Facts with feelings - social workers' experiences of sharing information across team and agency borders to safeguard children

A focus on performance management, improving practice and managing risk in child protection work has led to a lack of recognition of the complexities and uncertainties of information sharing within and between agencies. The emotional complexities of child protection work needs to be recognised to enhance the generation of shared understandings and collaborative practice.

Factors enabling effective inter-agency information sharing include shared role understanding (for example, through shadowing opportunities and inter-professional workshops) to increase understanding of the roles of partner agencies in child protection work and greater clarity between agencies over the reasons for requesting information.

Policy and practice context

This study explored information sharing at all stages of the child protection process in three front-line children's services teams - a referral screening team, initial assessment team and a longer-term team - within one local authority. This research consisted of: observation of day-to-day office-based practice; 32 semi-structured interviews with social work professionals at all levels; and analysis of legal/policy frameworks.