Information sharing and consent

Information sharing

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. Information sharing helps to ensure that an individual receives the right services at the right time and prevents a need from becoming more acute and difficult to meet.

Poor or non-existent information sharing is a factor repeatedly identified as an issue in Serious Case Reviews (SCRs) and Safeguarding Practice Reviews (SPRs) carried out following the death of or serious injury to, a child. In some situations, sharing information can be the difference between life and death.

Fears about sharing information cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the need to safeguard and promote the welfare of children at risk of abuse or neglect. Every practitioner must take responsibility for sharing the information they hold, and cannot assume that someone else will pass on information, which may be critical to keeping a child safe. (Information taken from the DfE guidance, " Information Sharing: advice for practitioners (opens new window) " (2024))

Consent

The issue of consent can be complex, and lack of understanding about consent can sometimes mean that practitioners assume, incorrectly, that no information can be shared.

Consent should be informed. This means that the person giving consent should understand:

Why the information needs to be shared
What information is being shared
What the information will be used for
What the implications of sharing information are

Consent can be either explicit or implicit. Getting explicit consent is best practice and such consent should be obtained at the start of any work.

Consent can be verbal or written, however written consent is preferable. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.

Gaining consent

Consider carefully whether or not to contact the parent or carer before making a call to CADS.

We should seek to share with parents any concerns we may have about their child and our intention to make a referral to Children's Services unless to do so may place a child at increased risk of harm.

If you are unsure about whether or not to share the information with the parent, contact Children's Social Care (CADS) for advice.

You must contact CADS prior to informing parents or carers of the referral in the following situations:

If a child discloses physical or sexual abuse (or it is suspected) and the alleged abuser is either a family member or someone resident within the household
In suspected cases of forced marriage and/or honour-based abuse
Organised or Multiple Abuse is suspected
Fabricated or induced illness is suspected
Contacting the parents would place the child or others at risk

It is imperative that you do this to ensure:

you do not jeopardise a potential police investigation
social care can effectively safeguard the child without the parents or carers being forewarned

In those circumstances where you do not inform the parent(s) of the call, ensure that you clearly state the reasons for this decision when asked during the telephone referral to CADS.

The voice of the child should be understood and reflected in your conversation with CADS. This will assist in assessing the risk, the level of concern and appropriate level of intervention. Unnecessary over intervention can be as traumatic as a lack of intervention and getting the right response to protect the welfare of the child is paramount.

It is essential that professionals work in partnership with families and talk to them about their concerns, unless to do so would put the child and family at immediate risk of harm.

As a result of CADS screening, some referrals will have an outcome of Universal or Early Help services, rather than Children's Social Care. It is therefore important that you advise parents that support may be offered from via Early Help services, which requires parental consent.

Common reasons for not wanting to gain consent

Common reasons for educational settings not wanting to gain consent from parents or carers include:

It is not our responsibility to gain consent
It will ruin the school's relationship with the parents/family
It is not part of our job
The parents will be angry with the school