Inter-agency benefit data sharing
75 items
2 sources
Barriers preventing local authorities from accessing essential benefit data (e.g., Pension Credit, Universal Credit) from central government.
Cross-Source Insight
Inter-agency benefit data sharing has been flagged across 2 independent accountability sources:
12 inquiry recs
63 PFD reports
This issue has been identified by multiple independent accountability bodies, suggesting it is a recurring systemic concern.
Inquiry Recommendations (12)
R1 — National IT system for police intelligence
Recommendation: A national IT system for England and Wales to support police intelligence should be introduced as a matter of urgency. The Home Office should take the lead and report by December 2004 with clear targets for implementation.
Gov response: The Home Secretary made a statement to Parliament on 22 June 2004, the day the Bichard Inquiry Report was published, accepting all 31 recommendations in full. The government stated it was "in principle, accepting Sir …
Accepted
No update 2+ yrs
R31 — Additional database access for CRB
Recommendation: As a priority, legislation should be brought forward to enable the CRB to access the following additional databases for the purpose of vetting: Her Majesty's Customs & Excise; National Criminal Intelligence Service; National Crime Squad; British Transport Police; and the …
Gov response: The Home Secretary made a statement to Parliament on 22 June 2004, the day the Bichard Inquiry Report was published, accepting all 31 recommendations in full. The government stated it was "in principle, accepting Sir …
Accepted
Delivered
HIA-9 — Social Security Payments Unaffected
Recommendation: We also recommend that social security payments should not be affected by lump sum payments awarded by the HIA Redress Board.
Gov response: No formal government response published.
Accepted
Delivered
P1-11 — Share HTA reports with reliant organisations
Recommendation: Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust must proactively share Human Tissue Authority reports with organisations that rely on Human Tissue Authority licensing for assurance of the service provided by the mortuary.
Gov response: Implemented. The Trust now proactively shares HTA reports with organisations that rely on the mortuary services. (Source: Trust assurance statement, February 2024; confirmed in Written Ministerial Statement HCWS132, 15 October 2024)
Accepted
Delivered
WATE-(22) — Conduct inter-agency review of child abuse investigation procedures to issue guidance
Recommendation: In the light of the recent experience gained in both England and Wales in major investigations of alleged wide ranging abuse of children in care/looked after children, an inter-agency review of the procedures followed and personnel employed in those investigations …
Unknown
WATE-(49) — Mandate joint inspection programmes for educational and welfare oversight of residential schools
Recommendation: The agencies responsible for educational and welfare inspections of private residential schools accommodating children with SEN pursuant to section 347 of the Education Act 1996 should be required to agree joint programmes of inspection and reporting.
Unknown
RHI-18 — Inter-Governmental Framework
Recommendation: More generally, we recommend a Northern Ireland government-wide framework for information exchange and, where appropriate, co-operation between the Northern Ireland Civil Service, Whitehall Departments and (where relevant) Departments of other devolved Governments and of the Government of the Republic of …
Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 8-18, 24, 26-28, 32b, 34-36 together as a group under the 'Professional Skills, Resourcing, Record Keeping and Raising Concerns' themes.] NI Executive Response (October 2021): These recommendations can …
Accepted
Delivered
RHI-33 — HMT Communication Protocol
Recommendation: The protocol for relations with HMT, namely that the Northern Ireland Department of Finance must be the sole conduit of formal communication, should be reinforced and widely understood across the Northern Ireland Civil Service. The Department of Finance, for its …
Gov response: [Note: The NI Executive responded to recommendations 19-23, 29-33 together as a group under the 'Governance and Financial Controls' theme.] Accepted in full. Protocol for engagement with HMT issued. DoF keeps the information sharing and …
Accepted
Delivered
LAMI-16 — Issue guidance on data protection and confidentiality for child welfare information sharing
Recommendation: The Government should issue guidance on the Data Protection Act 1998, the Human Rights Act 1998, and common law rules on confidentiality. The Government should issue guidance as and when these impact on the sharing of information between professional groups …
Unknown
LAMI-17 — Explore feasibility of a national children's database for safeguarding children under 16
Recommendation: The Government should actively explore the benefit to children of setting up and operating a national children’s database on all children under the age of 16. A feasibility study should be a prelude to a pilot study to explore its …
Unknown
LAMI-23 — Notify receiving authority of out-of-area child placements and retain responsibility
Recommendation: If social services place a child in accommodation in another local authority area, they must notify that local authority’s social services department of the placement. Unless specifically agreed in writing at team manager level by both authorities or above, the …
Unknown
LAMI-24 — Alert education authorities when school-age child is not attending school
Recommendation: Where, during the course of an assessment, social services establish that a child of school age is not attending school, they must alert the education authorities and satisfy themselves that, in the interim, the child is subject to adequate daycare …
Unknown
PFD Reports (63)
Aminata Coulibaly
Concerns: Police failed to share critical self-harm information with mental health services and contact handlers inadequately recorded severe welfare concerns, hindering appropriate assessment and response.
