To provide the right help at the right time often means sharing personal information about people with relevant professionals and partners.
“Lack of appropriate and timely sharing of information between safeguarding partners is a theme in national and local reviews of practice. Almost half of local child safeguarding practice reviews (LCSPRs) highlight issues relating to information sharing” (Dickens et al., 2021).
Working Together to Safeguard Children 2023 (Gov.uk) outlines the requirements for safeguarding partners and multi-agency safeguarding arrangements (MASA) to have robust information sharing arrangements in place to support sharing for safeguarding purposes.
Working closely with the Department for Education, the DSCP have developed our Tier 1 Information Sharing Agreement which is a multi-agency agreement that details the lawful basis for sharing information. The Tier 1 agreement is available via our multi agency procedures – see Information Sharing (trixonline.co.uk).
We have also developed a Tier 2 Information Sharing Agreement (Durham) that provides a framework on how we share information relating to Harm Outside of the Home – see Tier 2 Information Sharing Agreement: Harm Outside of the Home (Durham).
We have also developed an online learning package available via DSCP Course Centre. The modules include learning from practice in Durham, the definition of safeguarding in the context of information sharing (a strong emphasis on prevention) and also a shift in culture relating to consent to share information to sharing within the lawful basis of ‘public task’.
The learning package highlights key points and is supported by a range of key guidance, including the following:
- DfE non statutory information sharing advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services for children, young people, parents and carers (PDF on publishing.service.gov.uk)
- A 10 step guide to sharing information to safeguard children (ICO)
- Information Commissioner, John Edwards: Think. Check. Share. Data sharing to safeguard a child at risk of harm
- Working together to safeguard children 2023: statutory guidance (PDF on publishing.service.gov.uk) (Chapter 1, Page 18)