5.2.13 Information Sharing Agreement with Lincolnshire Community Services, Health Visitors and Lincolnshire County Council, Children's Centres

1. Introduction

This protocol is an Information Sharing Agreement between the Lincolnshire Community Health Service, Health Visitors and Lincolnshire County Council, Children's Centres. The agreement outlines the process that will permit Health Visitors to share demographic data about families with children under 5 years with Lincolnshire Children's Centres. This will enable the Children's Centres to register the families with them.

For further information on the services provided by Lincolnshire Children's Centres and how to register please see the Lincolnshire County Council webpage.

2. Purpose

Lincolnshire Children's Centres offer services and activities for all families and carers, with children from birth to five. By enabling Health Visitors to share the data of all newborn babies and newly arrived families into Lincolnshire, Children's Centres will have the opportunity to register and advise the family of the services available.

The purpose of this agreement is to ensure that the information shared by the Health Visitors will offer the opportunity for Children's Centres to provide their services, and ensure they are meeting the needs of local children and families.

3. Partners

This agreement is between the following Partners:

  • Lincolnshire County Council;
  • Children's Services;
  • Children's Centres;
  • Community Health Services;
  • Health Visitors.

4. Powers

The agreement fulfils the requirements of the following:

  1. Community Health Services, Health Visitors are required to share on a weekly basis, the names, addresses and dates of birth of all new-born babies and newly arrived families into Lincolnshire;
  2. The data will be compiled and emailed by Health through a dedicated secure email address: CCData@lincolnshire.gov.uk to the Performance Assurance Team Children's Services;
  3. Children's Services, Children's Centres has a duty to ensure that the data received from the Community Health Service is stored securely and in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018;
  4. Children's Services, Children's Centres has a duty to ensure that should a family choose not to register at a Children's Centre; their personal data is removed from the secure records.

5. Process

The process will operate as follows:

  1. Health will on a weekly basis share the names, addresses and dates of birth of all new-born babies and newly arrived families into Lincolnshire. This will be submitted via a dedicated secure email address: CCData@lincolnshire.gov.uk;
  2. The data received via the dedicated secure email address is to be compiled and maintained by the Performance Assurance Team, Children's Services on a weekly basis. Children's Centres will be able to view the data via an 'InfoView' secure server. Access to this will be limited to only those with approved permission;
  3. Health will visit the family and inform them that they have shared data with Children's Services, Children's Centres and contact will be made by the relevant Children's Centre. Health will inform the family that if they do not wish to be registered or contacted by Children's Centres staff, then they will need to opt out of the service;
  4. Should the family choose to opt out of the available service, the Health Visitor will notify Children's Services, Children's Centres who will inform the Performance Assurance Team. The family details will then be removed from the secure InfoView server;
  5. The relevant Children's Centre will make contact to arrange to visit the family within 10 days to register and to advise the family of the services they have available.

6. Constraints on the Use of the Information

The demographic data shared must not be disclosed to any third party without the written consent of the agency and registration of the family with the Children's Centre.

It must be stored securely and deleted when it is no longer required for the purpose for which it was provided.

7. Roles and Responsibilities

Children's Services, Children's Centres

That all the information disclosed by Lincolnshire Community Health Services, Health Visitors, via the dedicated secure email account CCData@lincolnshire.gov.uk is collated and distributed securely in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.

Lincolnshire Community Health Services

That the information provided by Lincolnshire Community Health Services is submitted weekly via the dedicated secure email system and by no other method.

8. Indemnity

Each respective organisation will accept responsibility for breaches occurring in their organisation and take appropriate action.