3.1 Summarise the main points of legislation and procedures covering confidentiality, data protection and the disclosure of information

1. What does ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ say about information sharing?

Effective sharing of information between professionals and local agencies is essential for effective identification, assessment and service provision. Early sharing of information is key to providing effective early help where there are emerging problems. At the other end of the continum, sharing information can be essential to put in place effective child protection services as serious case reviews (SCRS) have shown how poor information sharing contributed to the deaths or serious injuries of children. Fears about sharing informaton cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the need to promote welfare and protect the safety of children no professional should assume that someone else will pass on the information which may be critical to helping a child’s safety. If a professional has concerns about a child’s welfare and belives they are suffering or likely to suffer from harm they should share the informational immedelty with the local authority for children’s social care.

2. The ‘Protection if Biometric Information of Children in Schools’ gives guidance about how the ‘Protection of Freedom’s Act 2012‘ affects the collection of biometric data in schools. Answer the following questions to use to write a summary of the Protections of Freedoms Act 2012:

When did the Protection of Freedoms Act come into affect? Other than schools, what other education settings are affected by this law? This law relates to the use of ‘biometric data’ (amongst other things, including the introduction of DBS checks). What is biometric data? What is an automated biometric recognition system and how might these be used in schools? Which sections of the Protection of Freedoms Act relate to the use of biometic data in schools? Whose consent is required before biometric data can be taken from a child and used? Schools must not process the biometric data of a pupil who is 18 years of age and under in which situations? What does the las say about providing alternatives to the use of biometric data?

The protection if freedoms act came in to affect on the 1st of September 2013 this law affects schools, sixth forms, colleges and 16-19 academies. Biometric data means personal information about individuals physical or behavioural characteristics that identify an individual for example: finger prints, facial shape, hand measurements and retina or iris patterns. Automated biometric recognition system uses technology to measure an individuals physical and behavioural charteristics by using equipment that operates electrinicaly. Information from an individual is combained with biometric information that is already stored in the system. This will be used to recognise the individual or to see if there is a match in the system to identify the individual. Schools could use the biometric recognition system to store pupils physical and behavioural characteristics for example: hand measurements, finger prints and facial shape. Schools may also use the data as an electronic process to compare data with biometric information on the data base to identify pupils. All the sections of the Protections of Freedoms Act relates to the use of biometric data in schools. To be able to take biometric data from a child you must have written consent from one parent for a school or college to process the childs information aslong as the child or parent does not object. If a child is being looked after by the local authority or a voluntary organisation their written consent would need to be obtained.

3. Use the Commissioner’s Office dicument ‘Report on the data protection guidance we gave schools in 2012’ to find out about the Data Protection Act 1998. Again find answers to the following questions to use as information to provide a