an open, beneficial and honest relationship. At . The circumstances under which confidentiality will be breached are: • Where a child is suspected of being at risk or harm • When a service user or another person is at risk of harm • Where a worker is summoned by a court to give evidence • If a service user discloses information about criminal offences, including being in possession of offensive weapons, or potentially pending criminal activity • If a service user is found to be discussing the sale or purchase of illegal drugs, or found to be in possession of these whilst on service premises • Where information may be related to the Terrorism Act Good practices in handling information which is stored

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