Maintaining a relationship with the family when they are unwilling to give their consent for you to share information
“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
In managing safeguarding situations, there is a clear acknowledgement in the guidance document that it might be necessary for you to share information with other partners, without the consent of children of young people, or their parents or carers. It asks you to draw on your skills and expertise in working with people in challenging situations, as an effective may of maintaining a good relationship, engaging with the whole family and making sure you achieve the best and safest outcomes.
What is its relevance to me?
The Information Sharing Advice for Safeguarding Practitioners guidance suggests you use the following skills and expertise:
- be upfront, transparent, and honest, whenever it’s safe to do so. That’s not always the same as gaining consent to share their information for data protection purposes but does encourage family engagement and collaboration.
- don't take away an individual’s right to choose. The guidance advises you to make it clear to families if they do have a choice about whether their information is shared or used.
- be upfront, transparent, and honest with children and young people, if it’s safe to do so, about the concerns you have for them, as a way of supporting and encouraging them to engage with your support and to help them access the right kind of services.
- if you are using legal basis for sharing information other than consent, the guidance advises that it’s still important to explain to families who you intend to share their information with, what information you will be sharing and why, unless that puts the child, or others, at risk. If you have a professional or legal duty to share, and the child or their family do not have a choice, they should still be informed about what information sharing has taken place and how that information will be used.
- where children or their parents object to their information being shared, but you make the decision that it’s the appropriate or safe thing to do, to manage risk, you must record your reasons for sharing, and the legal basis you used for doing so.
What more can I learn, and how will that help me to share information safely?
30 Minute learning activity
Write a short reflection on a time when you have shared information without consent.
How did you manage that, what went well and what might you have done differently if the information sharing guidance had been available to you at the time?