Information sharing
Sharing information is vital for early intervention, to ensure that children, young people and families get the services they require. It is essential for safeguarding and protecting the welfare of individuals and for providing effective and efficient services that are co-ordinated around the needs of an individual or family.
Seven golden rules for information sharing:
Remember that the Data Protection Act is not a barrier to sharing information but provides a framework to ensure that personal information about living persons is shared appropriately
Be open and honest with the person (and/or their family where appropriate) from the outset about why, what, how and with whom information will, or could be shared, and seek their agreement, unless it is unsafe or inappropriate to do so
Seek advice if you are in any doubt, without disclosing the identity of the person where possible
Share with consent where appropriate and, where possible, respect the wishes of those who do not consent to share confidential information. You may still share information without consent if, in your judgement, that lack of consent can be overridden in the public interest. You will need to base your judgement on the facts of the case
Consider safety and well-being: Base your information sharing decisions on considerations of the safety and well-being of the person and others who may be affected by their actions
Necessary, proportionate, relevant, accurate, timely and secure: Ensure that the information you share is necessary for the purpose for which you are sharing it, is shared only with those people who need to have it, is accurate and up-to-date, is shared in a timely fashion, and is shared securely
Keep a record of your decision and the reasons for it - whether it is to share information or not. If you decide to share, then record what you have shared, with whom and for what purpose
The
Dorset overarching information sharing protocol (pdf, 918kb) (opens in a new window) 
holds a wealth of resources and advice.
Should you have a child safeguarding concern please follow the guidance on the
Safeguarding-Referral-Poster (pdf, 32kb) (opens in a new window) .
There is now a website for the
Dorset Local Safeguarding Children Board (opens in a new window) where you can access a wealth of local and national information regarding this topic.
