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There are many myths about what personal information can and cannot be shared, both within and between different organisations, in the context of child sexual abuse.
As a result, all too often information is not shared in a useful, accessible or timely way – or is not shared at all – so children are left at risk of harm or further harm.
This online resource clearly outlines the information necessary to develop a good-quality, multi-agency assessment when there are concerns of child sexual abuse.
It also explains who holds this information, and when and how it should be shared.
It is intended to complement existing guidance on sharing information, and contains links to relevant statutory and non-statutory guidance.
Where next?
This guide is split into four parts which cover each element of sharing information to tackle child sexual abuse. You can jump into whichever chapter is relevant to you by clicking the chapter selection button at the top of the page, or by clicking one of the links below:
Please note that this resource covers the sharing of information in the context of child sexual abuse only. For advice on sharing information in other safeguarding contexts, please refer to guidance such as the Department for Education’s Information Sharing: Advice for Practitioners Providing Safeguarding Services for Children, Young People, Parents and Carers.
People
We use the term ‘child’ to mean anyone who has not yet reached their 18th birthday. This term is used throughout the resource, including in sections related to youth justice, in order to reflect the importance of adopting a child-first approach.
We use the term ‘practitioner’ to include all individuals who work with children and their families in any capacity.
We use the term ‘person of concern’ to refer to any adult, young person or peer who may pose a risk of harm to a child.
Information and data protection
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. This is the definition used in the Department for Education’s Information Sharing: Advice for Practitioners Providing Safeguarding Services for Children, Young People, Parents and Carers.
Throughout this resource, the term organisation refers to any body – whether in the statutory, voluntary, community, education and/or health sectors – that works with or supports children and families. When we are referring to an organisation’s function as part of multi-agency safeguarding arrangements, we may refer to them as an agency.
Personal information (or personal data) means any information that identifies, or could identify, a living individual. In this resource, references to sharing ‘information’ normally mean sharing personal information for safeguarding purposes, unless otherwise specified.
A controller is the organisation that decides why and how personal information is used. A processor acts only on the controller’s instructions and does not decide the purpose of the processing. In safeguarding work, most practitioners and organisations will be acting as controllers when they record or share information about a child or family.
In a safeguarding context, the word ‘consent’ can refer to two different things.
- Common law consent means a person’s agreement to share confidential information about them, and is part of the duty of confidentiality.
- Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, data protection consent is one of several lawful bases for processing personal data; it must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous. In a safeguarding context, however, consent is not usually the appropriate lawful basis for sharing information, because practitioners can – and often must – share information without consent when a child may be at risk of harm. Nevertheless, wherever it is safe and appropriate, practitioners should still be transparent and explain who they intend to share information with and why.
Processes
A multi‑agency assessment is a coordinated process in which practitioners from different organisations share relevant information, analyse risk and need together, and develop a holistic understanding of a child’s circumstances. Its purpose is to ensure that decisions and actions to protect and support the child are based on the fullest possible picture, drawing on the knowledge and expertise of all the agencies involved.