Children Index Information sharing course Next Use the blue buttons to move through the course.

Children Index Information sharing course

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This course is for all users of the East Sussex Children Index (ESCI)

It aims to provide you with:

a basic overview of information sharing…

…and how it relates to integrated tools like Early Help Plan and ESCI

links to further guidance and training

For more information about this course contact the Index support team

Welcome to the Children Index information sharing course

Click here to contact the Index team

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It’s important that you’re familiar with your organisation’s Information

Governance policies & that you access the right training training.

As this course isn’t full information sharing training it won’t provide you with guidance on information sharing

in your specific role.

Talk to your line manager if you need more information about training and

policies

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Every information sharing decision is different and you aren’t always

going to know how to do it

Make sure you know the right person in your organisation to go to for advice

oSafeguarding lead?oLine manager?oInformation Governance?

At the end of each section there are questions about

your practice and your organisation’s policies.

Discuss with your team if you are unsure of any of the

answers

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• Why we share

• Information sharing & the law

• Making information sharing decisions

• Sharing information safely

• How we work in East Sussex

• Links and contacts

Contents

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Why we shareWhy we share

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Things that we Things that we know to be trueknow to be true

Sharing information can

help improve children’s lives

and prevent them from coming to

harm

Consent-based working delivers better long-term

outcomes for children and families, and

better interaction between services

no inquiry into a child’s death or

serious injury has ever questioned why information was

shared. It has always asked the opposite -

Lewisham Council

Families are much more likely to

engage with us if they trust us to

respect their information and

views

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We share because…

We have concerns or ideas about a child or young

person and need to share these with people who can

help

When working with a child or young person we sometimes can’t meet all their needs

by ourselves and need to invite other

services to help

When working alongside other

services to support a child or young person

we need all the information to

provide effective support … and to ensure

that the support we are all providing is coordinated

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Children & families should have a voice

The most effective support

we can give families is to

enable them to meet their needs

themselvesPlans are more likely to work if

the families they are about are on board and agree with the actions

We can help children & families to work with us by

being open and honest, listening to them and valuing

their input

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When and how do you encourage children, young people and their families to share their views?

How do you involve children, young people and their families in making planning decisions?

When do you invite other services to help you support a child or young person?

Take time to think about

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Information sharing & the lawInformation sharing & the law

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This is usually name, address, etc (although in some circumstances this can be sensitive e.g. when a child is fleeing domestic violence their address will be sensitive)

This is usually name, address, etc (although in some circumstances this can be sensitive e.g. when a child is fleeing domestic violence their address will be sensitive)

Non-sensitive

E.g. physical or mental health condition, personal history etc

E.g. physical or mental health condition, personal history etc

Sensitive

Personal information is anything which can identify a child or young person

There are two types of personal information:

We should take care when sharing any information about another person, particularly sensitive information

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The law helps us

The Human Rights Act 1998

The Human Rights Act 1998

The Data Protection Act 1998

The Data Protection Act 1998

It does not act as a barrier to sharing information when we need to; it helps us get the balance right by clearing outlining

what we can and can’t do

The two key pieces of legislation are:

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Article 8 outlines the ‘Right to respect for private and family life’

Everyone has the right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence

We must respect this right except where interference can be justified and is proportionate, e.g. in the prevention of disorder or crime, or the protection of rights of others.

Article 8 outlines the ‘Right to respect for private and family life’

Everyone has the right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence

We must respect this right except where interference can be justified and is proportionate, e.g. in the prevention of disorder or crime, or the protection of rights of others.

Human Rights Act

1998

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This act outlines the eight data protection principles

We can hold or share personal information as long as we ensure that the information is:

• Processed for limited purposes only• Fairly and lawfully processed• Adequate, relevant and not excessive• Accurate and up to date• Not kept for longer than is necessary• Processed in line with the data subject’s rights• Kept secure• Not transferred outside the UK without adequate protection

This act outlines the eight data protection principles

We can hold or share personal information as long as we ensure that the information is:

• Processed for limited purposes only• Fairly and lawfully processed• Adequate, relevant and not excessive• Accurate and up to date• Not kept for longer than is necessary• Processed in line with the data subject’s rights• Kept secure• Not transferred outside the UK without adequate protection

Data Protection Act 1998

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How does the data protection act apply to your work?

