Safeguarding

Confidentiality is an important principle that enables people to feel safe in sharing their concerns and to ask for help. However, the right to confidentiality is not absolute. Sharing relevant information with the right people at the right time is vital to good safeguarding practice.

All staff and volunteers should be familiar with their internal safeguarding procedures for raising concerns. They can also contact either the police or the local authority safeguarding lead for advice, without necessarily giving an individual’s personal details, if they are unsure whether a safeguarding referral would be appropriate.

Why is information sharing guidance important? Because child protection and safeguarding adults involves sensitive information that directly affects the welfare of children / young people and adults.

To keep these children / adults safe, information needs to be shared appropriately so that decisions can be made to protect them.

However, clear boundaries around information sharing are important to maintain confidentiality where appropriate and to ensure that only those who need the information are made aware of it.

Sharing the right information, at the right time, with the right people, is fundamental to good practice in safeguarding.