Information Sharing

Sharing information about people between organisations is often necessary to keep them safe, or make sure they get the best services. Humberside Fire & Rescue Service always makes sure that it only ever shares people’s information with the other organisations, if it has a legal reason to do so.

For example, we may share peoples contact details with another organisation where we think the other organisation can support you with a particular need.  Likewise, other organisations may share your contact details with us if they think we can help you.

We and other organisations decide to do this based on professional judgement and experience on a case-by-case basis so we can all provide the best service possible to meet your needs. It is important for the work that we do to be involved early in risky situations to prevent future incidents, to keep people safe, and protect the wider public. It is the key to the Government’s goal of delivering better, more efficient public services that focus on the needs of people in the community. It is especially important where people may have vulnerabilities or particular needs. 

Organisations that can provide services to the public need to share information as part of their day-to-day practice, so it’s important that they understand when, why and how they should share information. Service providers use their professional judgement when deciding whether or not, and what, to share.

We need to share information so that we can be involved early in risky situations to help those who may be more vulnerable or who need additional services to achieve the best outcome for them.

Effective information sharing can also help to keep those who may be more vulnerable than others or, have particular needs, safe or prevent harm to them.

Organisations that can provide services to the public need to share information as part of their day-to-day practice, so it’s important that they understand when, why and how they should share information. Service providers use their professional judgement when deciding whether or not, and what, to share.

The Information Commissioner's website includes a lot of information on sharing information:

Information Commissioner's Office (external website)

Agreements between organisation to share information can be called many things, like sharing protocol, sharing agreement or memorandum of understanding.  Whatever, they are called, organisation that provide services and share people’s information will record that in a formal, signed document. 

The purpose of this document is to record what information we will share, why and when.  It also records how each organisation involved will transfer that information and make sure it is kept safe at all times.

Humberside Fire & Rescue Service have to share information regularly and is needed to make sure our services are running smoothly – for example, we share information about emergency incidents with the Home Office and where necessary, the Police. We also share information with other agencies, e.g. the Police, Social Services and health care providers where we believe they can provide additional benefits to people.

To share information, we must identify legal ways to do this, like those identified in the Data Protection Act.

To help the Service share information in a transparent and safe way, HFRS is one of more than 100 organisations in the area who have signed up to the Humber Information Sharing Charter. The Humber Information Sharing Charter is available via the link below:

The Humber Information Sharing Charter (pdf 213kb)

The Humber Information Sharing Charter provides a framework for sharing information in an effective and secure way whilst following the law and keeping it ethical as an example of good practice across the Humber region.

As a service, we use this Charter as best practice to develop information sharing agreements with other organisations to support the sharing of the data needed to deliver specific services and achieve better outcomes for the community we serve.