1. What this is about

This guidance explains how we handle personal information about your health and wellbeing while you are training with us. It applies to welfare staff and training staff.

When we say “health”, we mean both physical and mental health.

Our aim is to keep your information private, treat you with respect, and make sure everyone handles situations in a consistent, fair way.

2. The law in simple terms

• Your right to privacy: The law says everyone has the right to a private life. This includes keeping your personal information safe.

• Keeping information confidential: If you share something personal, you can normally expect us to treat it as confidential.

• UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018: These laws say we must collect, store, and share your personal information safely and only when it is necessary. Health information is classed as “sensitive”, which means we must take extra care with it.

• Equality: The Equality Act 2010 says we must support learners with health conditions and make reasonable adjustments. Sometimes this means we may need to share information with staff who are supporting you (e.g., instructors). If you do not want it shared, some adjustments might not be possible.

3. How we handle your information

Respecting your privacy

• Anything related to your health or welfare is treated as private and shared on a need-to-know basis.

• When you talk to someone in the welfare team, they will tell you if any information may need to be shared, and who it will be shared with.

Being open with us

• Before or during your training, we encourage you to tell us about any health issues or support needs so we can help you safely and properly.

• Sometimes people booking your course may not know your needs, so please share anything important with us directly.

• Staff may sometimes notice signs that someone needs support. If they are worried about you, they may speak to the welfare team so we can check in and offer help.

Consent (your agreement)

• We normally ask for your permission before sharing information with anyone else.

• If you choose not to give consent, we will explain if this could affect the support we can provide.

4. When we may share information without your permission

We only do this in serious situations, such as:

• Concerns about your mental health

• If your safety—or someone else’s—is at risk

• If you may be experiencing serious harm or exploitation

• If your behaviour could put others in danger

• If we must share the information by law or due to CITB policy

This is always done to protect you or others.

5. Contacting your family

• If you are 18 or over:

We normally will not contact your family without your agreement.

We may only do so if you are at serious risk and unable to make decisions for yourself (for example, due to a medical emergency). You would normally be told if this happens.

• If you are under 18:

Your parent or guardian will be contacted straight away if we believe you may be at risk or if there is a concern about your health or wellbeing.

Last updated December 2025