Advice Centre Confidentiality Policy

The Students’ Association provides a confidential advice, guidance and support service to current GCU students, our members, who are experiencing a wide range of difficulties. This is delivered by our Student Advisers in the Advice Centre on the Glasgow Campus (for both Glasgow and London campus based students).

The Students’ Associations works very closely and have a good relationship with the University but we are a separate independent organisation and charity.

GCU students who access the Advice Centre will be provided with a confidential interview space and any information discussed during interviews will be treated in complete confidence. Your personal information will be restricted to relevant employees within the Students’ Association, normally the Student Advisers in the Advice Centre. The Student Advisers will not share your personal information, or request information from a third party, or confirm your engagement with the Advice Centre without your explicit consent.

The Advice Centre will not share anything you tell us without your permission, unless we feel there is a serious risk to the safety of you or another or if we are required to share any information by law. Under these circumstances, we would normally discuss this with you first. Where we have significant concerns about a GCU students’ health or wellbeing we will share this with Glasgow Caledonian University. The Chief Executive will authorise any breach of confidentiality.

For one off enquiries the Advice Centre will ask some basic demographic information that will be used for statistical purposes only, for instance to monitor service usage and establish trends.

Due to the nature and complexity of the issues the Advice Centre deal with it will be necessary on occasions to open up a case file for some students. This will allow us to keep track of cases more effectively and ensure students get the appropriate support through our aftercare system. These case notes and associated documentation will be held securely and personal information will only be accessed by relevant employees and retained in line with our Data Protection Policy.

Students have the right to access their case files, subject to provisions of Data Protection legislation, however they are not entitled to see any part of their records which contain information on a third party. If you want to access your information we ask you to make a Subject Access Request.

Information on how we manage your personal information can be found on: www.GCUstudents.co.uk/privacy-policy.