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June 30, 2016 at 9:13 PM

New Privacy Commissioner guidance on information sharing

*From the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse*

The Privacy Commissioner has published a guide for multi-agency teams on sharing personal information when working with families and vulnerable children.

The new guidance is designed for health and social service agencies and their staff. Sharing information involves both the collection and disclosure of personal information.

The brief guidance, Sharing personal information of families and vulnerable children: A guide for inter-disciplinary groups, includes:

• a discussion of consent
• a 5-step escalation ladder to evaluate the need to share information when it's not possible anonymously
• when and how to use a memorandum of understanding
• a number of scenarios 
• information about relevant legislation (Privacy Act 1993, Health Information Privacy Code 1994, Health Act 1956, Children, Young Persons and their Families Act 1989 and international law)

The escalation ladder is also available as a stand-alone infographic.

For more help with information sharing see the Privacy Commissioner's website.

Also see the previous NZFVC story on the Approved Information Sharing Agreement (AISA) on what information government agencies can share about children at risk of harm and their families. 

Click here for more information