Confidentiality & privacy

• We will respond to your requests for information in the way that suits you best, seeking to ensure that we respect your privacy at all times.
• There is a small team at Scottish Government – the SurvivorScotland Team in the Health Directorate - that will deal with your inquiries before Time to be Heard (TTBH) starts on 17 May. If you phone you will be put through to a member of that team. Any correspondence from you before that date will also be dealt with by the SurvivorScotland team. After 17 May that team will deal with hearing schedules for the first 2 weeks of Time to be Heard or enquiries about government policy in relation to Time to be Heard only. The SurvivorScotland Team will work jointly with the support team (see paragraph 3 below) to ensure that your expenses are paid promptly.
• From 17 May the support team at Time to be Heard will deal with any requests from you about the work of the Pilot Forum, except hearing schedules for the first 2 weeks or enquiries about government policy in relation to Time to be Heard. The support team consists of three people who are independent from government.
• All information given at Time to be Heard that identifies individuals or is personal to you will be held confidentially for a short period. It will then be anonymised and stored securely. Any written information (except for your form asking to take part in TTBH), photographs or other material that you send to us or bring with you will be returned to you either at the end of the hearing or within a few days. Time to be Heard is registered as a ‘data controller’ for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998. This means that we have told the UK Information Commissioner that we propose to receive, hold and use personal information (data). As a data controller, Time to be Heard must follow the rules contained in the Data Protection Act about how and when it can store, use and release that personal information.
• We have systems to protect the security of the personal information you give us. These include physical security within the premises used by Time to be Heard, IT security and staff security.
• Personal information you give when you describe your experiences at Time to be Heard will not be disclosed to anyone else apart from the Chair and the two Commissioners except where:

- there is a risk of harm to you or to any other person. For example, where a person who carried out abuse in the past is working now with children or adults in need of support and protection we will want to make sure that this is reported to the police.

- we are required by law to disclose such information. For instance, a court could order us to provide the judge with such information.

• In every case where we need to disclose such information we will take all reasonable steps to discuss our concerns with you and explain why we have to report this information to other people or authorities. We have links with the police to enable us to do this in ways that recognise concerns you may have. We will always try and give you the opportunity to talk through with us any worries you may have.
• We will ask you to provide us with feedback about your experiences at Time to be Heard. Your responses will not identify you unless you decide that you want to give more feedback to an independent researcher.
• No individuals participating in Time to be Heard or alleged abusers will be named in any published reports of the Pilot Forum’s work.
• The premises for Time to be Heard are in an office block in central Glasgow. The building contains a number of offices which receive visitors. You should not therefore be identifiable as a participant in Time to be Heard.
• We want to ensure that participants’ privacy and confidentiality are respected by everyone involved in Time to be Heard. So you will be asked to sign a Confidentiality Agreement if you wish to participate in Time to be Heard. You will be asked not to disclose the location and not to reveal the identities of any other participants you may know of - and their supporters - without their agreement.
• Every participant will be asked whether they are willing for what they say to be recorded. This electronic record will not be transcribed unless you request that (see paragraph 13 below) and will be held securely for a short time after which it will be destroyed. When we have finished the report on Time to be Heard and completed any other work we will arrange for the destruction of any remaining personal data.
• You can ask to listen to a recording of what you have said at Time to be Heard within 7 days from the date you take part or you can ask for a copy in writing within that time. We will remove any personal information about other people in the written copy we give you. The independent administrator attached to Time to be Heard will transcribe your account and will therefore have access to your personal information. However, your account will only be transcribed if you request that. Time to be Heard will not retain the transcription and the copy you receive will be the only copy and will be for your use alone.