Minister encourages pooled information

The government has issued new advice on sharing information about
children to encourage more staff from different agencies to pool
their knowledge.

Launching the guidance, children’s minister Margaret Hodge said the
aim was to dispel confusion about what can and cannot legally be
shared.

She noted that this had led to reluctance among some professionals
to pass on personal data, even when it was clearly in the best
interests of the child to do so.

“I would strongly encourage practitioners to be driven by the needs
of children and young people and check what can be done under
existing law,” Hodge said.

The guidance highlights the 10 “trailblazing” councils, which have
launched initiatives to improve communication and information
transfer between professionals. 

– Guidance from www.dfes.gov.uk