Confidentiality
In order for MAPS to work effectively, it needs to be independent of the company, the unions and the Regulator. This is in line with recent EASA and CAA recommendations.
While this service is staffed by trained peers, it is supported by an independent company, Core-AP (also referred here as CAP) to ensure standards are met and the service is professionally managed. The service is supported by aviation clinical psychologists, AMEs and Peer support experts.
Whilst KHF is independent, it is operationally accountable to each airline’s Steering Group. These steering groups include a senior member of Flight Ops, a union representative (if applicable) and a member of the MAPS team. They meet bi-annually to discuss overall usage patterns – never individual cases.
Whilst it is operationally accountable to the KHF directors, the details of individual users are strictly confidential and are protected in the same way medical records would be protected.
If you tell us anything that gives us demonstrable concern about your safety or anyone else’s, just as in other healthcare settings, we are ethically and legally obliged to waive your confidentiality. In this rare event, your peer will follow an established protocol of contacting their peer supervisor and together deciding on the most appropriate course of action. We will always think carefully about whether we need to break confidentiality. We will choose to break confidentiality and engage with a third party in the following circumstances:
You ask us to;
We believe that your life or someone else’s life is in imminent danger;
You tell us that you are endangering the safety of another person.
We are also unable to provide confidentiality in the following circumstances:
A message sent to or through Kura Human Factors that contains specific information about a terrorist suspect or terrorist activity that will take place or has taken place in the world. This information must immediately be disclosed to the police;
Kura Human Factors is forced through legal action to disclose specific confidential information; this can include legal action taken under the Data Protection Act and during criminal investigations.
POLICE, SOCIAL AND MEDICAL SERVICES
If one of our peers identifies imminent risk of harm to yourself or someone else (you have the desire, plan, means, timeframe) or suspects emotional/physical abuse or neglect, they may let you know they’re concerned about your safety. At this point, they might ask you for some identifiable information (such as your age, where you are and your name). If they have
concerns about your safety or you share information about the abuse of a child or young person, they may contact the police, medical, or social services.
All volunteers sign a code of conduct agreement and ethics as well as a confidentiality agreement and have been adequately trained to respect, understand and protect your confidentiality.
All electronic communication and records are securely stored within encrypted systems and are
compliant with the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR.
We keep a protected and encrypted record of your contact details. We also keep a separate,
anonymised and encrypted record of your contact with the peer supporting you – and to which their clinical supervisor has sight of. However, no other peer has sight of this. In exceptional circumstances and within an established protocol, the Clinical Psychologists and Directors of KHF can access this information.
Within your rights under the Data Protection Act and GDPR, you can request to see the information we hold on you. To do so, please see our Privacy Policy for details.
To provide a safe and effective service, we take your confidentiality very seriously.