Youth offending teams (YOTs) have been told to tighten data-sharing systems after it emerged that sensitive information about young offenders is not being protected properly.
YOT staff should use secure email when sending information about children to other organisations in the youth justice system such as young offender institutions.
However, the Youth Justice Board (YJB) has found that when sharing information with private firms that monitor tagging, the secure system is regularly not used.
The YJB said there is still widespread use of fax, telephone calls and personal emails rather than the secure email system. This causes "confusion and delay", it argues.
The situation has raised questions about the safety of children's personal information. Katy Swaine, legal director at the Children's Rights Alliance for England, said: "It is essential that children's privacy rights and data protection rights are known about by people working in youth justice, and are respected and prioritised over convenience, if that is what's happening here.
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