Unreliable interagency sharing of safeguarding risk information
First to latest report 18 Dec 2013 — 3 Sep 2025
Reports that mention this concern
23
Times this concern has been raised
26
Stated actions linked to this concern
45
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.
What is 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.
Trends
Reports over time
Reports mentioning this concern, 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
Reports and published responses 23 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
East Riding and Hull
Concerns raised1
Lack of information sharing between agencies
This report raised 10 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Department of Health and Social Care
Ministry of Justice
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Department of Health and Social Care
Confidential patient information cannot be shared without satisfying data protection law, public interest requirements and the Common Law Duty of Confidentiality case by case.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
Ministry of Justice
The Home Office and Department of Health and Social Care hold responsibility for the majority of concerns and lead related recommendations.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Inner North London
Concerns raised1
Failure to ensure accurate and complete cross-organisation safeguarding communications
This report raised 16 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
CSSA
Diocese of London
Lambeth Palace
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
Diocese of London and Lambeth Palace
Conduct an independent external Lessons Learned Review of safeguarding and conduct handling, including information management, risk assessment, casework and inter-church sharing.
Diocese of London and Lambeth Palace
Design and implement improved systems for capturing, triaging, recording, assessing and appropriately sharing safeguarding and conduct information.
Diocese of London and Lambeth Palace
Deliver safeguarding-specific GDPR training and strengthen recording, auditing and lawful, proportionate information-sharing practice.
Diocese of London and Lambeth Palace
Implement formal information-sharing protocols and agreements for safeguarding information with relevant statutory, faith and partner organisations.
CSSA
Collaborate with the Church of England to create and implement information-sharing and unresolved-concern escalation processes.
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Poor information sharing and joint risk recognition across statutory agencies
This report raised 21 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Greater Manchester Police
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
Greater Manchester Police
Conduct district safeguarding-team deep-dive reviews and circulate domestic abuse, child-protection and adults-at-risk triage expectations.
Greater Manchester Police
Establish a specific safeguarding-team triage training course incorporating information-sharing guidance.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board
Other named respondents are responsible for addressing the coroner’s concerns; this response covers only broader learning-sharing issues within its remit.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Concerns raised1
Failure to appropriately share targeted ViST data about vulnerable individuals with partner agencies
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Devon & Cornwall Police
NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Devon & Cornwall Police and NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
Review the Central Safeguarding Team’s adult GP-referral process and feedback loop with NHS Kernow.
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Devon & Cornwall Police and NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
Operate a Central Safeguarding Team trigger process identifying escalating adult risk and prompting focused GP letters.
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Devon & Cornwall Police and NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
Consult local GPs on the draft focused letter used after the escalating-risk trigger process.
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Devon & Cornwall Police and NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
Produce guidance notes accompanying the focused GP letter.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Devon & Cornwall Police and NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
All ViSTs cannot be sent to GPs because the resulting volume could overwhelm practices and cause higher-risk referrals to be overlooked.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
Suffolk
Concerns raised3
Failure to obtain consent for disclosure of safeguarding information to other agencies
Lack of a system for sharing safeguarding information with care homes
Information-sharing arrangements failing when a person is not admitted from a registered facility
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
The Limes Residents Association Limited
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
The Limes Residents Association Limited
Contact receiving care homes immediately when residents consider residential care and share all available information by telephone and follow-up letter.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
The Limes Residents Association Limited
GP confidentiality means the suitability information received about prospective residents is very limited.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
Manchester North
Concerns raised1
Failure to share safeguarding referral information and reasons with relevant third parties, services or agencies
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring 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 to share Child and Family Assessments in accordance with best practice
This report raised 14 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Birmingham and Solihull
Concerns raised1
Failure to provide sufficient details about safeguarding concerns and health care matters
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
G4S Care And Justice Services (UK) Limited
Home Office
Urban Housing Services
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.5
G4S Care And Justice Services (UK) Limited
Participate in a monthly Senior Safeguarding Working Group reviewing safeguarding cases and information gaps.
Home Office
Require fuller vulnerability details, record them on CID and referral forms, and check CID more thoroughly before onward referral.
Home Office
Check that referring officers identify and record relevant safeguarding and vulnerability concerns on referral forms.
Urban Housing Services
Raise safeguarding concerns with G4S when SCF forms lack adequate detail.
Urban Housing Services
Draft and distribute incident reports and support notifications when resident concerns, including mental-health issues, are identified.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Home Office
Information shared with external contractors is limited by GDPR to data shown to be required, relevant, secure and in the applicant’s best interests.
Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Failure of the CDLO to liaise with the local police unit and discuss safeguarding implications
This report raised 8 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Department of Health and Social Care
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
Department of Health and Social Care
Implement the Controlled Drugs Regulations establishing tighter controls and mandatory governance arrangements for prescribing, records, custody, monitoring and accountable officers.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Department of Health and Social Care
Concerns about police responses and national learning should be raised with the Home Secretary because Controlled Drug Liaison Officers are police employees.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Limited information sharing between adult safeguarding board members
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Trafford Safeguarding Board
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
Trafford Safeguarding Board
Update TARGet meeting terms of reference to strengthen safeguarding-partner information sharing and multi-agency risk assessment and management planning.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.