An overhaul could overcome barriers to keeping children safe, identifying needs, and providing joined-up support. Anonymised data about cohorts of children could also provide vital insights for commissioners and researchers.
At last, we are seeing significant progress on this. The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill proposes a new duty on agencies – including local authorities, health services, police and justice, and childcare and education providers – to share information relating to the safeguarding or welfare of the child where it would not be to their detriment. It also places a requirement to use a single unique identifier (SUI) for each individual.
Sharing information for welfare purposes could be a game changer for children who face challenges with their health or education but may not be at immediate risk of harm. The professionals that support these children often face uncertainty about when they can and should share information, so legislation that requires them to communicate more effectively with other agencies should be welcome.
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