Case Management Training Package ManualModule C

Case Management Task Force

Module C Exercise 3 – Information Management Principles

Seek Informed Consent and/or Informed Assent

Informed consent is: The voluntary agreement of an individual who has the capacity to give consent,
and who exercises free and informed choice.

In all circumstances Cconsent should always be sought from children and their families /or caregivers
before prior to providing services. To provide ensure “informed consent”, caseworkers must ensure
that children and their families fully understand.the person giving it must be able to understand
what they are consenting to.

Caseworkers are responsible for communicating in a child-friendly manner and should encourage
the child and their family to ask questions that will help them to take a decision regarding their own
situation.

Informed assent is: The expressed willingness to participate in services.1

“Informed Assent” is sought from children:

• Who are by nature / law too young to give informed consent but
• Who are old enough to understand and agree to participate in services

It requires the same child-friendly communication of information outlined above.

Even for very young children (those under 5 years old) efforts should be made to explain in language
appropriate to their age, what information is being sought, what it will be used for, and how it will
be shared.

When taking either informed consent or informed assent you need to provide information on:

 Services and options available (i.e. the case management process).

 Potential risks / benefits of receiving services.
 Information to be collected and how it will be used.
 Confidentiality and its limits.

Provide it in a child friendly way that encourages child/family to ask questions to help them make
an informed decision. Even very young children (e.g. < 5) can give informed assent.

* Informed Consent Key Point

Informed consent may not always be possible/may be refused. Yet intervention may be necessary to
protect the child. For example, if a 12-year-old girl is being sexually abused by her father, she may
feel loyalty to him and her family and not want to take any action. That does not mean that agencies
can ignore what is happening.

1
Caring for Child Survivors of Sexual Abuse: Guidelines for health and psychosocial service providers in
humanitarian settings (2012), International Rescue Committee and UNICEF:
http://www.unicef.org/pacificislands/IRC_CCSGuide_FullGuide_lowres.pdf, p. 16.

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Where consent is not given and where the agencies involved have a legal mandate to take actions to
protect a child:
 The reasons for this should be explained and
 The child/family’s participation should continually be encouraged.

Need to Know

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Respect Confidentiality

Confidentiality is linked to sharing information on a need-to-know basis.

Need to know refers todescribes the:

 Limiting information that is identified as or considered very sensitive
 Sharing it only with those individuals for whom need the information is needed to support
efforts to protect the child.

Sensitive /identifying information should oOnly be shared sensitive /identifying information on

a need-to-know basis with as few individuals as possible.
 Be very careful not to accidentally divulge information with colleagues / others who may be
interested.
 Protect information gathered about children/families and ensure it is accessible only with a
their explicit permission.
 Collect, keep, share and store information on individual cases in a safe way and according to
agreed-upon data protection policies.
 Do not reveal children’s names or any identifying information to anyone not directly
involved in the care of the child.
 Take special care in securing case files and documents and avoiding informal conversations
with colleagues who may be naturally curious and interested in the work.

Confidentiality is limited when caseworkers:

 Identify safety concerns and need to reach out to other service providers for assistance (e.g.
health care workers)
 Are required by law to report crimes.
These limits must be explained to children and parents during the informed consent or assent
processes. Supervisors and caseworkers should work together closely to take decisions in such cases
where confidentiality needs to be broken.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is: The process whereby information is:

• Protected according to data protection policies

• Accessible only to those authorised to access it.

 Collect, keep and share information on individual cases safely.

 Don’t reveal personal information to anyone not involved in the case.

Observe Mandatory Reporting Laws and Policies

Mandatory Reporting: Obliges certain actors to report cases of child abuse to relevant government
authorities. It is in place in many countries but not all.

Actors that are often obliged: Child protection agencies and staff, teachers, nurses and doctors

Mandatory reporting can be challenging when information is so sensitive it cannot be shared

without placing the child at risk of further harm. This is of particular concern when data protection
protocols are not in place or are not strictly followed.

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In humanitarian settings, where there is concern about the safety and security of those involved, it is
good practice to:
 Deal with reporting decisions on a case by case basis, informed by the local standards and
practices applicable in the country of operation
 Always guided by the best interests of the child.
Agencies working with children should have their own internal child protection / safeguarding
policies that should be complied with at all times. Often these set higher standards regarding the
responsibilities of staff and expected behaviour than that sanctioned in law.

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