Information Sharing: Really – What does this mean in practice Dan Mobbs Chief Executive

About MAP …… Young people (up to 25) Advice Counselling Youth Work Social Work Practice

Our Priority Young people are safe Our interventions improve their life

Safe from what? Abuse Violence Injury

Does information always achieve this? NO!

Why not? It can lose trust and engagement with young people It can lose trust with other professionals It can lead to higher risk

Suzy aged 14 Situation: Suzy reports to a worker that her father is hitting her regularly. She has bruising on her face. She wants to hang in there because she is worried about her little sister aged 7 who she thinks “can’t handle it”. She says her sister will get hit if she’s not there. You contact the social work department who state: “I have talked to the father and it sounds like they’re sorting things out so we are taking no further action” Outcome: Suzy stops coming for support after a while as she felt she lost trust. Her mother became more violent.

Annie aged 15 Situation: Annie is in a sexual relationship with a 19 year old. She has been receiving support about relationships and safe sex from specialist services. She has been responding to this support. She also tells a teacher who informs the police. The police speak to Annie’s parents. Outcome: Annie’s parents throw her out. She moves in with her boyfriend. She disengages from support. She later seeks support for a termination and has stopped attending school.

Jon aged 16 Situation: Jon is in therapy and is overcoming anxiety and depression. He discloses he was sexually abused by his father as a young child but now lives with his mother only. He then discloses this to a teacher who informs the police. They investigate and decide to charge. During the judicial process therapy is paused. The father is found not guilty. The father attempts to make contact with Jon. Outcome: Jon has reduced support. He makes a suicide attempt.

Mike aged 17 Situation: Mike is considered a high risk offender. He is supported by a resettlement worker on leaving prison to find somewhere to live. Supported accommodation is found but the Youth Offending Team have no agreed protocol to share information with the provider. The provider is very uneasy at accommodating him without information so the resettlement worker shares what information they have. Outcome: The worker is unsure that they knew all the relevant information and worries that the provider is not fully informed.

Overcoming these barriers Information sharing needs to be done sensitively Professionals need to be able to trust each other with information It needs to be clear who and why people need to know (e.g. parents) You need to be clear that if you are to refer to another service that it will lead to a positive outcome

Reality Check! A service can be a protective factor – if information sharing risks engagement with this service it can defeat the object of information sharing for safeguarding. For organisations to feel confident about sharing information they need to trust that it leads to improved outcomes for the child/young person

Thank you