Response: Essex Police has implemented new training on victim care and information sharing, established a new communication framework with EPUT, and introduced new guidance and a Quality Assurance team in Contact …
Responded
Anthony Card
Concerns: There is no formal mechanism for police to share medium-risk mental health information with care providers, even with consent. This prevents crucial risk data from informing future assessments and potentially vital support decisions.
Response: Suffolk County Council clarifies that direct mental health provision is primarily an NHS responsibility, and they will not establish a new MASH pathway for medium risk mental health-only cases. However, …
Response: Suffolk Constabulary provides ongoing mental health training for staff, including new recruits, and is developing new vulnerability training for Autumn/Winter 2026. A multi-agency audit of NHS 111 Option 2, which …
Responded
Gunaratnam Kannan
Concerns: There is a critical lack of joint policy and training among emergency and mental health services regarding Mental Capacity Act and Mental Health Act assessments, causing confusion over referral responsibilities.
Response: EMAS has embedded supporting tools like non-conveyance checklists and MCA prompts into their patient record system. They are actively working with system partners to establish robust referral pathways with local …
Response: Nottinghamshire Healthcare has delivered bespoke training and developed/shared two flow charts for staff on Mental Capacity Act assessments. They have also established a multi-agency group to improve joint working on …
Response: The RCGP states its curriculum already requires GPs to understand mental health legislation, including the Mental Capacity and Mental Health Acts, and that the curriculum was recently reviewed. They express …
Responded
Sophie Towle
Concerns: There was a critical lack of joint policy and liaison between physical and mental health teams for complex cases involving foreign body insertion, and the specialist Personality Disorder Hub was disbanded, reducing expert care.
Response: Nottinghamshire Healthcare has collaborated with Sherwood Forest Hospital to create a joint management policy for patients with inserted foreign bodies, which is currently being trialled. The Trust has also published …
Response: Sherwood Forest Hospitals has collaborated with Nottinghamshire Healthcare to develop and ratify a new guideline for the management of deliberately inserted foreign bodies, which has been disseminated to staff. This …
Overdue
Lynn Silcock
Concerns: A patient was discharged by gastroenterology without cardiology consultation or follow-up, due to a lack of communication and document exchange between teams, leading them to be "forgotten" and without trust investigation.
Response: NHS England states the specific issues raised fall outside its direct role and remit, primarily resting with Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust (SATH). It notes its existing national Frontline …
Response: The Trust has initiated a Patient Safety Investigation (PSII), completed a review of discharge processes in Gastroenterology with Cardiology input, and created a new policy for referrals. A single referral …
Responded
Azroy Dawes-Clarke
Concerns: There was a significant lack of inter-agency dialogue and learning following a severe incident, leading to persistent confusion regarding command primacy and effective response strategies during acute medical emergencies in prison.
Responded
Peter Ramsden
Concerns: A legal lacuna prevents police, paramedics, or fire services from forcing entry for welfare checks if a medical problem is suspected, hindering prompt, potentially life-saving treatment for incapacitated individuals.
