NEW INFORMATION SHARING GUIDANCE IN RELATION TO SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN – For GPs

NEW INFORMATION SHARING GUIDANCE IN RELATION TO SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN – For GPs, the new Information Sharing Duty creates a legal obligation to share relevant information that may help another safeguarding organisation protect or promote a child’s welfare, even where concerns are emerging and no safeguarding threshold has been met. Consent is not required for safeguarding information sharing, although practitioners should remain open and transparent with children and families where safe and appropriate to do so. Information shared should be relevant, proportionate, and limited to what is necessary, with decisions guided by the tests of relevance, potential benefit to safeguarding, and whether sharing could cause greater detriment to the child. Please read the attached NHS quick read (1 page with links to the full document). I will be discussing this further at the upcoming GP SG leads meetings. Full guidance – DfE stat guidance template