Communication & documentation
Effective communication
Good communication amongst care space staff, and between care space staff and other event teams, is essential.
This includes thinking about what kind of information that care space staff might need to give when you need to get other services (like medics) involved. Care spaces will need to think about:
what kind of information is relevant
when and where to record it
when and how to pass it along
what language to use
Handovers
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Some people in need of care may need to stay in the space throughout a shift change-over between staff.
The new team should be made aware of the needs of the people using the space and where they are at in their journey. This needs to be done with respect and without adding stress for guests in the space.
This could look like assigning each person to a new carer, having the previous carer tell them about the person's needs, and introducing them where appropriate.
Or you could include a brief to new staff on all guests in the space at the time so that everyone is aware of everything that is happening.
Guests will likely feel uncomfortable if you’re talking about them in front of them. Care space staff may need to move away from the space to have these conversations. Be respectful and kind - avoid using language that stigmatises or blames people.
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Guests may need help from services outside of the care space, such as medics, security, or external mental health services.
This can be a stressful experience for someone who is already feeling vulnerable. Make sure you talk to the person first about what is going to happen and what they can expect. Give info to the other service about what you’ve observed in terms of physical symptoms, behaviour and needs.
It may be helpful for medics or other services to see any documentation or records that care space staff have kept of the guest’s interactions with the care space.
Keeping records
Keeping basic records of how people use the care space can help with handovers as well as improving the service.
Some spaces choose not to do this, others collect basic information when a person first presents at the space, and some choose to do it once the person is already settled in or as they leave.
The most simple method for this is a written or digital template. You can use or adapt this example, or head to our Resources page for more info.
Basic information to record could include:
Time and day the person arrived
How long they spent in the space
Brief description of why they are there
Any physical symptoms or concerns
How did they come to the space - brought themselves, came with friends, brought by another service
What they thought about the service - things they liked and things they think could use improvement
This type of information can help care space organisers understand what needs are being met by the care space, how situations were handled and what to do next time.
Care space staff don’t need to collect personal or identifying information unless they have concerns for the guest’s wellbeing, or have a mutual agreement to check in on the guest after they leave the space.
If you are keeping sensitive information in hard copy format, ensure it is kept away from publicly accessible areas while "live" at the event. Consider what happens to information after the event and have a process for how long records will be kept, where they will be stored and how they will be disposed of. If digitising your information, make sure that any identifying details are not kept on file for longer than absolutely necessary for the provision of the service. See the legal obligations section below for more detail.
Incident reporting
In keeping with many events Health and Safety policies, it is common for care spaces to have to keep an official record of incidents. They may need to escalate these incidents to event staff or other services, such as emergency services staff.
It is important to establish what this will look like in advance. Some incidents may need to involve event staff or venue managers or owners.
In all cases, anyone recording or reporting an incident will need to take the victim’s lead. Victims may not always wish to report or escalate the situation. However, if a serious assault or other incident occurs, it’s important to let event staff or the venue manager know.
This may be able to be achieved by passing along details of the incident without including identifying information about the victim.
As part of planning, care space staff should agree with event staff or venue managers on:
What incidents need to be escalated
Who needs to be involved
How incidents are reported
What info needs to be recorded.
Any decisions should respect the wishes of the victim or person in need of care.
Legal obligations (Privacy Act 2020)
If care spaces are keeping any records that contain personal information, it’s important to be aware of obligations under the Privacy Act 2020.
Note: The Privacy Act (2020) applies to personally identifiable information. It is not just limited to things such as names and addresses, but includes information that, when combined with other information, could identify a specific person.
Here are some suggestions:
Only collect information you need. Only collect information necessary to fulfil a lawful purpose connected to the care space function. This often means you do not need to collect names or contact info of guests.
In almost all circumstances, the source of the information should be sourced directly from the person in need of care. However, if this is not practical e.g. they are unable to communicate, then it can be okay to ask their friends.
Tell people why you are asking for the information. Individuals have a right to know why the information is being collected, who will have access to it, if it is compulsory or voluntary, and what will happen if the information isn’t given. You could use a statement like:
“Is it okay if we ask you a few questions and take some notes, so we can figure out how we can best help you? Anything we collect is only shared amongst our staff for the purpose of providing care, unless there are safety concerns that means we need to talk to the event organisers. If we’re going to share your info with anyone, we will talk to you first. You don’t need to tell us anything if you don’t want to, we will still take care of you.”Fair and reasonable collection: the basic premise of this principle is that information is collected in a transparent way, free from coercion.
Store your information securely. Make sure any physical records you keep are stored in a way that prevents anyone outside of your organisation seeing them. Ensure that digital devices like laptops that contain people’s personal info are password protected.
Access to personal information: Anyone can ask for any personal information that is kept on them. Details on how to respond to a request for information can be found on privacy.org.nz
If you don’t need the info, destroy it: Personal information should not be kept for longer that it is required to fulfil the care space service.
Use and disclosure of personal information: Any personal information you collect can generally only be used for the purpose it was collected. It can also only be disclosed if the disclosure is in line with the purpose for which it was collected, if the person gives you permission to share it, or if it is necessary to avoid endangering someone’s health or safety.
Assigning a unique identifier: Some care spaces use a number system for guests instead of their names. If you do ask people for their name, they may use a pseudonym (name that isn’t their legal name). This is fine, however make sure to take any necessary steps to prevent the pseudonym from being connected to anything that could identify the individual.
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Providing care
People coming through the care space require a wide range of support. Read on for processes and guidance for providing care.
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After the event
This section outlines ways to reflect and debrief on your care space after the event.