Safeguarding adult policy

We are committed to working with our partners to ensure information is not withheld unnecessarily as this may lead to abuse and neglect not being dealt with in a timely manner. The seven golden rules for information sharing must be considered when sharing information to protect adults at risk.

The seven golden rules are:

1. Remember that the Data Protection Act 1998 and human rights law are not barriers to justified information sharing, but provide a framework to ensure that personal information about living individuals is shared appropriately.
2. Be open and honest with the individual (and/or their family where appropriate) from the outset about why, what, how and with whom information will, or could be shared, and seek their agreement, unless it is unsafe or inappropriate to do so. 
3. Seek advice from other practitioners if you are in any doubt about sharing the information concerned, without disclosing the identity of the individual where possible.
4. Share with informed consent where appropriate and, where possible, respect the wishes of those who do not consent to share confidential information. You may still share information without consent if, in your judgement, there is good reason to do so, such as where safety may be at risk. You will need to base your judgement on the facts of the case. When you are sharing or requesting personal information from someone, be certain of the basis upon which you are doing so. Where you have consent, be mindful that an individual might not expect information to be shared.
5. Consider safety and well-being: Base your information sharing decisions on considerations of the safety and well-being of the individual and others who may be affected by their actions.
6. Necessary, proportionate, relevant, adequate, accurate, timely and secure: Ensure that the information you share is necessary for the purpose for which you are sharing it, is shared only with those individuals who need to have it, is accurate and up-to-date, is shared in a timely fashion, and is shared securely.
7. Keep a record of your decision and the reasons for it – whether it is to share information or not. If you decide to share, then record what you have shared, with whom and for what purpose.

The Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Duty 2018 provide a framework to ensure that personal information about living persons is shared appropriately.

Consent will be shared where appropriate and the well-being of the customer will always be considered when deciding whether to share information.

Data sharing decisions will be based on the consideration of the safety and wellbeing of the person and others who may be affected by their actions.

Our data processing will be proportionate, relevant, accurate, timely and secure and fully compliant with all prevailing data protection regulations regarding the holding and sharing of information with others.