cspm 10 5 recording sensitivity

							10.5          Recording sensitivity

Purpose
This procedure outlines the process for recording a person or event as sensitive.


Key steps
    1. Determine whether a person or event is sensitive
    2. Classify a person or event as sensitive
    3. Manage a sensitive person or event
    4. Review the sensitivity plan
    5. Manage sensitive records

    What ifs - responding to specific sensitivity matters


Standards
    1. A classification of ‘sensitive’ is applied to specified persons or events.
    2. Actions taken, where a staff member is recorded as a ‘sensitive’ client, protect the staff
       member’s privacy.



Authority
        Adoption Act 2009, section 314
        Child Protection Act 1999


Key steps - Recording sensitivity
1. Determine whether a person or event is sensitive

2. Classify a person or event as sensitive

3. Manage a sensitive person or event

4. Review the sensitivity plan

5. Manage sensitive records

What ifs - responding to specific sensitivity matters
    1.        What if a sensitivity plan is shared with a Youth Justice Service Centre?



Chapter 10.5 Recording sensitivity                          June 2012                         Page 1
1. Determine whether a person or event is sensitive
When a record is created in ICMS, the electronic records in relation to that person or event will
be accessible to all relevant staff. However, there may be times when it is important to protect
the identity of a person and members of his or her family or to protect information about a
particular event due to security concerns or privacy issues. In these cases, the electronic and
paper files in relation to that person or event will be classified as 'sensitive'.

A classification of 'sensitive' must be applied to the following clients:
        any staff member who has a child or unborn child subject to an investigation and
         assessment, or to ongoing intervention
        a Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services employee who
         applies for approval as a carer, including provisional approval - for further information,
         refer to Chapter 8, 12. What if a carer applicant, or an approved carer, is a departmental
         employee?
        a child requiring an adoptive placement (a pre-adoptive case).

Consider the type of sensitivity to be sought
When it is considered necessary to apply sensitivity, determine the type of sensitivity to be
sought:
        person sensitivity - when sensitivity is applied to a person record, all events in which that
         person plays a role will automatically be made sensitive
        carer entity sensitivity - adding sensitivity to a carer entity will also add sensitivity to all
         person records and events associated with that entity
        event sensitivity - sensitivity will be applied only to that event, without applying sensitivity
         to the persons relating to that event.

In all cases, only those staff who have been granted access to the record will see full details.

For further information about managing a sensitive person or event in ICMS, refer to the Shared
Information Solutions ICMS - Child protection participants manual (August 2011).

2. Classify a person or event as sensitive
A person or event may be classified as sensitive at any stage of Child Safety intervention.

When classifying a person or event as sensitive consult the team leader and senior practitioner
about the decision to classify and record the person or event as sensitive. When a decision is
made to proceed:
        consider whether it is necessary to classify the entire person or carer entity as sensitive
         or whether it would be sufficient to limit sensitivity to a specific event
        create or access the person record, carer entity record or event record in ICMS
        create a sensitivity plan in ICMS, including:
             the allocated CSSC or RIS
             the reason for sensitivity




Chapter 10.5 Recording sensitivity                            June 2012                               Page 2
             the start and review dates
           which staff are to have access to the information
        submit the sensitivity plan to the sensitivity manager for approval.

The sensitive classification only commences following approval of the sensitivity plan by the
sensitivity manager. The sensitivity manager will be the CSSC or RIS manager (or RIS team
leader where there is no manager) or the CSAHSC team leader or manager. The sensitivity
manager is able to view the full details of any person, carer entity or event classified as sensitive
for their CSSC or RIS. The sensitivity manager can change the staff with access to a sensitive
record at any time following the classification of a record as sensitive in ICMS.

Child Safety staff without access will not be able to view the electronic records of a sensitive
person or event. Electronic searches for a person or event that has been classified as sensitive
will be logged by IT and sensitivity log reports will be generated which will identify staff members
who have attempted to access sensitive records.

Child Safety staff without access are not to access the paper files associated with a sensitive
person or event. These paper files are to be kept in a locked filing cabinet.

Pre-adoptive cases
The Adoption Act 2009, section 314, contains confidentiality requirements, obligating Child
Safety not to disclose any personal information that is likely to allow the birth and/or adoptive
parents identities to become known.

In order to comply with this requirement, all adoptive children's birth names will be classified as
sensitive and will remain on the system as such. In some cases, the birth parents have other
children who are not adopted, and may be subject to child protection intervention. In these
cases, the birth parents names will be classified as either standard or sensitive, as guided by
Adoption Services Queensland.

For further information, refer to Chapter 10.4 Providing adoption services.

3. Manage a sensitive person or event
When the person record, carer entity or event record for a staff member or prominent person is
classified as sensitive, the team leader, in consultation with the manager, if necessary, will
determine the most appropriate officer to undertake the required Child Safety intervention.

When a staff member from a CSSC or RIS is classified as a sensitive person, a more senior staff
member from a different CSSC or RIS will undertake the investigation and assessment or
complete any other Child Safety intervention to protect the staff member's privacy within their
own workplace.

If a CSSC or RIS manager is classified as a sensitive person, the regional director will negotiate
for a senior staff member from another region to conduct the investigation and assessment or
undertake any other Child Safety intervention that is required. It is not appropriate for a team
leader or CSO to complete such tasks in relation to a CSSC manager.




Chapter 10.5 Recording sensitivity                         June 2012                           Page 3
4. Review the sensitivity plan
It is the responsibility of the sensitivity manager to review the sensitivity plan for a person or
event every six months. When undertaking this review, in consultation with the relevant team
leader or CSO, the sensitivity manager will ensure that:
        the person or event still requires a classification of sensitive in ICMS
        the appropriate Child Safety staff have been granted access to the records for the person
         or event.

When a person or event no longer requires classification as sensitive, the sensitivity manager
will remove the sensitivity plan from ICMS.

5. Manage sensitive records
As part of the ongoing management of sensitivity in ICMS, it may be necessary to:
        revoke or withdraw sensitivity, if a sensitivity plan is not approved
        view sensitive data or a sensitivity plan
        amend an approved sensitivity plan
        change the list of Child Safety staff who have access to a sensitive person record, carer
         entity or event record
        remove an approved sensitivity plan.

What ifs - responding to specific sensitivity matters
1.       What if a sensitivity plan is shared with a Youth Justice Service
         Centre?
In some cases, a client may be subject to intervention by the Department of Justice and the
Attorney General – Youth Justice Services, under the Youth Justice Act 1992, and statutory child
protection intervention from the Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability
Services, under the Child Protection Act 1999.

Where this occurs and a client’s electronic and paper files are classified as 'sensitive' by the
CSSC and the Youth Justice Service Centre, sensitivity is managed by each point of service
delivery. The Child Safety sensitivity manager will only be able to control access for Child Safety
officers - they will not be able to control access for Youth Justice Service Centre officers.

When a sensitivity plan has both a CSSC and Youth Justice Service Centre allocated to it, a
sensitivity manager from either department can only remove a plan if there are no officers from
the other department in the list of officers able to access the plan. Therefore, to remove a joint
sensitivity plan, the Child Safety sensitivity manager will need to consult the Youth Justice
Service Centre sensitivity manager.




Resources


Chapter 10.5 Recording sensitivity                         June 2012                            Page 4
Child Safety resources
        Shared Information Solutions ICMS - Child protection participants manual (September
         2008)




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