Another agency can make a request for information to you about a current or past client of your service. When you receive a request for information, the request should specify:
- The name of the agency , the person requesting the information and if they are a prescribed Information Sharing Entity (ISE) or Risk Assessment Entity (RAE)
- The name of the client and any other available identifying information, such as: date of birth, address, contact details, etc.
- Which Information Sharing Scheme the information is being sought under
- The purpose of the information sharing request
- What type of information is being requested
- The level of urgency of the request.
You are legally required to respond to a request. It is expected that you use your professional judgment to consider whether the requirements of the relevant Information Sharing Scheme have been met. If you believe the requirements have been met, you use your professional judgement to consider what information you share under this purpose. You may decide to share only part of the requested information or no information at all.
Sometimes you might come across the situation where the complete case file is requested. You can decide that only limited parts of the file are relevant for the purpose.
When responding to a request:
- Confirm the request comes from a prescribed ISE or RAE and the person requesting information is a staff member. For example, ask the person to provide you with the details of the agency. You can confirm if the details are correct and call the front desk of the agency.
- Check which Information Sharing Scheme (the FVISS or the CISS) is being used
- Ensure the request is in line with the allowed purpose of sharing and what particular information is relevant to the purpose
- Consider consent requirements
- Check if the information is excluded information
- Consider if sharing of information will create additional risk for the victim survivor
- Check your actions align with organisational policies. Check with your supervisor or dedicated information sharing person in your agency
- Ensure you document appropriately