Information sharing
Information governance
What is information governance?
Information governance within Adult and Community Services ensures that is all client personal information is dealt with legally, securely, efficiently and effectively in order to deliver the best possible care. It brings together all of the requirements, standards and best practice that apply to the handling and sharing of personal information
The focus is on setting standards and giving us the tools to achieve these standards, with the goal being to help us achieve consistency in the way we handle personal information and to avoid duplication of effort. So we can improve on information handling activities to ensure client confidence in London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
What are the standards and requirements that make up information governance?
Information governance provides a consistent way for us to deal with the many different information-handling requirements, these include:
- Common Law of duty of confidentiality
- The Data Protection Act 1998
- Records Management
- The Freedom of Information Act 2000
- Data quality
- Caldicott sharing of patient identifiable information
- Consent to sharing of personal information
- BS7799 – information security management
How do we store information?
From May 2005 all adult service user information has been held on an IT system called Frameworki. This system was developed to ensure that all personal information could be stored electronically within a secure and confidential environment. We need to hold service user personal information on this system to help us provide service users with the best possible service.
Frameworki has to meet a number of strict guidelines with reference to confidentiality of sensitive personal information. All information on the system is deemed to be confidential and staff access to this information is granted by senior managers on a job/worker role basis. Access to the system is through a unique password. All staff have signed a confidentiality agreement and can be subject to disciplinary procedures if any information security guidelines are breached, agency staff will be dismissed.
Service user information will only be shared with staff in Adults social services and other professionals who provide your care. If this information requested by other organisations (outside your episode of care) we will contact you for consent as above.
Why we hold your personal information factsheet
More about information sharing
For more information about information sharing pleas contact Madeleine Escott
Information Governance and IT Special Projects
Adult and Community services
Room 229, Regal House
London Road
Twickenham
Middlesex
TW1 3QB
Telephone: 020 8831 6157