UK GDPR: sharing safeguarding information

Be confident in how you share safeguarding information under the UK GDPR. Know the principles to follow, your legal basis for sharing data and your responsibilities for information sharing.

Last reviewed on 30 April 2024See updates
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 36084
Contents
  1. Data protection does not prevent you sharing safeguarding information
  2. You don't need consent to share safeguarding information
  3. How to share safeguarding information effectively
  4. Responsibilities of staff

Data protection does not prevent you sharing safeguarding information

As a school, you have clear powers to share, hold and use information for the purposes of:

  • Identifying and tackling all forms of abuse and neglect
  • Promoting children’s welfare, including their educational outcomes

UK data protection laws do not prevent or limit you from sharing information to keep children safe. They only require you to share the information appropriately, in line with data protection principles (we explain more about these in the sections below). 

Whether you’re acting on a disclosure or concern, or responding to requests for information from external agencies, you can share information with the appropriate people if you believe that doing so is likely to support the safeguarding and protection of a child.

To help identify patterns of behaviour for a child at risk of going missing, or who has gone missing With external agencies when