Information Sharing

Everyone working in the Service has a responsibility to ensure that personal information collected on young people is stored securely, and that when it is shared with other agencies this is done appropriately and in accordance with the law.

When working with children, young people and their families, effective sharing of information is essential for the early identification of need, in order to complete robust assessments and to provide services which are tailored to individual need.

Keeping children and young people safe from harm will require staff and others to record, analyse, understand the significance of and share information about:

• A young person’s health and development and exposure to possible harm;
• Individuals (adults and other children / young people) who may pose a risk of harm to a young person.

Staff should be proactive and share information as early as possible where this will help to identify, assess and respond to risks or concerns about the safety and welfare of young people. Information sharing is also essential for the identification of patterns of behaviour; for example when a young person has gone missing or is at risk of going missing, and when multiple young people appear associated to the same context or locations of risk (this would include for example, concerns around trafficking, Child Sexual Exploitation and Child Criminal Exploitation).

Often, it is only when information from a number of sources has been shared and is then put together, that it becomes clear that a young person has suffered, or is likely to suffer, significant harm.

Staff should not assume that someone else will pass on information that they think may be critical to keeping a young person safe. Anyone who has concerns about a young person’s welfare and considers that they may be a Child in Need or that the child or young person has suffered or is likely to suffer significant harm, should share their concerns with the allocated social worker and/or the police or Children’s Social Care.

Staff should be particularly alert to the importance of sharing information when a young person moves from one local authority into another, due to the risk that knowledge pertinent to keeping a young person safe could be lost. 

All staff who work with children and young people should complete information sharing training - including refreshers. This training should equip staff with the skills and knowledge to share information in a timely and safe way.

Staff should use their professional judgement and knowledge from this training when making decisions about when to share information. If a staff member has any concerns or doubts, the manager or safeguarding lead should be consulted for advice.

The Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) provide a legal framework to ensure that personal information which is collected and processed by organisations is done so fairly and lawfully, that it is accurate and relevant, stored securely (for no longer than necessary) and that, when it is shared, this is done appropriately and lawfully.

However, this legislation does not prevent, or limit, the sharing of information for the purposes of keeping children and young people safe. The UK GDPR provides a number of bases/reasons which set out when personal information of the type collected by the Service can be shared between organisations. One of these bases is that the individual has consented to their information being shared. However, it is not necessary to seek consent to share information for the purposes of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This means that fears about sharing information must not be allowed to stand in the way of the need to promote the welfare, and protect the safety of, children and young people.

It is important that staff in the Service understand the data protection principles which allow them to share personal information. The UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 emphasise the need for organisations to be transparent and accountable in relation to their use of data. All organisations handling personal data must ensure they have comprehensive and proportionate arrangements for collecting, storing, and sharing information. This also includes arrangements on informing young people about the information that the Service will collect about them and how this may be shared.

• Where possible, share information with consent, and where possible, respect the wishes of those who do not consent to having their information shared;
• However, you may still share information without consent if, in your judgement, there is a lawful basis to do so, such as where the safety of a child, young person or adult may be at risk. You will need to base your judgement on the facts of the case. When you are sharing or requesting personal information from someone, be certain of the basis upon which you are doing so;
• Seek advice from other practitioners (such as your manager or safeguarding lead) if you are in any doubt about sharing the information concerned, this should be done without disclosing the identity of the individual where possible;
• Information sharing should always be necessary, proportionate, relevant, accurate, timely and secure: ensure that the information you share is necessary for the purpose for which you are sharing it, that it is shared only with those people who need to have it, that it is accurate and up-to-date, that it is shared in a timely fashion, and that is shared securely;
• Keep a record of your decision and the reasons for it - whether it is to share information or not. If you decide to share, then record what you have shared, with whom and for what purpose.

Source: Working Together to Safeguard Children and Information Sharing: Advice for Safeguarding Practitioners. 

Regular information sharing between the Service, Children’s Social Care, the police and other local agencies (such as schools and health practitioners), will be essential for keeping children and young people safe and ensuring they get the support they need.

Young people should be informed of the circumstances in which information about them will be shared routinely with other professionals and their consent to this sharing should be sought. This information should be provided in the form of a Young Person's Guide, a Privacy Notice or in other ways, and it will be made clear that in each case the information shared will be limited and only include that which is relevant.

Sharing relevant information promptly with others working with the same young person is central to safeguarding the child's interests and to ensuring they receive the best possible care. Staff in the Service should work in partnership with other professionals involved in caring for the young person (for example, education establishments, social workers, health practitioners and youth justice) to monitor the young person’s progress, share information and obtain expert advice as appropriate.

Where information is requested by telephone or electronically, great care must be taken to ensure that the recipient is entitled to receive the information requested. Where there is any doubt the information may not be provided without the approval of a manager.

Legislation, Statutory Guidance and Government Non-Statutory Guidance

Information Sharing: Advice for Safeguarding Practitioners

Working Together to Safeguard Children (DfE)