Data for Children Collaborative launches a transdisciplinary, collaborative project with The Promise Scotland and partners to understand and overcome the legal, technical, and cultural barriers to data and information sharing relating to care experienced children, young people and their families across public sector agencies and organisations in Scotland.  

For public services to effectively support care experienced children, young people and their families, data must be handled in ways that respect their rights, comply with legislation, and avoid re-traumatisation. Ensuring timely, accurate, and compassionate information sharing is crucial to making informed decisions that positively impact these children and their families. 

The project’s main aim is to develop an actionable plan and commitment by the appropriate organisations to take concrete actions to drive meaningful change in how information and data are shared, fostering a culture that prioritises the best interests of care experienced children. This project also seeks to ensure that care experienced children have greater control over their narratives and that agencies handling their information are aligned with this vision. 

The initiative brings together key partners from public, private and third sectors, including Trace Data (a Datavant company), Mydex CIC, Urban Foresight, and The Promise Scotland, as well as academics from York St John University. The project team will also receive advisory support from the Scottish Government, the Information Commissioner’s Office, and the Scottish Prevention Hub.  

This project has been developed through the Data for Children Collaboration process – a unique way of developing and enabling transdisciplinary collaboration.