What kind of information do you share and who do you share it with?

Where do you record sensitive personal information?

Take time to think about

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Making decisions to share Making decisions to share informationinformation

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Removing barriers to

achievement

Safeguarding

Child Protection

Best Interest

Achieving the 5 outcomes

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As people working with children our priority should be making

sure a child is enabled to thriveWe have a number of different ways

to express this priority

Our decisions should always be based on doing what is best for the child and their family

Promoting well-being

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We need to make sure we seek the

appropriate consent

There are two types of consent

Implicit consentThis is where it is clear enough

to someone that their information will be shared,

e.g. sharing their information when they’ve asked to be

referred to another service, or as part of the conditions of

accessing a service

It can be a signed

document or conversation, but should be

recorded Explicit consent

should be regularly

discussed and reviewed

Explicit consentIs when the implications of

giving consent are fully explained in order that the

individual understands exactly what they are consenting to,

the consequences of the consent, and what will happen

next.

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However families don’t always agree so sometimes you have to

choose whose consent holds most weight.

Services work best when everyone involved has

agreed to the intervention.

Children under 12: We usually seek their views, but consent usually needs to come

from the parents or carers

e.g. we need parent’s or carer’s agreement when we refer a child

to a service. If they don’t agree they are less likely to make

sure the child gets to appointments

e.g. if a young person under 16 wants to keep things private from their

parents you’ll need to balance the importance

of involving parents with keeping the young

person engaged

e.g. you can work with them without the knowledge or consent of their

parents (but work with the whole family

when you can)

Young people over 12 can give consent if you think they are competent to do so, but it makes sense

to include parents or carers in the

decision if you can.

Young people over 16 can by

law give or withhold consent

themselves

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Sharing information when consent has been

refused will normally be

justified in the public interest:

place a child or adult at increased

risk of significant or serious harm

prejudice the prevention, detection or prosecution of a serious

crime

lead to an unjustified

delay in making enquiries about

allegations of significant or serious harm

When a child or adult might be, or is at risk of

suffering significant or serious harm

to prevent significant harm to a child, or

serious harm to an adult

to support the

prevention, detection

and prosecution of serious

crime.

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In some circumstances you can make a professional judgement decision to…

Share when consent has been refused

Share without seeking consent

This decision to share without consent involves weighing up what might happen if the information is shared against what

might happen if it is not shared.

Consent should not be sought

if seeking consent would:

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Key information sharing questions

Information sharing decisions are often complex with many factors to take into

account.

Here are some tools that you may find useful in helping you think them through

Information sharing flowchart

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When do you act on implicit consent?

When do you ask for explicit consent?

Have you ever taken a child or young person’s consent and not involved their parents or carers in the decision?

How do you make decisions about a young person’s competence?

Take time to think about

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Sharing information safelySharing information safely

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We share personal information

In writing (e.g.

reports, Early Help plans etc)

In writing (e.g.

reports, Early Help plans etc)

Through the Children

Index

We should apply good information sharing practice in all circumstances

Verbally (e.g. discussions with colleagues, core group meetings,

phone)

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When sharing information verbally think about:

How much do you need

to share?

How can you avoid

over-telling?

If you have been given verbal

information have you kept a record of who told you what, so you know where information came

from?

Is the environment appropriately

private?

Is there anyone who

does not need to know this

much information?

Are you sharing in the

right environment?

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Do you know how to share written information securely?

EmailEmailCase

management systems

Case management

systems

Memory stick

Memory stick

By hand

By hand

FaxFaxPostPost

There are lots of ways to share written There are lots of ways to share written information:information:

You should not share any written information unless you’re sure it’s safe and your organisation supports the method

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In today’s day and age email seems like a quick and easy way to share

But did you know that email between But did you know that email between organisations is rarely secure?organisations is rarely secure?

En-crypt: To alter (a file, for example) using a secret code so as to be unintelligible to unauthorised parties

Did you know you can also encrypt information on portable devices such as laptops and memory sticks? This helps keep sensitive

information secure when you carry it.

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Have you built a safe home for the information you keep?

Do you have the right keys?