Responded
Barry Spooner
Concerns: Inadequate information sharing by police with Adult Social Care means prior public protection notices are not consistently provided, hindering full risk assessment and decision-making for vulnerable individuals.
Responded
Matthew Lynch
Concerns: The internal investigation was inadequate, and barriers exist to proper Mental Health Act assessments. There's poor information sharing between agencies regarding residents, and support workers require more focused mental health training.
Responded
Ella Murray
Concerns: Failures in urgent safeguarding, lack of shared information access between health, social care, and education agencies, and an inability to convene urgent multi-agency meetings, meant a vulnerable child was left in an unsafe home environment.
Overdue
Mark-Anthony Summersett
Concerns: A critical lack of information sharing and communication across agencies, compounded by emergency department triage delays, prevented accurate risk assessment and timely action for a vulnerable patient.
Responded
Henry Grierson
Concerns: The college safeguarding team lacked awareness of a student discontinuing external mental health support, indicating a critical communication breakdown between the college and mental health organizations.
Responded
Tcherno Bari
Concerns: Significant failures in multi-agency coordination and policy application for high-risk missing mental health patients were identified, including poor information sharing, lack of staff awareness regarding procedures, and ineffective challenge processes between mental health services and police.
Responded
Elizabeth McCann
Concerns: High probation caseloads, inadequate supervision for new staff, and limited information sharing protocols between agencies, coupled with severe, long-standing understaffing in police Sexual Offender Management Units, compromised effective offender management.
Responded
Lily Jahany
Concerns: Student accommodation staff lacked mandatory first aid training despite residents' self-harm, and mental health teams failed to effectively gather crucial information from private psychiatrists for risk assessment, hindering comprehensive care.
Responded
Ian Dixon
Concerns: A lack of policy governing interaction between the Council and Stockport Homes means urgent equipment requests and repairs are not reviewed, risking delays and uncompleted works.
Responded
Jacob Billington
Concerns: Release of high-risk prisoners is jeopardised by inadequate interagency communication, fragmented information systems, and a lack of clear guidance and understanding for discharge planning roles.
Responded
Dayle Bates
Concerns: Pharmacies lack a direct and obligated reporting system to inform Recovery Steps when service users stop collecting methadone or when wider welfare concerns arise, risking vulnerable individuals missing essential support.
Responded
Mark McKessy
Concerns: Poor inter-agency communication and a failure to recognise complex health and learning disability needs prevented coordinated care, leaving a vulnerable individual without adequate risk reduction measures.
Responded
Manoel Santos
Concerns: Delays in notifying foreign national offenders of immigration detention and inadequate access to legal advice are compounded by poor inter-agency communication and a lack of specialist prison staff for immigration matters.
Overdue
Derek Larkin
Concerns: Inability of Dorset Council's Adult Social Care system (Mosaic) to communicate with NHS SytemOne prevents social care teams from accessing vital patient medication and review information, hindering comprehensive care.
Responded
Samuel Pearson
Concerns: Multi-agency support failed during an emergency housing move for a vulnerable patient, exacerbating anxiety. A GP referral for mental health support was delayed by a long backlog, with referrers unaware of the service's capacity issues.
Responded
Diane Austin-Martin
Concerns: There was a critical systemic failure in inter-agency communication, leaving a vulnerable person's relocation unknown to social services and without oversight of the quality of her private care arrangements.
Responded
Lewis Powter
Concerns: There is no clear policy for multi-agency information sharing meetings for complex IPP offenders, particularly when agencies lack access to shared record systems.
Overdue
Jessica Laverack
Concerns: Systemic failures included a lack of recognition for the link between domestic abuse and suicide, inadequate identification of vulnerable individuals, and poor inter-agency information sharing. There was no single point of contact for complex cases and insufficient police training on domestic abuse and suicide risk.
Responded
Margaret Stringer
Concerns: The care home lacked a documented system to restrict access to harmful items for at-risk residents and staff training on isolation's impact. Crucially, there were significant failures in transferring vital suicide risk information between agencies during patient handover.
