Information Sharing Policy
‘Sharing information is an intrinsic part of any frontline practitioners’ job when working with children and young people. The decisions about how much information to share, with whom and when, can have a profound impact on individuals’ lives. It could ensure that an individual receives the right services at the right time and prevent a need from becoming more acute and difficult to meet. At the other end of the spectrum it could be the difference between life and death.’
Information Sharing: Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers (HM Government 2015)
We recognise that parents have a right to know that the information they share with us will be regarded as confidential, as well as to be informed about the circumstances when, and the reasons why, we are obliged to share information.
We record and share information about children and their families in line with the six principles of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) (2018) which are further explained in our Privacy Notice.
The six principles state that personal data must be:
We are obliged to share confidential information without authorisation from the person who provided it, or to whom it relates, if it is in the public interest. That is when:
it is to prevent a crime from being committed or to intervene where one may have been, or to prevent harm to a child or adult; or
not sharing it could be worse than the outcome of having shared it.
The responsibility for decision-making should not rely solely on an individual but should have the back-up of the management team. The management team provide clear guidance, policy and procedures to ensure all staff and volunteers understand their information sharing responsibilities and are able to respond in a timely, appropriate way to any safeguarding concerns.
Our procedure is based on the GDPR principles as listed above and the seven golden rules for sharing information in the Information sharing Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers. We also follow the guidance on information sharing from the Local Safeguarding Children Board.
Our policy and procedures on Information Sharing provide guidance to appropriate sharing of information both
within the setting, as well as with external agencies.
Heavitree Community preschool will be open and honest with the individual and/or their family from the outset about why, what, how and with whom information will, or could be shared, and seek their consent, unless it is unsafe. A Privacy Notice is given to parents at the point of registration to explain this further.
In our setting we ensure parents:
Receive a copy of our Privacy Notice and have access to our Information Sharing Policy when starting their child in the setting and that they sign a Registration Form to say that they understand the circumstances in which information may be shared without their consent. This will only be when it is a matter of safeguarding a child or vulnerable adult;
have access to our Safeguarding Children and Child Protection Policy; and
have information about the other circumstances when information will be shared with external agencies, for example, with regard to any special needs the child may have or transition to school.
Consent
When parents choose our setting for their child, they will share information about themselves and their families. This information is regarded as confidential. Parents have a right to be informed that we will seek their consent to share information in most cases, as well as the kinds of circumstances when we may not seek their consent or may override their refusal to give consent.
Our policies and procedures set out our responsibility regarding gaining consent to share information and when it may not be sought or overridden.
Parents sign our Registration Form at registration to confirm that they understand this.
We ask parents to give written consent to share information about any additional needs their child may have.
We consider the following questions when we assess the need to share:
Consent can be withdrawn at any time.
Separated parents
Consent to share need only be sought from one parent. Where parents are separated, this would normally be the parent with whom the child resides. Where there is a dispute, we will consider this carefully.
Where the child is looked after, we may also need to consult the Local Authority, as ‘corporate parent’ before information is shared.
All the undertakings above are subject to our commitment, which is to the safety and well-being of the child. Please also see our Safeguarding Children and Child Protection Policy.
Information Sharing: Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers (HM Government 2015)
We recognise that parents have a right to know that the information they share with us will be regarded as confidential, as well as to be informed about the circumstances when, and the reasons why, we are obliged to share information.
We record and share information about children and their families in line with the six principles of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) (2018) which are further explained in our Privacy Notice.
The six principles state that personal data must be:
- Processed fairly, lawfully and in a transparent manner in relation to the data subject.
- Collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed for other purposes incompatible with those purposes.
- Adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which data is processed.
- Accurate and where necessary, kept up to date.
- Kept in a form that permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the data is processed.
- Processed in a way that ensures appropriate security of the personal data including protection against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical or organisational measures
We are obliged to share confidential information without authorisation from the person who provided it, or to whom it relates, if it is in the public interest. That is when:
it is to prevent a crime from being committed or to intervene where one may have been, or to prevent harm to a child or adult; or
not sharing it could be worse than the outcome of having shared it.
The responsibility for decision-making should not rely solely on an individual but should have the back-up of the management team. The management team provide clear guidance, policy and procedures to ensure all staff and volunteers understand their information sharing responsibilities and are able to respond in a timely, appropriate way to any safeguarding concerns.
Our procedure is based on the GDPR principles as listed above and the seven golden rules for sharing information in the Information sharing Advice for practitioners providing safeguarding services to children, young people, parents and carers. We also follow the guidance on information sharing from the Local Safeguarding Children Board.
Our policy and procedures on Information Sharing provide guidance to appropriate sharing of information both
within the setting, as well as with external agencies.
Heavitree Community preschool will be open and honest with the individual and/or their family from the outset about why, what, how and with whom information will, or could be shared, and seek their consent, unless it is unsafe. A Privacy Notice is given to parents at the point of registration to explain this further.
In our setting we ensure parents:
Receive a copy of our Privacy Notice and have access to our Information Sharing Policy when starting their child in the setting and that they sign a Registration Form to say that they understand the circumstances in which information may be shared without their consent. This will only be when it is a matter of safeguarding a child or vulnerable adult;
have access to our Safeguarding Children and Child Protection Policy; and
have information about the other circumstances when information will be shared with external agencies, for example, with regard to any special needs the child may have or transition to school.
Consent
When parents choose our setting for their child, they will share information about themselves and their families. This information is regarded as confidential. Parents have a right to be informed that we will seek their consent to share information in most cases, as well as the kinds of circumstances when we may not seek their consent or may override their refusal to give consent.
Our policies and procedures set out our responsibility regarding gaining consent to share information and when it may not be sought or overridden.
Parents sign our Registration Form at registration to confirm that they understand this.
We ask parents to give written consent to share information about any additional needs their child may have.
We consider the following questions when we assess the need to share:
- Is there a legitimate purpose to us sharing the information?
- Is the information confidential?
- If the information is confidential, do we have consent to share?
- Is there a statutory duty or court order requiring us/me to share the information?
- If consent is refused, or there are good reasons for us not to seek consent, is there sufficient public interest to share the information?
- If the decision is to share, are we sharing the right information in the right way?
- Have we properly recorded our decision?
Consent can be withdrawn at any time.
Separated parents
Consent to share need only be sought from one parent. Where parents are separated, this would normally be the parent with whom the child resides. Where there is a dispute, we will consider this carefully.
Where the child is looked after, we may also need to consult the Local Authority, as ‘corporate parent’ before information is shared.
All the undertakings above are subject to our commitment, which is to the safety and well-being of the child. Please also see our Safeguarding Children and Child Protection Policy.