- Identifying the right people to have access- Securely giving them the passwords, smartcards etc- Regularly reviewing who has access- Keeping means of access secure (passwords, tokens etc)

Are the doors in place?

-Restricted access to files & folders- Case management system log-in- Tokens & smartcards Strong passwords (regularly refreshed)

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How do you usually share written information?

How do you ensure information is only accessed by appropriate people?

How do you know if someone has accessed information inappropriately?

How long should you hold the information? What do you do to destroy it?

Take time to think about

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How we work in East SussexHow we work in East Sussex

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In East Sussex we have:

East Sussex Children Index

Early Help Plans

Multi-agency meetings

Safeguarding procedures

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The Children Index

is a database holding basic information on all children & young people in East

Sussex

- Name, address & date of birth- Universal services - Additional services (with consent)- Plan and Plan Coordinator

It can only be accessed by authorised members of staff from accredited

organisations.

It enables practitioners to let each other know if they are working

with a child or holding a plan for

them.

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Basic Contact details

Universal servicesUser functions

Plan CoordinatorAdditional involvements

SAMPLE RECORD – FABRICATED DATA

No plans or case information are held on the Children Index

What a Children Index record looks like:

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Early Help Planning

It’s a process for assessing and planning

around the needs of families, coordinating the support if more than one service is

involved.

Early Help Planning is

consent based and completed in partnership with families

Early Help Planning is the key process for

working with families, who need early help

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Referral and first contact

Plan

Review and learn

Listen and understand

Agree priorities

The Early Help Planning cycle

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Early Help Plan: Identify emerging need

Index: Let other services know that the child no longer has an open plan & whether you are still

working with them

Index: Check who else is working with children in the family & whether there is already a plan

Index: Let other services know that you are leading on a plan and who to contact

Early Help Plan: Close the Early Help Plan

Early Help Plan & the Children Index

The Index is the tool to help practitioners find each other and the Early Help Plan is part of what they do when they meet

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Early Help Plan: Start the Early Help Plan process

Make a subject access request to

find out what their or their child’s

Children Index looks like (see Links for further details)

Ask someone who is working with

them to tell them what they have

added to the Children Index

about them

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Some information on the Index is sensitive

Universal services (e.g. schools, GPs, etc.) are

automatically added to the Children Index, additional services

which provide a child or family with extra

support to help them thrive need consent

We all have the right to know about information held about us – it’s the same for families. If a

someone wants to know what information is

shown about themselves or their child on the Index

they can either:

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Information on the Index is there to

guide you

But will not always tell you everything about that

child’s services

When using the information you

found on the Index, use the opportunity to talk to the family

about it

It’s important to ask the child or young person and their family about the

people working with them as well as using

the Index

Make sure the family know

what it is and why we use it

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When do you talk to families about the

Index?

When accessing the Children Index, think about:

Does your organisation have guidelines on how,

when and where you should access the

system?

Is your workspace private?- Can you be overseen?- Can anyone access the system when you leave your desk?

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Families shouldn’t have to repeat their story; talk to

them about their information in

the plan

This means letting them know exactly who will have access to their

information

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During the Early Help Plan process you are gathering sensitive personal information

In order to share this information with other people you need to get

consent from the appropriate family

members

In order to share this information with other people you need to get

consent from the appropriate family

members

Speak to the family and make a professional judgement

decision over who to involve in completing the Early Help

Plan

When you receive personal information from another service

And listening to them when they

do not want information

shared with a particular person

Plans work better when

everyone involved is

engaged, but this is not always possible or safe

Treat the information sensitively;

families may find some areas hard to discuss with a

new person

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When do you access the Children Index?

How and when does your service add involvements to the Index?

How and when does your service explain information sharing and multi-agency working to families?

What is your role in the Early Help Planning process?

Take time to think about

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You’ve finished the course – now it’s time to take the test!

See the next slide for contacts and links to further

information

Click here to take the East Sussex

information sharing test

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Safeguarding information &

training

Early Help Plan training

Subject Access Requests & Data Protection –

East Sussex County Council

National information

sharing guidance

Information sharing guidance

and resources

East Sussex Children Index

(ESCI)

Integrated working in

East Sussex

Contact the Index support

team

Contacts & links to further information

Click on the links below to find out more