Overdue
James Manning
Concerns: There's a lack of national guidance for urgent tonsillectomy referrals in children, especially regarding choking hazards. Delays in care occurred due to staff leave, poor communication between trusts, and inadequate incident investigation systems across company sites.
Overdue
Spencer Barr
Concerns: Inadequate inter-agency communication and a lack of universal protocols, central contact points, and direct referral systems hindered information sharing between multiple care agencies for a high-risk patient.
Overdue
Samuel Alban-Stanley
Concerns: Inadequate support and psychosocial interventions were provided for a child with Prader Willi syndrome and high-risk behaviours. Poor communication between agencies also prevented coordinated care.
Responded
Katie Locke
Concerns: Knowledge and understanding of the Potentially Dangerous Persons (PDP) process were sporadic among police and partner agencies. This lack of dissemination and training hinders the multi-agency process from effectively protecting the public.
Overdue
Marc Bennett
Concerns: There is a critical need for Devon Partnership Trust staff to improve communication with Children's Services, especially regarding child protection investigations and providing appropriate mental health support to parents.
Overdue
Darrell Spear
Concerns: Agencies failed to effectively manage identified self-neglect and hoarding risks, particularly fire hazards, due to poor inter-agency communication and a lack of clear strategy.
Overdue
Alan Massam
Concerns: Fragmented inter-agency communication and a lack of clear discharge protocols led to a vulnerable patient being sent to an unsuitable care home. There was also no escalation process for medication refusal, exacerbated by a national bed shortage.
Responded
Bathsheba Shepherd
Concerns: Delays in resolving Care Programme Approach (CPA) issues between authorities and the inability of a mentally ill person to register with a GP due to a lack of documentation pose ongoing risks.
Overdue
May Miller
Concerns: Data sharing and confidentiality rules prevented GPs from disclosing crucial risk factor information to care homes without consent, hindering safeguarding due to a lack of inter-agency sharing.
Responded
Kelly Sutton
Concerns: Valuable non-crime domestic abuse information is fragmented and not available as a national police resource, hindering effective safeguarding of potential victims.
Responded
Danny Holt-Scapens
Concerns: Inadequate interagency information sharing and a crisis team clinician's failure to contemporaneously record assessments and decision-making rationale posed risks to patient safety.
Overdue
Jason Pendlebury
Concerns: Critical communication breakdowns and lack of information sharing between police, ambulance services, GPs, and mental health professionals repeatedly led to inadequate risk assessments and missed opportunities for mental health intervention.
Responded
Shneur Kaye
Concerns: Safeguarding referrals were closed without parental contact, and referral information was not shared with other agencies due to data protection concerns. This practice potentially deprives social workers of vital context and undermines child protection.
Responded
Nimo Younis
Concerns: There was a critical communication breakdown between mental health ward staff and police regarding a missing patient, with staff lacking understanding of police protocols and information requirements, leading to delayed high-risk classification.
Overdue
Julius Little
Concerns: The university fails to effectively utilize mental health disclosures, relying on email invitations for support that many students do not respond to, and withholding vital information from tutors due to data protection.
Responded
Cherylee Shennan
Concerns: Insufficient inter-agency communication and a lack of mandatory information sharing protocols for MAPPA Level 1 offenders with domestic abuse histories persist, despite known risks and previous reviews.
Overdue
David Jukes
Concerns: Critical information was withheld from mental health assessors in custody, and communication breakdowns meant existing mental health teams failed to assess the patient, despite being notified, creating significant risk.
Responded
Alexander Boamah
Concerns: A lack of process for clinicians to alert DWP about vulnerable individuals receiving large funds, particularly those without capacity, puts them at high risk of illicit substance misuse.
Responded
John Gogarty
Concerns: A mental health trust failed to follow up and share information with the Probation Service regarding a patient associating with a high-risk individual. This breakdown in inter-agency communication prevented consideration of further safeguards.
Overdue
Nguyen Quyen
Concerns: A dysfunctional public protection system for offenders on life licence relied excessively on self-reporting and suffered from poor information sharing between police and probation, with inadequate monitoring and challenges to deceit.
