1.0. Bath Nightline respects the right to the confidentiality of all callers and the right to anonymity of all its volunteers
2.0. All Bath Nightline volunteers, as a condition of volunteering, must follow the Bath Nightline Confidentiality Policy, which they signed at the beginning of volunteering.
3.0. The Committee may take disciplinary action against volunteers who breach this policy. This may include the termination of their voluntary position.
4.0. Bath Nightline will record some information about calls to the service. This information will be shared with The SU Bath only (apart from in the circumstances described in Section 5.0 of this policy) and only includes:
4.1. The general topics of calls;
4.2. The time and length of calls;
4.3. Call volumes
4.4. The gender of callers.
5.0. In certain circumstances, Bath Nightline is required to break this confidentiality policy. These circumstances include, but may not be limited to:
5.1. Terrorism. The Prevention of Terrorism Act 2000 places a legal obligation on Bath Nightline to disclose information related to a terrorist threat. Bath Nightline will pass on all relevant information to the Anti-Terrorism Hotline or to the police if there is an immediate risk to life. Campus Security will also be notified of the terrorist threat as soon as possible.
5.2. Crime including fraud and money laundering. The Fraud Act 1997, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and the Money Laundering Regulations 2003 all require Bath Nightline to report any relevant information to the police and Campus Security.
5.3. Court orders. When a court order is issued, Bath Nightline will pass on all relevant information to the authorities.
5.4. Abuse of children and vulnerable adults. If the Bath Nightline volunteer feels a child is being neglected or is in imminent danger, Bath Nightline will pass on all relevant information as detailed in The SU Bath’s Child Protection Policy.
5.5. Danger to others. If the Bath Nightline volunteer believes there are other people in imminent danger, Bath Nightline will pass on all relevant information to the police and Campus Security.
5.6. Danger to self, including suicide. If a caller has taken action to end their life; if the caller is unconscious; or if the volunteer feels that they do not understand the risks of their actions, the volunteer will immediately call for help. If the student is on campus, then Campus Security must be alerted so that they are able to direct the Emergency Services to the appropriate area of campus.
5.7. Abusive calls towards Bath Nightline, information may be shared with the University of Bath Security Service and the police.
6.0. The data that is recorded by Bath Nightline on callers is anonymous.
6.1. The data is compiled, and anonymity is assured by the Treasurer and Secretary before it is shared with The SU Bath.
7.0. Call information may be discussed between the call taker, the debriefed volunteer and the Welfare Officer, both during and after a volunteer shift, only when it is in the interest of the caller, or volunteer welfare.
7.1. Call information will not be discussed outside of Bath Nightline, apart from in the circumstances stated in Section 4.0 and 5.0 of this policy.
7.2. In some circumstances, it may be necessary for call information to be discussed confidentially with external organisations including the University of Bath Counselling & Mental Health Service, and the Samaritans. This will be for the purpose of supporting Bath Nightline volunteers in accordance with the Bath Nightline Supervision and Support Policy.
8.0. There is a minimum of 2 Bath Nightline volunteers during all shifts. The type of call affects the number of Bath Nightline involved in responding to the call.
8.1. Telephone calls are received by one Bath Nightline volunteer. There is no facility for additional Bath Nightline volunteers to hear the caller.
8.1.1. There is no call monitoring facility available, or in use, at Bath Nightline.
8.2. Emails. All emails received to the Bath Nightline listening email account are automatically anonymised. The Bath Nightline volunteers on shift will work together to produce email responses.
8.3. Instant Messages. No account or IP information will be recorded by Bath Nightline, apart from in the circumstances listed in Section 5.0 of this policy. The Bath Nightline volunteers on shift will work together to produce IM responses.
9.0. The Bath Nightline volunteers may seek additional guidance from the on-call committee member as detailed in the Bath Nightline Supervision and Support Policy
10.0. The Internal Coordinator will ensure account details and anonymous emails are deleted within 28 days of receiving them.
11.0. This policy should be reviewed within 12 months of the date it was agreed by the Nightline committee as per Bath Nightline constitution.