Confidentiality Agreement
The Galway Community Café provides a safe, non-judgemental place for individuals to come and have a chat with a trained member of our staff. Our staff have lived experience of mental health difficulties and/or experience of using mental health services. Our staff are here for you and can support customers experiencing emotional distress.
The principle of confidentiality is fundamental to the support offered in the Galway Community Café and we would like to reassure our customers that their confidentiality is our priority. However, in some situations we have legal obligations which requires that certain information has to be shared.
- If a staff member becomes aware that a customer is a serious risk to themselves and/or others they will contact the customers GP, the HSE and/or the Gardaí.
- Where a customer discloses information about current or past child abuse to a member of staff. We are Mandated Persons under the Children First Act 2015 Schedule 2, subsection (15) (e). Our staff are obliged to report issues relating to possible current abuse of a child and adults disclosing past childhood abuse to Tusla and the Gardai.
- The Galway Community Café and its employees are bound to follow any order made by a court of law, e.g. Information on a crime, a witness statement etc.
Our customer’s confidentiality is an important principle in the provision our service. Our staff will always endeavour to inform a customer and explain to them the reasons for the break in confidentially. However, we reserve the right to do so without prior consultation if we feel the situation requires a member of staff to act immediately.
