Priority Families Data Sharing

The Priority Families Programme relies on sharing information with critical partners. This is not only in delivering the programme but also in evaluating its effectiveness.

In order to identify families, understand the difference we are making and focus on who can potentially access the additional support the programme offers we will be sharing personal records.

This might include records in relation to social care,involvement with the police, courts and probation, aspects relating to employment, anti social behaviour, violence in the home, substance misuse, educational attendance and behaviour, vulnerable children and health issues.

The personal data of individuals and families will be linked with information from public agencies, such as the NHS and health organisations, Department of Work and Pensions, the Police, the ministry of Justice, the probation services, schools and Youth Offending Team.  The data includes both those people / families only assessed, but also those who have participated in the programme.
The reason to link the information is to help the government and local service providers understand whether or not the programme has been effective in reducing offending, truancy and getting people ready for work and to help improve the service over time.

Data agreements are in place to ensure that:

• the data can only be used for carrying out research
• the linked data cannot be used to make decisions about individuals
• the linked information is anonymised to reduce the risk of individuals being identified
• it will be impossible for any person or family to be identified from any published reports
• the linked personal data will not be shared with or made available to the local authority or any other public agency
• all data is transferred, handled and stored in accordance with the Data Protection Act
• appropriate measures are in place to prevent unauthorised use of the data
• the data is destroyed after five years