The Children's Society have published a report, The Right Start, which explores the practice of live birth data sharing between local authorities, health services and children’s centres.
Information about births within a local area - live birth data - is crucial information for children’s centres, as it helps them to ensure that they are able to get in touch those families that need their support. Without this information it is near impossible for children’s centres services to reach all the families that need their help. The Children’s Society has been exploring the provision of information to children’s centres to help them get in touch with families and raise awareness of services available to them.
The government has previously provided statutory guidance on the sharing of this data but the report demonstrates that there is a need for further practical support in legislation. The report highlights that 6 in 10 local authorities that are not sharing data are unable to do so because they have not reached an agreement with their local health service due to complex legal frameworks.
