Why data sharing is important
To provide the right help at the right time often means sharing personal information about people with relevant professionals and partners.
Lack of appropriate and timely sharing of information between safeguarding partners is a theme in national and local reviews of practice. Almost half of local child safeguarding practice reviews (LCSPRs) highlight issues relating to information sharing (Dickens et al., 2021).
Toolkit for professionals
A toolkit for professionals wanting to improve information sharing across their Safeguarding Partnerships and or implement a single digital view of children and families.
Somerset Council worked in partnership with the South West and Central NHS Commissioning Support Unit, various government departments, other key stakeholders and advisors from the ICO to develop a toolkit of products to support with information sharing.
Data sharing agreements
Tier 1
At a strategic level an overarching Data Sharing Agreement is needed to set out the arrangements for a Safeguarding partnership – often referred to as a Tier 1. This document provides a template which if completed ensures that the partnership has the appropriate arrangements in place.
Downloads
- Tier 1 Adults and Children’s Data Sharing Agreement template (Word doc 208KB)
- Tier 1 Children’s Data Sharing Agreement template (Word doc 209KB)
- Appendix 3 legal Gateways Children’s and Adults (Excel 22KB)
- Appendix 3 legal Gateways Children’s (Excel 23KB)
Tier 2
Once a Tier 1 strategic agreement is established, it is essential to detail the specific arrangements for lawful data processing within the partnership.
The template and guidance below will lead you through the relevant sections and considerations required to allow for safe sharing of personal information. Alternatively, if you already have such agreements, it can be used to quality assure existing approaches.
Whilst focused on the safeguarding of children and families, these documents can support the implementation of a wider range of data sharing agreements which public authorities can use.
Downloads
Feedback
If you use these documents, we welcome your feedback. Please use the Feedback Survey button below.
The documents will be reviewed at key points over the next 12 months. We will take into consideration any feedback, legislation or practise changes.
Single digital view of a child and family
Through funding from Department for Education, Somerset Council has implemented a single digital view of children and families which can be accessed by Family Intervention Service Practitioners, Social Workers and trusted partner agencies including all Somerset schools.
How to create a single digital view of child guide
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the essential project management steps, required resources, and offers advice and guidance on related issues to support the implementation of the necessary IT architecture, data engineering, and visualisation for successful product deployment.
Downloads
Rights and responsibilities
Under data protection legislation, people are entitled to ask us for a copy of all the personal information we hold about them. This is known as the ‘Right of Access to Personal Data’.
They are also entitled to receive information about:
- how we obtained their information
- what we are using it for
- whether we are sharing it with anyone
People are also entitled to:
- request that we correct or rectify data that we hold about them
- request that we erase or delete information that we hold about them
- request a restriction of data processing while in a dispute
- withdraw consent for lawful processing of their personal data
For more information about this, please visit Data Protection: rights for data subjects – GOV.UK.