Information Sharing: Practitioners' Guide

Recognising that most decisions to share information require professional judgment, this guidance aims to improve practice by giving practitioners across children's services clearer direction on when and how they can share information legally and professionally about a child or young person with whom they are in contact.

It seeks to provide clarity on the legal framework for practitioners sharing information about children, young people and families, and give practitioners confidence in making decisions.

The guidance is intended for all practitioners who work with children or young people, employed or volunteers, working in the public, private or voluntary sectors. It is also for practitioners who work in services provided for adults, for example mental health services and drug and alcohol services, as some of the adults accessing those services may have parenting or caring responsibilities.

Draft guidance was issued for consultation between 23 August and 15 November 2005, during which we held four regional practitioner events, and met with key practitioner representative bodies and a number of national children's charities. The views of children and young people on information sharing were also sought, through events organised by CSCI and CRAE.

The guidance comprises three main parts:

• Information Sharing: Practitioners' Guide - giving practitioners clear practical guidance, drawing on experience and the public consultation
• Information Sharing: Case Examples - a set of case examples which illustrate information sharing situations
• Information Sharing: Further guidance on legal issues - a summary of the laws affecting information sharing in respect of children and young people