1. Determine whether a person or event is sensitive

When a record is created in ICMS, the electronic records in relation to that person or event will be accessible to all staff with access to ICMS. However, there may be times when it is important to protect the identity of a person and members of his or her family or to protect information about a particular event due to security concerns or privacy issues. In these cases, the electronic and paper files in relation to that person or event will be classified as 'sensitive'.

A classification of 'sensitive' must be applied to the following clients:

• any departmental employee who has a child or unborn child subject to an investigation and assessment, or to ongoing intervention
• a departmental employee who applies for approval as a carer, including provisional approval - for further information, refer to Chapter 8, 3. What if a carer or carer applicant is also a departmental employee?

• a child requiring an adoptive placement (a pre-adoptive case).

At the discretion of the regional executive director or regional director, a classification of ‘sensitive’ may also be applied to prominent members of the community or high profile cases.

Consider the type of sensitivity to be sought

When it is considered necessary to apply sensitivity, determine the type of sensitivity to be sought:

• person sensitivity - when sensitivity is applied to a person record, all events in which that person plays a role will automatically be made sensitive
• carer entity sensitivity - adding sensitivity to a carer entity will also add sensitivity to all person records and events associated with that entity
• event sensitivity - sensitivity will be applied only to that event, without applying sensitivity to the persons relating to that event.

In all cases, only those staff who have been granted access to the record will see full details.

For further information about managing a sensitive person or event in ICMS, refer to the ICMS - Child protection participant manual.