From 1 July 2019, family violence agencies and social services practitioners can share information to better respond to family violence.

Safe information sharing can help protect people from harm and ensure better, more consistent responses to family violence. The Family Violence Act 2018 introduced information sharing laws to allow the family violence sector to collect, use and disclose personal information for specified purposes. The new laws require those in the family violence sector to consider sharing information if it may help protect a victim from family violence, or if they receive a request for information.

Operational guidance has been developed to support the family violence sector to use the new law. The guidance was developed in consultation with the sector and sets out the steps that should be taken when sharing information under the new law.

If you have questions about the guidance, you can contact the helpline on 0508 INFOSH (463 674). This helpline is to assist agencies and practitioners in using the guidance and applying the new laws. Confidential information and reports of concern should not be disclosed to this helpline. (From the website).

Other resources for organisations and practitioners and background information is available from the website, including the fact sheet: "Information sharing under the Family Violence Act 2018 and Oranga Tamariki Act 1989" which explains how the Family Violence Act and Oranga Tamariki Act guidance documents work together (see direct link).

See also the Oranga Tamariki information sharing guidance document (#6321).

Further explanation is found in the NZFVC news item. Record #6320