Children and Young People (Information Sharing) (Scotland) Bill

# Children and Young People (Information Sharing) (Scotland) Bill The Scottish Government introduced this legislation to improve the safety and wellbeing of children and young people by enabling better information sharing between public bodies and organisations that work with them. The bill addresses a longstanding problem: different agencies—such as education, health, social work, and police—have historically struggled to share vital information about vulnerable children due to legal uncertainty, confidentiality concerns, and administrative barriers. This fragmented approach has been identified as a significant risk factor, as critical warning signs about a child's welfare can be missed when organisations work in isolation from one another. The bill creates a legal framework that explicitly permits and encourages public bodies and specified organisations to share relevant information about children and young people for the purposes of improving their safety, health, and wellbeing. It establishes clear duties and powers for information sharing while maintaining appropriate safeguards to protect privacy and ensure that shared data is used appropriately. The legislation applies to a wide range of organisations including local authorities, NHS boards, schools, and police services, allowing them to operate more collaboratively in identifying and supporting vulnerable children. The bill was designed to give practitioners confidence to share information when necessary and to create a more integrated, preventative approach to child protection across Scotland.

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