First reported 18 Dec 2013•Latest report 3 Sep 2025
Definition
What this concern includes
Includes failures of the interagency safeguarding-information-sharing process, including obtaining relevant information, securing or recording appropriate consent for disclosure, communicating risk information across agencies, and ensuring that receiving agencies obtain complete and accurate information.
Not included
Excludes generic communication or information-management failures not materially connected to safeguarding risk information or interagency care.
Excludes failures confined to disclosure to a court, coroner or other legal inquiry rather than safeguarding or care coordination.
Excludes failures in making safeguarding referrals where the concern is the referral decision itself rather than the sharing of information between agencies.
Excludes clinical assessment, care ownership or discharge failures unless the unsafe condition is specifically the failure to share relevant safeguarding risk information between agencies.
Reports
23
Distinct published reports
Individual concerns
26
A report can raise multiple concerns
Date range
2013–2025
First to latest report issue date
Stated actions
45
Described in published responses
Reports over time
Reports over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Department of Health and Social Care7
Home Office4
Department for Education3
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board3
Crown Prosecution Service2
Greater Manchester Police2
Ministry of Justice2
NHS England2
Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust2
Surrey County Council2
Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust1
Bury Borough Council1
Catholic Safeguarding Standards Agency1
Church of England1
College of Policing1
Ministerial department11
NHS trust6
Police force5
Integrated care board4
English county council3
English metropolitan district council3
Other public body3
Type not available3
English unitary authority2
Executive non-departmental public body2
National policing body2
Non-ministerial department2
Private limited company2
Clinical commissioning group1
Company limited by guarantee1
Concerns and responses across reports
Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.
Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton
Concerns raised1
Lack of a national interface for safeguarding reporting and communication between schools and relevant agencies
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
Action
Introduce a consistent child identifier through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to enable secure cross-agency record matching.
Stated by Department for EducationStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 19 January 2026.
Action
Run local pilots testing the consistent child identifier with existing safeguarding systems and databases to inform national interoperability standards.
Stated by Department for EducationStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 19 January 2026.
Action
Develop national data standards with education, local authority and technology partners for secure connections between school safeguarding systems and partner agencies.
Stated by Department for EducationStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 19 January 2026.
Mid Kent and Medway
Concerns raised2
Lack of shared access to safeguarding records across agencies
Failure to provide agencies with access to all relevant cross-sector safeguarding information
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
Action
Deliver the national rollout of reforms to family help, multi-agency child protection and family group decision-making, including multi-agency child protection teams.
Stated by Department of Health and Social CareStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 16 April 2025.
Action
Deliver system-wide learning events on provider learning, family perspectives and inter-agency working following children’s and young people’s suicides.
Stated by NHS Kent and Medway ICBStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 16 April 2025.
Action
Develop a system-wide improvement plan addressing agency information sharing, risk assessments and decision-making.
Stated by NHS Kent and Medway ICBStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 16 April 2025.
Action
Implement the Kent and Medway Care Record to enable inter-agency access to health and social care records.
Stated by NHS Kent and Medway ICBStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 16 April 2025.
Action
Continue work supporting use of the Kent and Medway Care Record across relevant services.
Stated by NHS Kent and Medway ICBStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 16 April 2025.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Position
No direct education interface with the Kent and Medway Care Record is currently planned because County Council front-door teams provide an alternative information-sharing route.
Stated by NHS Kent and Medway ICBExisting arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
West Sussex, Brighton and Hove
Concerns raised1
Lack of sufficient recording, flow and sharing of information across agencies and teams
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.7
Action
Implement direct handover of police-conveyed patients to Trust staff.
Stated by UHSxStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 13 January 2025.
Action
Revise and implement the Trust-wide Missing Persons policy, including risk assessment, detention, communication, escalation and post-departure procedures.
Stated by UHSxStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 13 January 2025.
Action
Disseminate Missing Persons policy guidance, flow charts and documentation to wards, emergency departments and clinical staff.
Stated by UHSxStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 13 January 2025.
Action
Review and update emergency-department triage, mental-health liaison, observation and communication documentation with partner clinicians.
