Knowing how much information can be shared
“Information sharing in a safeguarding context means the appropriate and secure exchange of personal information, between practitioners and other individuals with a responsibility for children, in order to keep them safe from harm.” (Information Sharing, Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services for children, young people, parents and carers)
Setting the scene
We all gather information, every minute of every contact when we’re working with children, young people and their families. That information allows us to create a professional record, in hard or digital copy, on which we base our next and future contacts. It’s how we apply our professional curiosity. But how much of that information should we be sharing, and what measures should we put in place to make sure our information sharing practice is safe and appropriate?
The key principles of safe information sharing remain embedded in the updated guidance document, with some additional detail to bring them firmly into the arena of children’s safeguarding.
What is its relevance to me?
Remember the saying… your questions are your interventions!
Linking directly to the guidance, here are some useful questions you can ask yourself when you receive a request to share information, or when you notice something which you think should be passed on.
- Has the person who has requested information explained clearly what information they need, and why they need it?
- Have they clarified any meaning or terminology which might be misinterpreted or misunderstood?
- Do I need to contact them to confirm what information is required or to seek any other clarification?
- When I review the information I’m preparing to share, am I confident that it is necessary, fair and proportionate? Is it adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary to protect a child from harm?
- Am I confident that the route I’m planning to use to share this information is secure?
- Do I need to check how to send or share information securely?
- Would it be helpful to discuss this with my manager, IT team or designated data protection or information governance lead (e.g., Data Protection Officer) to determine the correct route within my agency or organisation?
- Is this a situation which justifies sharing necessary and proportionate information to manage the risk to a child as a matter of urgency?
- Afterwards, have I made a clear record of the information I shared and the rationale for sharing it quickly to avoid a delay?
- Should I notify the family whose information I am sharing about the request from another agency or organisation?
- Would notifying them increase the risk of harm?
- Is this a request for information, or is my ongoing work with a family presenting me with information which I think other colleagues should be aware of?
If I pass on small pieces of necessary and proportionate information regularly and proactively will this:
- allow us all to build a picture of what’s happening in a child’s life
- allow a family (who give me their consent to share information) to access early support/family help
- allow a family to access the right services, at the right time, to help prevent the risk from increasing
- allow professionals to be proactive about new and evolving risk
What more can I learn, and how will that help me to share information safely?
30 Minute learning activity
One Thursday morning you arrive at your office and find a message from a family support worker from a local children’s centre who is making a home visit to see 7-year-old and 5-year-old children. She found them at home on their own. They couldn’t open the door and were speaking to the worker through the letter box. As she was talking to the children, a next-door neighbour arrived and told the worker that their mother was at the dentist. The message from the family support worker is asking if you have any information or guidance which will support her to keep the children safe.
You review your records and find that a colleague in your team made a home visit to the family the previous week. It’s recorded that the mother shared with this colleague that she would be shortly having cosmetic surgery; she recently inherited £2000 and was planning to use it to pay for dental implants. She had asked your colleague for information about any local childcare which she could use whilst she was having her dental treatment. She said that she had a sister who lived locally, but wasn’t sure if this sister would be free to take the children.
There is a record of a previous referral for these children. Six month’s previously, Children’s Social Work Service received an anonymous call to say that they were at home alone. When social workers and police arrived, the mother was at home with them. She told them the call reporting her had been malicious. There were no further concerns and the case was closed.
Your records indicate that the children’s father works away during the week. He is a contractor for a manufacturing company. He returns home on Friday evenings.
The message asks you to give the family support worker a call when you arrive at your office.
Using the principles of best practice outlined above, how would you manage this situation?
Think of another situation where you shared information. Reflecting now, what do you think went well, and how might you have approached the situation differently?