New Information Sharing Duties
Information Sharing Duty Statutory guidance for safeguarding organisations and their practitioners 2026
On the 30th September new requirements come into force in relation to information sharing duties
This is statutory guidance on information sharing to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under section 16LA of the Children Act 2004. It applies to all safeguarding partners and relevant agencies across England. This statutory guidance explains how the Government expects you to share information.
If you are a practitioner, manager, or organisation:
- You must follow the guidance in your policies and practice.
- If you choose a different approach, you should be able to explain and justify why.
- Regulators, inspectors, courts, and safeguarding reviews will consider whether you or your organisation followed the statutory guidance.
It’s really important that you read through this guidance and share the document and key messages within your organisations and teams.
Some of the main changes include:
- A stronger expectation that information will be shared when it is relevant to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
- Giving practitioners greater confidence about when information can and should be shared, reducing uncertainty and helping agencies work together more effectively through timely and consistent information sharing.
- Giving practitioners more confidence about sharing information when it is needed to safeguard and support the welfare of children. It makes clear that concerns or misconceptions about data protection and confidentiality should not get in the way of appropriate information sharing.
- That you don’t always need consent to share information when there are safeguarding concerns. The guidance makes it clear that there’s a difference between getting consent for a service and having a legal reason to share information when concerned about a child’s safety and welfare.
- More emphasis on sharing information across organisational boundaries, so that if concerns arise, they can follow the child rather than staying within one service. This is to help everyone build a fuller picture of a child’s needs, any risks they may be facing, and the support that could make a difference.
- How organisations should implement the new duty.
The guidance also provides additional information on:
- sharing information about other individuals connected to a child
- transparency with children and families
- information accuracy
- children with SEND
- anti-discriminatory practice
- information sharing during transitions and across services
What does this mean for you, your organisation and safeguarding partnerships? When safeguarding or promoting a child’s welfare, information should be shared proactively with professional judgement centred on relevance, necessity and proportionality.
The OSCP will be reviewing local arrangements, protocols and information-sharing agreements to make sure they are aligned with the new statutory duty.