Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) Practice Guidance 4 - Information sharing

12. Recording decisions and the reasons for decisions

There may be a data sharing agreement in place for certain routine data sharing.

If you need to share personal information with another service and it is not covered by a data sharing agreement, you should document your decision and the reasons for those decisions. This will help to demonstrate compliance if required. An information sharing checklist is available from the ICO that may be helpful (Annex A: data sharing checklist).

If a decision is made to share information the following should always be recorded:

• What information you have shared, and with whom;
• Your reasons for sharing information;
• Any views expressed in relation to information sharing;
• If the person concerned has not been informed, the reasons for this;
• Why you think it is necessary and proportionate to share information;
• The lawful basis for sharing Lawful basis for processing; and,
• If the decision is not to share some or all of the information, this decision and the reasons should also be recorded.

Information sharing decisions must be based not only upon considerations about the safety and wellbeing of the individual, but also considering the safety of others.