Sharing information

The text below is taken from the Common Core of Skills and Knowledge for the Children's Workforce. You can also download a PDF version of the document.

Sharing information in a timely and accurate way is an essential part of helping to deliver better services to children, young people, their families and carers. Indeed, sometimes it will help save lives. Practitioners in different agencies should work together and share information for the safety and well-being of children. It is also important to understand and respect issues and legislation surrounding the control and confidentiality of information.

It is important to build trust from the outset by clarifying issues and procedures surrounding confidentiality and information sharing. Practitioners must adopt the right approach to information sharing by following the correct procedures and by ensuring that the child or young person, parent or carer understands the process.

Skills

Information handling

• Make good use of available information, for example whether a common assessment has been completed appraise content and assess what else might be needed.
• Be able to bring together relevant information about clients either by completing paperwork or using IT skills.
• Be able to assess the relevance and status of information (for example, whether it is observation or opinion) and to pass it on when appropriate.
• Be able to identify gaps in information.

Clear communication

• Be able to use clear language to communicate information unambiguously to others including children, young people, their families and carers.
• Listen carefully to what is said and check understanding.

Engagement

• Create an environment of trust, by seeking consent where possible and appropriate, and in this way emphasising respect for the child or young person and their family or carer. Respect the skills and expertise of other professionals.
• Encourage children, young people and their families to share information where appropriate, ensuring that they understand why it is important to do so
• Engage with children, young people and those caring for them and involve them in decision-making.

Knowledge

Importance of information sharing

• Understand the importance of sharing information, how it can help and the dangers of not doing so.
• Understand that consent is not always necessary to share information even where information is confidential in nature, it may be shared without consent in certain circumstances(for example, where the child is at risk of harm or there is a legal obligation to disclose).
• Know that inference or interpretation can result in a difference between what is said and what is understood.
• Understand that it is not always necessary to collect information directly from children, young people and families as it may frustrate them if they are being asked to provide the same information repeatedly.
• Be aware that information can often be gathered from other sources.

Role and responsibilities

• Know who to share information with and when; understand the difference between information sharing on individual, organisational and professional levels.
• Know how to share information in writing, by telephone, electronically or in person.
• Know what to record, how long to keep it, how to dispose of records correctly and when to feed back or follow up.
• Be aware of own (and others') professional boundaries.
• Know about the Common Assessment Framework for Children and Young People (CAF) and, where appropriate, how to use it.

Awareness of complexities

• Be aware that different types of information exist (for example, confidential information, personal data and sensitive personal data), and appreciate the implications of those differences.
• Appreciate the effect of cultural and religious beliefs; refrain from making assumptions about certain cultures or backgrounds.
• As far as possible, make clear to the child or young person, parent or carer how the information they provide will be used.

Awareness of laws and legislation

• Have awareness and basic knowledge of current legislation and the common law duty of confidentiality.
• Have awareness of any legislation which specifically restricts the disclosure of certain information.
• Know that the Data Protection Act can be a tool to enable and encourage information sharing.
• Understand legislation governing own profession; different policies and procedures surrounding confidentiality issues.
• Understand the principles governing when young people are considered sufficiently mature to give consent to their information (in particular, taking into account Fraser competency).