4.11 Applying information-sharing principles in practice

Now you will see how these principles apply in practice.

Activity: Information sharing and confidentiality in practice

Trigger warning

Read the scenario below and complete the exercise that follows.

You receive a call from the police. A physio who works at a youth training centre is being investigated following several serious physical assaults on his partner – some of which were witnessed by the couple’s young children. The police advise you that the man will soon be taken to court. While the police investigation continues, he is not being held in custody, but he has been banned from going near his home or family. When the police learned that the man is employed by your organisation, they contacted you so that you can take any appropriate action.

Due to the seriousness of the allegations, including that the assaults took place in front of children, there are potential implications for the safety of both children and adults in the physio’s work environment. You decide that he should be suspended from the training centre until the criminal case has been held, and until your organisation can investigate and decide whether he should continue in his role.

Think about this scenario. Consider the following departments or groups that may or may not need to know something about this situation.

  • What would each group need to know?
  • Why would they need that level of information?

To help you start, we have provided one example.

In the table below, use the drop-down menu to select what level of detail each group should be able to access, and then click on ‘check’ to reveal the explanation ‘why?’ for each.

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Comment

There will be individuals and groups who will ask or perhaps demand to be told more – but your responsibility is to make sure that information is only provided to those that need it to fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities. Being clear about the rules for information sharing will help you to make defensible decisions and respond confidently to inappropriate requests for information.

4.10 Protecting people’s personal information and information-sharing principles

4.12 Recording – using a standard form