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Confidentiality and safeguarding our visitors

The Listening Place believes that regular listening support provided by trained volunteers helps relieve the emotional pain and stress of our visitors, and gives them the opportunity to consider alternatives to suicide and self-harm.

We will conduct an assessment with all potential visitors to endeavour to ensure that The Listening Place can provide the appropriate support for them. We commit to maintain the confidentiality of our visitors at all times and to give everyone the freedom to talk about stressful and difficult subjects; in particular their suicidal feelings, knowing that this information will stay confidential. We will only share such information with others outside The Listening Place, with the express permission of a visitor, and at their request.

We believe in self-determination, and that our visitors should be free to make their own choices. We also know that there are some visitors who might lack mental capacity, as defined by the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They are not in a position to make those choices. In those circumstances we will seek external advice and where appropriate, medical assistance.

We will endeavour to not allow a visitor to harm themselves, or others, when on our premises and will seek external help if necessary. We accept that visitors will always be able to walk away and make their own choices, but we will always err on the side of life.

We will keep notes on our visitors which we are happy to share with them. And no records will be kept for longer than 6 years after contact has ceased.