What are the Information Sharing Guidelines and where do I find them? Child Safety will be required to publish new Sharing guidelines on when information should be shared and the secure use, storage, retention and disposal of information for all stakeholders (including staff of What are the changes to Child information sharing? Safety, government agencies and funded The changes are intended to make the service providers). legislative provisions around information sharing clearer. They include a requirement These guidelines will be available on the for Child Safety to publish an information department’s website from proclamation. sharing guideline, broadens who can share New sections, under Chapter 5A of the Act, information about a child or young person specify when a holder of information may and their family to include the family share information and with whom they may support system (e.g. Family and Child share information. The sections reflect Connect and Intensive Family Support different actions at each stage of the child services), and make it clear that, while it is protection continuum – reporting suspicion, best practice to obtain consent to share assessment or investigation, assessing care information, a child’s safety, wellbeing and needs and planning services, and decreasing best interests are prioritised over an likelihood of a child or young person individual’s privacy. becoming in need of protection. How will the changes to information sharing impact Transition to carers? The changes are mainly targeted at the Adulthood prevention and early intervention end of the child protection continuum and are not expected to impact carers. Why has the language changed Will Child Safety have to ask for from Transition to Independence consent to share information? to Transition to Adulthood? Yes, where it is safe, possible and practical to All young people make a transition from obtain consent. adolescence to adulthood and not all become ’independent’ at the age of 18 years. However a child or young person’s safety, The legislative amendments (which uses wellbeing and best interests is prioritised transition to independence language), over an individual’s privacy. Also, when recognise that most young people need seeking consent, and before disclosing access to supports well beyond their 18th information, consideration will be given to birthday and it is now a community norm for whether this is likely to adversely affect the young adults to receive financial, practical, safety of a child, young person or another health, educational, housing, emotional and person. access to legal support from their parents.
Sharing What are the changes to information sharing? The changes are intended to make the legislative provisions around information sharing clearer. They include a requirement for Child Safety to publish an information sharing guideline, broadens who can share information about a child or young person and their family to include the family support system (e.g. Family and Child Connect and Intensive Family Support services), and make it clear that, while it is best practice to obtain consent to share information, a child’s safety, wellbeing and best interests are prioritised over an individual’s privacy. How will the changes to information sharing impact carers? The changes are mainly targeted at the prevention and early intervention end of the child protection continuum and are not expected to impact carers. Will Child Safety have to ask for consent to share information? Yes, where it is safe, possible and practical to obtain consent. However a child or young person’s safety, wellbeing and best interests is prioritised over an individual’s privacy. Also, when seeking consent, and before disclosing information, consideration will be given to whether this is likely to adversely affect the safety of a child, young person or another person. What are the Information Sharing Guidelines and where do I find them? Child Safety will be required to publish new guidelines on when information should be shared and the secure use, storage, retention and disposal of information for all stakeholders (including staff of Child Safety, government agencies and funded service providers). These guidelines will be available on the department’s website from proclamation. New sections, under Chapter 5A of the Act, specify when a holder of information may share information and with whom they may share information. The sections reflect different actions at each stage of the child protection continuum – reporting suspicion, assessment or investigation, assessing care needs and planning services, and decreasing likelihood of a child or young person becoming in need of protection. Transition to Adulthood Why has the language changed from Transition to Independence to Transition to Adulthood? All young people make a transition from adolescence to adulthood and not all become ’independent’ at the age of 18 years. The legislative amendments (which uses transition to independence language), recognise that most young people need access to supports well beyond their 18th birthday and it is now a community norm for young adults to receive financial, practical, health, educational, housing, emotional and access to legal support from their parents.
faqs-carers-care-services.docx