1. Children Index Information sharing course
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2. Welcome to the Children Index information sharing course
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
Click here to contact the Index team
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3. 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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4. Discuss with your team if you are unsure of any of the answers
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
Safeguarding lead?
Line manager?
Information 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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5. Contents Why we share Information sharing & the law
Making information sharing decisions
Sharing information safely
How we work in East Sussex
Links and contacts
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6. Why we share
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7. Things that we know to be true
Families are much more likely to engage with us if they trust us to respect their information and views
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
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8. and to ensure that the support we are all providing is coordinated
We share because…
When working alongside other services to support a child or young person we need all the information to provide effective support …
We have concerns or ideas about a child or young person and need to share these with people who can help
and to ensure that the support we are all providing is coordinated
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
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9. Children & families should have a voice
We can help children & families to work with us by being open and honest, listening to them and valuing their input
The most effective support we can give families is to enable them to meet their needs themselves
Plans are more likely to work if the families they are about are on board and agree with the actions
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10. Take time to think about
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?
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11. Information sharing & the law
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12. There are two types of personal information:
Personal information is anything which can identify a child or young person
There are two types of personal information:
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
Sensitive
We should take care when sharing any information about another person, particularly sensitive information
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13. The law helps us
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:
The Human Rights Act 1998
The Data Protection Act 1998
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14. Human Rights Act 1998 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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15. 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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16. Take time to think about
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?
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17. Making decisions to share information
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18. As people working with children our priority should be making sure a child is enabled to thrive
We have a number of different ways to express this priority
Child Protection
Achieving the 5 outcomes
Removing barriers to achievement
Best Interest
Safeguarding
Promoting well-being
Our decisions should always be based on doing what is best for the child and their family
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19. We need to make sure we seek the appropriate consent
Explicit consent
Is 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.
We need to make sure we seek the appropriate consent
There are two types of consent
It can be a signed document or conversation, but should be recorded
Implicit consent
This 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
Explicit consent should be regularly discussed and reviewed
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20. Young people over 16 can by law give or withhold consent themselves
Services work best when everyone involved has agreed to the intervention.
However families don’t always agree so sometimes you have to choose whose consent holds most weight.
Young people over 16 can by law give or withhold consent themselves
Children under 12: We usually seek their views, but consent usually needs to come from the parents or carers
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.
e.g. you can work with them without the knowledge or consent of their parents (but work with the whole family when you can)
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
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21. In some circumstances you can make a professional judgement decision to…
Share when consent has been refused
Share without seeking consent
Sharing information when consent has been refused will normally be justified in the public interest:
When a child or adult might be, or is at risk of suffering significant or serious harm
place a child or adult at increased risk of significant or serious harm
Consent should not be sought if seeking consent would:
lead to an unjustified delay in making enquiries about allegations of 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.
prejudice the prevention, detection or prosecution of a serious crime
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.
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22. 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
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23. Take time to think about
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?
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24. Sharing information safely
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25. We share personal information
Verbally (e.g. discussions with colleagues, core group meetings, phone)
Through the Children Index
In writing (e.g. reports, Early Help plans etc)
We should apply good information sharing practice in all circumstances
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26. When sharing information verbally think about:
Is the environment appropriately private?
When sharing information verbally think about:
How much do you need to share?
Are you sharing in the right environment?
How can you avoid over-telling?
Is there anyone who does not need to know this much information?
If you have been given verbal information have you kept a record of who told you what, so you know where information came from?
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27. Do you know how to share written information securely?
There are lots of ways to share written information:
Case management systems
By hand
Memory stick
Fax
Post
You should not share any written information unless you’re sure it’s safe and your organisation supports the method
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28. In today’s day and age email seems like a quick and easy way to share
But did you know that between organisations is rarely secure?
En-crypt: To alter (a file, for example) using a secret code so as to be unintelligible to unauthorised parties
Sensitive information should always be encrypted. Encrypting it is like sending it in a secret code which can only be deciphered at its destination
Sending other people’s information in an unencrypted is a bit like sending it on a postcard, anyone can read it while it’s on its way.
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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29. Have you built a safe home for the information you keep?
Have you got secure walls?
- Secure buildings and offices
- Locked cabinets or rooms
- Secure networks
- Encrypted transportable
devices (mobiles / laptops)
Are the doors in place?
Restricted access to
files & folders
Case management
system log-in
- Tokens & smartcards
Strong passwords
(regularly refreshed)
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)
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30. Take time to think about
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?
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31. How we work in East Sussex
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32. In East Sussex we have: Early Help Plans East Sussex Children Index
Safeguarding procedures
Multi-agency meetings
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33. 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 enables practitioners to let each other know if they are working with a child or holding a plan for them.
It can only be accessed by authorised members of staff from accredited organisations.
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34. Additional involvements
What a Children Index record looks like:
No plans or case information are held on the Children Index
Basic Contact details
Additional involvements
Universal services
Plan Coordinator
User functions
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SAMPLE RECORD – FABRICATED DATA

35. Early Help Planning Next Back
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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36. The Early Help Planning cycle
Referral and first contact
Plan
Review and learn
Listen and understand
Agree priorities
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37. 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
Early Help Plan: Identify emerging need
Index: Check who else is working with children in the family & whether there is already a plan
Early Help Plan: Start the Early Help Plan process
Index: Let other services know that you are leading on a plan and who to contact
Early Help Plan: Close the Early Help Plan
Index: Let other services know that the child no longer has an open plan & whether you are still working with them
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38. Some information on the Index is sensitive
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:
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
Ask someone who is working with them to tell them what they have added to the Children Index about them
Make a subject access request to find out what their or their child’s Children Index looks like (see Links for further details)
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39. Information on the Index is there to guide you
Make sure the family know what it is and why we use it
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
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40. When accessing the Children Index, think about:
Does your organisation have guidelines on how, when and where you should access the system?
When do you talk to families about the Index?
Is your workspace private?
Can you be overseen?
Can anyone access the
system when you leave
your desk?
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41. When you receive personal information from another service
During the Early Help Plan process you are gathering sensitive personal information
When you receive personal information from another service
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
Families shouldn’t have to repeat their story; talk to them about their information in the plan
Plans work better when everyone involved is engaged, but this is not always possible or safe
This means letting them know exactly who will have access to their information
Treat the information sensitively; families may find some areas hard to discuss with a new person
And listening to them when they do not want information shared with a particular person
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42. Take time to think about
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?
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43. Click here to take the East Sussex information sharing test
See the next slide for contacts and links to further information
You’ve finished the course –
now it’s time to take the test!
Click here to take the East Sussex information sharing test
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44. Contacts & links to further information
Click on the links below to find out more
Safeguarding information & training
Early Help Plan training
Integrated working in East Sussex
Information sharing guidance and resources
East Sussex Children Index (ESCI)
National information sharing guidance
Subject Access Requests & Data Protection –
East Sussex County Council
Contact the Index support team
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