We may need to tell someone that you have been in touch with us only to protect vulnerable children and adults in the specific circumstances described in our Safeguarding Policy below.
How we safeguard vulnerable children and adults
When we are concerned about your safety or that you are being hurt either by your own actions or by someone else, we want to help you to find the best way to keep yourself safe.
In our helpline and chat service we do this by listening and talking to you about what you want to do. Most of the time, whatever you share with us will stay between you and our GibSams Volunteer Listener.
However, if we feel that you are unable to make decisions for yourself, sometimes we might need to tell someone else what you have shared with us so that we can help you.
This will apply to all children. Under some circumstances, it may also apply to adults. If for example, you are not able to make a decision about your own safety because you do not understand the risks, or if you cannot remember the situation you are in, or if you lose consciousness whilst you are on the phone or chat service with us.
If you share information with us which identifies a child or adult at risk who is suffering abuse or harm, after discussion with you, we may contact the relevant emergency services, specifically the Royal Gibraltar Police and/or the Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Service. We have a memorandum of understanding in place with both the RGP and GFRS that emphasises the understood importance of the anonymity factor, and that emergency responders will not seek personal details from individuals at risk.
We can only help in these situations if we have information from our call or chat with you which identifies you. Your call and chat is otherwise anonymous and completely confidential and cannot be traced back to you.
It is important to know that you decide what information you choose to share with us. Even if you have told us this information, it does not mean we will automatically tell someone else.
We would always want to help you to explore your feelings about your situation and to help you make the decisions that are right for you. We will ask you questions when talking to you to help you do this, and to make sure we understand what you are telling us.
If we determine that we do need tell someone else, these are of some of the things that might happen:
- your details may be passed to people who will be able to get help to you, like the ambulance service;
- if you are in immediate danger of being hurt by someone else, we may ask the RGP and/or GFRS to check, or do something to make sure that you are safe; and
- if you have told us that a child is in danger, we may need to get them help.
If you do not share your details with us, we are unable to contact you or send help.
We take your confidentiality very seriously and will only consider speaking to someone else if we are really worried about what you have told us and we feel that you are unable to make decisions.