The Department for Education has updated its Guidance on information sharing for safeguarding services working with children, young people, parents and carers. The guidance replaces the previous 2018 version and should be used alongside the statutory guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children.
Although not mandatory, the new guidance provides crucial information for professionals and organisations working with children including social care, health, education and justice fields.
The 28-page document emphasises the importance of sharing information for safeguarding purposes, supported by data protection legislation. It includes expanded “golden rules of information sharing” and lawful bases for sharing information when working with children. Importantly it provides clarity on the limitations of practitioners relying on consent. Access the full guidance here.