amount of information to share 16 Who to contact if you are unsure whether to share information 17 Informing the people whose information you have shared 17 3 Sharing information in an urgent or emergency situation 17 The benefits of sharing information early 18 Information seeking 19 Being alert to different forms of abuse and neglect and taking action 19 Where to report concerns about a child’s safety 20 Annex A: Data Protection 21 The meaning of data protection 21 Data sharing code of practice 21 The data protection principles 21 The rights of individuals 22 Data protection definitions 23 Annex B: Useful resources and advice 27 4 The Seven golden rules for sharing information (including personal information): 1. All children have a right to be protected from abuse and neglect. Protecting a child from such harm takes priority over protecting their privacy, or the privacy rights of the person(s) failing to protect them. The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) provide a framework1 to support information sharing where practitioners have reason to believe failure to share information may result in the child being at risk of harm. 2. When you have a safeguarding concern, wherever it is practicable and safe to do so, engage with the child2and/or their carer(s), and explain who you intend to share information with, what information you will be sharing and why. You are not required to inform them, if you have reason to believe that doing so may put the child at increased risk of harm (e.g., because their carer(s) may harm the child, or react violently to anyone seeking to intervene, or because the child might withhold information or withdraw from services). 3. You do not need consent to share personal information about a chil