Information sharing

Effective multi-agency information sharing is essential to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

When to share information

The new Information Sharing Duty (effective from 30 September 2026) means practitioners in safeguarding partners and relevant agencies must share information where it is relevant to safeguarding and promoting a child's welfare. This includes where concerns relate to early help, prevention and unmet need.

Where the information sharing duty applies, organisations must share information with another organisation, or the requestor, if it is considered that sharing may help the recipient’s relevant functions including to assess need, make a decision, provide support or take action to safeguard and promote the welfare of a child, including when a child potentially poses a risk to others.

The information sharing duty does not apply in extremely limited circumstances where a practitioner, acting on behalf of their organisation, determine through professional judgement that sharing information would be more detrimental to the child than not sharing.

To understand more about the new duty, you can read our practitioner briefing.

Useful resources

Guidance on information sharing can be found in:

• Information Sharing Duty Statutory Guidance

• Working Together to Safeguard Children 2026 (pages 17 to 22)

• London multi-agency safeguarding data sharing agreement exists to which local partners are signed up and under which any local organisation may operate – please note it is anticipated this data sharing agreement will be updated to reflect the new information sharing duty