Stated by UHSxStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 13 January 2025.
Action
Send daily reports of police-referred missing patients to Trust and emergency-department nursing leaders for risk review, feedback and learning.
Stated by UHSxStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 13 January 2025.
Action
Hold fortnightly multidisciplinary missing-patient meetings involving nursing, emergency, police, mental-health and security teams.
Stated by UHSxStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 13 January 2025.
Action
Develop and recirculate quick-reference absconding guidance, flow charts and missing-person documentation for wards and emergency departments.
Stated by UHSxStated completedThe respondent said that this action was complete when they made their response on 13 January 2025.
Surrey
Concerns raised1
Lack of a national system for guaranteed transfer of safeguarding information
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
Action
Review statutory safeguarding guidance for opportunities to strengthen or clarify information-sharing requirements, including this section following the case.
Stated by Department for EducationStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 14 October 2024.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Position
A national process exists for transferring safeguarding information, with clear guidance on required timing between schools and colleges.
Stated by Department for EducationDisputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
Surrey
Concerns raised1
Lack of timely out-of-hours information sharing between police, mental health agencies and adult safeguarding
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.3
Position
Existing emergency communication routes provide sufficient means to share information and formulate safety plans for imminent out-of-hours risks.
Stated by Surrey PoliceExisting arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Position
Existing Professionals and Crisis Lines provide the appropriate urgent information-sharing and crisis referral pathways, so SCARF need not provide crisis access.
Stated by Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation TrustExisting arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Position
Existing Emergency Duty Team and police contact processes adequately support urgent out-of-hours referrals; SCARF need not be shared outside office hours.
Stated by Surrey County CouncilExisting arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
Milton Keynes
Concerns raised1
Failure to share information between agencies supervising sex offenders
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.6
Action
Oversee a review of multi-agency processes for monitoring sexual offenders and exchanging police and probation information.
Stated by Ministry of JusticeStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 13 August 2024.
Action
Review information-sharing practice at pre-sentence report stage and throughout order or licence management, concluding by 31 March 2025.
Stated by Ministry of JusticeStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 13 August 2024.
Action
Consider how the PIPA project supports preparation of reports on registered sex offenders.
Stated by Ministry of JusticeStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 13 August 2024.
Action
Continue improving ViSOR delivery as the region’s primary multi-agency information-sharing system.
Stated by Ministry of JusticeStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 13 August 2024.
Action
Provide capacity to train 40 staff monthly in ViSOR.
Stated by Ministry of JusticeStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 13 August 2024.
Action
Deliver full ViSOR access to in-scope South Central staff within a year, subject to timely vetting.
Stated by Ministry of JusticeStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 13 August 2024.
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Failure to share information effectively between agencies supporting victims of domestic abuse
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Failure of safeguarding information sharing between local authorities, care homes and police
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
Action
Present the case learning to Tameside care home managers and deliver a further session on discharge and transfers between community and acute settings.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care BoardStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 30 October 2023.
Action
Share learning through the Greater Manchester System Quality Group on robust information sharing when patients move across settings and localities.
Stated by NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care BoardStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 30 October 2023.
Berkshire
Concerns raised1
Failure of systems to make involved agencies aware of safeguarding referrals and concerns
This report raised 9 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
Action
Implement the One Team community mental health model with multi-agency working, clear safety plans, named workers, feedback, and wider community support.
Stated by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustStated in progressThe respondent said that this action was in progress when they made their response on 23 June 2023.
Action
Make the Integrated Multi-Disciplinary Team operational to discuss complex cases, share information, formulate risk, and determine suitable pathways and care plans.
Stated by Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustStated plannedThe respondent said that this action was planned when they made their response on 23 June 2023.
South London
Concerns raised1
Failure to share or provide access to critical self-harm risk information for directly involved NHS Trusts
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
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Includes failures of the interagency safeguarding-information-sharing process, including obtaining relevant information, securing or recording appropriate consent for disclosure, communicating risk information across agencies, and ensuring that receiving agencies obtain complete and accurate information.
