Database consent plans revealed

Database consent plans revealed People working in child and
adolescent mental health services will have to seek consent from
clients before recording their own details on the proposed
children’s database.

Sexual health and substance misuse workers are also likely to be
required to “seek informed explicit consent before adding their
contact details to the index”, according to a government
report.

Plans to restrict the list of practitioners whose details can be
put on the system freely are outlined in the government’s response
to a consultation on the information-sharing databases.

There had been fears that young people may be deterred from using
these services if their details were shared with other
professionals.

The Department for Education and Skills also proposes introducing a
system whereby details about sensitive services, such as mental
health, should be accessible only to “essential staff”, which could
include social workers.

But it will allow a lack of consent to be overridden in “carefully
specified circumstances”, including when there are child protection
concerns.

• Response from www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations