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Resources for professionals

Staff advice on information sharing in child wellbeing cases

Personal data and child protection

This advice is to remind you of the importance of appropriate record keeping and information sharing practices, following recent legislative changes.

If you are unsure about what information to record or share, contact your line manager.   

Informing and getting consent

When collecting personal information, inform the person that we may share. Gain their consent before sharing information and record this consent.

Get the consent of parents and children over the age of 12 to share information, except when there is a concern that a child or young person may be at risk of harm.

Sharing information

Consider whether sharing information would promote, support or safeguard the wellbeing of the child. Consider whether sharing that information would be compatible with data protection law, human rights and the law of confidentiality.

Risk of harm

When we share information without consent, due to a concern that a child or young person may be at risk of harm, we are exercising our statutory duty to protect children and are acting to protect their vital interests. This satisfies the conditions in the Data Protection Act about processing information. You must record the decision not to seek consent. 

You should still tell people that we are sharing their information, even if we are not asking for consent to share, except if a child or young person may be put at risk by doing so.

If a child may be at risk of harm, we must always share information.