WQSB Confidential "Red" Files

Content of Presentation by

LISA FALASCONI, Director of Complementary Services

WQSB COMPLEMENTARY SERVICES DEPT.

April 25, 2022

• Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms

• Civil Code of Quebec

• Education Act

• Professional Code of Ethics

• Act Respecting Access to Documents Held by Public Bodies and

the Protection of Personal Information

Contains three distinct files:

• The academic file – contains identification information,

registration, admission, attendance, report cards

• The student’s confidential file – contains IEPs, evaluation

reports, diagnostic information, and any other confidential

information obtained through Consent to Release

Information

• The professional file – contains a professionals raw data

and professional notes related to the work they do with a

student – these are bound under Professional code and

their respective code of Ethics

• Ultimately includes the school red file and the school

board student file

• Contains all information dealing with the student’s

progress in accordance with the individual assistance

that is provided to him/her by the school interveners

• Students identified as ‘handicape’ or ‘At Risk’ or

students with ‘temporary difficulty who do not

necessarily require an IEP’ (Me Seguin presentation)

• Depending on the age of the student:

• 0-14 year old student: The parents (or those with

parental authority) have access to the file and the

student could have access if he shows sufficient

judgement

• 14-18: The parents (or those with parental authority)

have access to the file and the student could have

access if he shows sufficient judgement

• 18+: The holders of parental authority no longer have

access to the file

• In order for a staff member to have access, the access must

be necessary in the role they play with the student they work

with and in the student’s best interest

• At the school level the red files are kept in a locked filing cabinet

and room. This is typically within the office area of a school.

• At the board level the confidential file is kept in a locked room in

Complementary Services.

• This is sometimes referred to as an Access to Information

• If you would like to review your child’s confidential file, you would

make a request to the Secretary General

• That request will be forwarded to the Complementary Services

department where we (or the Secretary General) will make

arrangements for you to review your child’s file.

• You may request copies of your child’s file

• In respect to reports written by outside professionals, we are not

permitted to provide copies – those would need to be requested

from the original source

• If you sign a consent to release information form, your child’s file can be

sent to another professional or yourself (depending on their age)

• Only documents and reports developed or created by WQSB will be

forwarded to the second party

• If you wish to have copies sent from other organizations, you will need

to request that they be sent from the original location

• You will need to sign a consent to release for WQSB to release or

exchange or communicate information verbally

• If we are receiving documents from a health and social services

network, and your child is 14 years old or older, your child will also have

to sign the consent

• If your child transfers from one school to another, within WQSB,

the red file transfers with them.

• If your child transfers to another school board, a consent to

release information will be needed

• If there are outside reports, you will need to request consents

from the original location – we will not forward these documents

to other school boards