Consent & Confidentiality
In the vast majority of cases, information sharing only happens with the consent of the individual who's information needs to be shared between agencies as part of the delivery of services folllowing assessment.
Each Data Sharing partnership has developed an Information Sharing Protocol which each of the agencies within a partnership have signed up to. This protocol specifies exactly how and in what circumstances information may be shared and also specifies the means by which information may be transferred.
In addition to this partnerships have created Public Information Leaflets to let service users and carers know how and why information may be shared.
All staff have an obligation to safeguard the confidentiality of personal information. This is governed by statute (in particular the Data Protection Act 1998, the Human Rights Act 1998, and the common law), contracts of employment and also by professional codes of conduct.
All staff must are made aware that any breach of confidentiality could be a matter for disciplinary action or provide grounds for complaint against them on an individual basis.