Working as a personal assistant involves a great deal of trust – you enter another person’s home and daily life – and sometimes even their most private moments. A key part of that trust is confidentiality and discretion. Professional secrecy means that you must not disclose anything you learn in your work, regardless of the matter. This applies both during your employment and after you leave. Confidentiality applies not only to contacts with external parties but also to other assistants who do not work with the same person, as well as to the client’s friends, neighbors, and family.
What is covered by professional secrecy?
The short answer is: everything that relates to the personal circumstances of the client.
For example, this may include:
health conditions and diagnoses
Medicines and healthcare
relationships and family status
finances, contacts with authorities, or legal proceedings
feelings, opinions, wishes, and personal habits
conflicts or other private events
What does the law say?
According to the Act on Support and Services for Certain Persons with Disabilities (1993:387), Section 29, confidentiality for professional activities under private supervision is stated as follows: Anyone who is or has been active in professionally conducted private activities related to work under this law must not, without authorization, disclose what they have learned about the personal circumstances of individuals.
Example
Example 1: You are having dinner with a friend and you tell them:
I work with a person who was recently diagnosed with cancer; it’s so sad.
Even if you do not give your name or address, you are violating professional secrecy. That information belongs to the client, not you.
Example 2 : You will be told that the service user depends on financial support from social services.
That information cannot be shared with others without the client’s consent and a specific need.
Example 3 :The client receives support from a psychologist to cope with their anxiety. This information cannot be shared without explicit consent.
Example 4 : You meet with a few friends and tell them that you have a new job as a personal assistant. They get excited and ask many additional questions about how old the client is, whether there is a lot of lifting, and what the tasks are. In such a situation, you must immediately stop and say that you cannot disclose anything due to confidentiality, except that you are satisfied and that the working hours suit you.
When can you break professional secrecy?
If the client gives consent
If you need to submit a Lex Sarah report (legal obligation)
If there is a risk to life and health, you may need to disclose medical information to healthcare professionals.
Reporting concerns for children (legal obligation). For example, if you are concerned about your client child, e.g., suspect abuse, you are obligated to report it to social services.
Serious criminal offenses (for example, if you become aware that the client has been a victim of a serious assault, you may need to report it to the police)
Need for support
It is perfectly acceptable to seek support at work – for example, if you need advice from a colleague or manager. However, this must be done while respecting the person’s privacy. This means you should omit your own interpretations and only share what is absolutely necessary.
Exit
Confidentiality is not just a law – it is the foundation of the trust given to us as personal assistants. We are allowed to get close to people’s lives – it is both a privilege and a responsibility.