Responded
Lesley Armstrong
Concerns: Northumbria Police failed to communicate the discontinuation of an investigation, hindering the employer's ability to inform the employee and the Safeguarding Board from progressing their duties.
Responded
Tarek Chowdhury
Concerns: There is a failure to share critical prisoner information between HMPPS and immigration detention facilities, alongside issues with the SystmOne records system's functionality and staff training.
Overdue
Donna Williamson
Concerns: Systemic failures included lack of inter-agency responsibility for tenant safety, inadequate MARAC protection for vulnerable individuals, and insufficient GP awareness regarding disclosing confidential information for at-risk victims.
Overdue
John Wright
Concerns: Critical self-harm risk information for incoming prisoners is poorly shared between external agencies, prison, and healthcare. Systemic gaps in IT and manual communication methods mean vital data is not consistently accessible to staff.
Responded
Ellie Long
Concerns: Systemic failures in record-keeping, including incomplete electronic records and delayed disclosure, were evident. Inadequate communication with external agencies like GPs and schools further compromised patient care and information sharing.
Responded
Simon Robinson
Concerns: The current partnership agreement inadequately addresses mental health crises in private places, creating a gap in effective agency response where police powers are limited despite their primary responsibility.
Responded
Benjamin Williamson
Concerns: The CMHT repeatedly discharged a patient with co-occurring mental health and alcohol issues, while Addaction failed to communicate with his GP or address consent for information sharing, creating a significant care gap.
Responded
Terence Pimm
Concerns: Deficiencies in police call handling, record-keeping, and inter-agency information sharing hampered risk assessment for individuals with mental health issues. Insufficient training also affected police in identifying immediate risk and mental health assessors.
Responded
Fallon Abby
Concerns: Lack of a protocol for contacting social workers led to a failure in obtaining valuable collateral history and sharing crucial information, depriving the patient of support upon discharge.
Responded
Faiza Ahmed
Concerns: No specific concerns are detailed in the provided text, which refers only to the jury's determination.
Responded
Mark Groombridge
Concerns: Critical lack of communication between offender managers and hospital clinicians before recall, alongside widespread confusion among probation staff about the recall process, created systemic failures.
Responded
Robert Spring
Concerns: Inadequate communication channels failed to inform the Fire and Rescue Service about high-risk home oxygen users who smoked, preventing assessment for crucial safety equipment like smoke alarms and flame-retardant bedding.
Responded
Satheeskumar Mahatheaven
Concerns: Failures in information sharing, multi-agency communication procedures, and inadequate training contributed to an accident within prison services.
Responded
Dana Baker
Concerns: Inadequate inter-agency communication and a lack of shared knowledge, exacerbated by confidential Individual Management Reviews, prevented a comprehensive understanding of mutual concerns.
Responded
Christine Williamson
Concerns: Failure to assess the deceased as a vulnerable adult at risk from domestic violence and a critical lack of information sharing between agencies hindered preventative measures.
Response: Telford & Wrekin Council has compiled and endorsed an action plan, with many actions already underway, building on recommendations from a Domestic Homicide Review. The implementation of this plan will …
Response: Telford & Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group has recirculated Adult Safeguarding Policy and domestic abuse guidance to GP practices. They have also established a link with Admiral Nurses, have a dementia …
Response: West Mercia Police has circulated new guidance to all staff regarding Domestic Abuse Single Point of Contact (SPOC) processes and delivered domestic abuse training to 119 officers. They have also …
Responded
Rosemary Brownyn Ferguson
Concerns: Poor communication between hospital staff and Social Services led to a discharge without support. Unclear instructions given to a friend regarding patient care, combined with scanty hospital notes, created significant misunderstandings and risks.
Overdue
Andrew Cairns, Rachael Slack and Auden Slack
Concerns: Police failed to inform the Mental Health Team of an arrest for threats to kill despite knowing of a recent mental health assessment; an existing information-sharing policy was also undisclosed.
Overdue