OMBUDS OFFICE CONFIDENTIALITY

Confidentiality -- the Bedrock of the Ombuds Office

	What is Meant by Confidentiality?		Are There Some Things That Are Not Confidential?
	Can I Remain Anonymous?		What Kinds of Records Does the Ombuds Program Keep?

What is Meant by Confidentiality?

All conversations with the Ombudsperson are confidential.

The Ombudsperson will not disclose any part of your conversation without your prior permission, nor will he/she communicate to others that you came to the Ombuds Office.

No formal written case records are kept by the ombudsperson.

No action will be taken without your permission.

If no action is requested, this means the Poway Unified School District will be unaware of your complaint and unable to respond.

Without breaking confidentiality, the ombudsperson reports general trends and suggests improvements to the Superintendent's Office and Board of Trustees.

Back To Top

Are There Some Things That Cannot Be Kept Confidential?

The only exceptions to confidentiality that may occur are: 1) when disclosure is ordered by an appropriate legal authority, such as a court, or when required by law, or 2) where there appears to be a threat of serious harm to yourself or to others or to property.

Back To Top

Can I Remain Anonymous?

Yes, if that is your desire. You can do this in a number of ways:

You can call the Ombudsperson to discuss an issue without giving your name.
You can send an email about an issue without identifying yourself, but remember that message confidentiality is not as assured as it is over the phone.
You can even meet with the Ombudsperson without giving your name.

If you want to remain anonymous, the Ombudsperson will work with you to find a way to address your concern in a way that does not compromise your identity. But, if you remain anonymous, this may limit the options available to you for the resolution of your concern.

Back To Top

What Kinds of Records does the Ombuds Program Keep?

We keep very limited information about individual cases. Essentially, statistical records or data (without names) are maintained to help identify general trends, i.e., the types of problems presented to the program and demographic information about the individuals and schools involved. The Ombudsperson shares these trends with the Superintendent's Office and the Board of Trustees in his/her annual report. We may keep informal notes while working with you, but these are destroyed when the matter is concluded. We keep no formal written case records.

Back To Top