School Setting: Confidentiality

As a staff member in the education setting, if a student has disclosed to you about experiencing symptoms or they are displaying warning signs that they may be suffering with an eating disorder (or any other mental health disorder), your number one priority is their safety and wellbeing.

Confidentiality and the Law

Under school and system policies, all education staff are required to convey all concerns about the safety, welfare or wellbeing of children and young people up to 18 years of age that arise during the course of their work to their principal or their workplace manager. In NSW, for example, the Department of Education Child Protection Policy states that staff are required to provide relevant information that assists the principal or workplace manager in evaluating the concerns, on each occasion that they become aware of concerns about student safety, welfare or wellbeing during the course of their work.

This means that you should not promise the student that you will keep any information they disclose confidential. However you should reassure the student that you are working to keep them safe and you need to let other, appropriate, people know in order to do that. This will include advising trained education staff, healthcare professionals and contacting their parent/guardian.

Mandatory Reporting

Eating Disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening, mental illnesses. Education staff are mandatory reporters and as such if you believe a students health, wellbeing or safety is at risk then you need to report your concerns to your principal or workplace manager. In general, there may be a child protection issue regarding their disordered eating and the associated behaviours that has a significant impact on their physical, emotional and social wellbeing.

Furthermore, issues can related to their parent or guardian being unwilling or unable to effectively address the issue. On each occasion staff are recommended to use the Mandatory Reporter Guide (MRG) to:

• Identify appropriate reporting decision based on the concerns;

• Determine whether a report to the Department of Communities and Justice Child Protection Helpline is needed; and

• Identify alternate ways to support vulnerable children or young people who may be at risk.