By Christine Coxon, Quality Manager & Designated Safeguarding Lead, Kingdom Academy.
From 30 September 2026, a new statutory Information Sharing Duty applies in England for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The duty, introduced through section 16LA of the Children Act 2004 and supported by updated Department for Education statutory guidance, is designed to remove uncertainty about when relevant information should be shared between organisations.
“The information sharing duty applies to information that may help another
relevant person exercise their functions, including assess risk, make a decision,
provide support or take action to safeguard and promote the welfare of a child.
Organisations and practitioners to whom the information sharing duty does not
apply may find this guidance helpful for best practice, and for understanding
how the statutory safeguarding framework, which they contribute information to,
operates.”
Although the legislation is not written solely for housing providers, it has clear implications for the housing sector. Housing officers, repairs teams, tenancy sustainment workers, supported housing staff and neighbourhood teams may see important signs of risk before other services do. These could include domestic abuse, neglect, unsafe living conditions, exploitation, sudden household changes, rent arrears linked to crisis, overcrowding, anti-social behaviour or concerns about adults whose behaviour may place children at risk.
The key message is that safeguarding information should be shared when it is relevant, necessary and proportionate. Data protection law still applies, but it should not be used as a blanket reason for withholding information. The guidance also makes clear that consent is not always required where there is a lawful basis for sharing information to protect a child or support their welfare.
What could those in the Housing Sector do now?
- Update safeguarding, tenancy management and data protection policies to reflect the new duty.
- Train housing and repairs staff to recognise when information may be relevant to safeguarding.
- Set clear internal escalation routes to safeguarding leads or managers.
- Strengthen links with local authority children’s services, safeguarding partners and other relevant agencies.
- Record decisions clearly, including why information was shared or why it was not shared.
For the housing sector, this practical shift is cultural as much as procedural. All staff should feel confident to ask: could this information help another professional safeguard a child? If the answer is yes, organisations need clear systems that support timely, lawful and proportionate information sharing. The new duty is therefore an opportunity for the housing sector to strengthen partnership working and ensure that safeguarding concerns do not remain isolated with individuals in tenancy, repairs or neighbourhood management.
More than training - developing confident housing professionals
For us at Kingdom Academy, this is exactly why learning and development has to go further than simply delivering a qualification.
The people working across housing are often the ones who see what is happening in homes and communities first. Giving them the knowledge, confidence and practical understanding to recognise concerns, respond appropriately and know when to escalate them is an important part of developing a capable and responsible workforce.
Safeguarding, professional practice and real-world application should sit alongside technical knowledge, not separately from it.
If you are looking for a training provider that is interested in more than simply delivering the programme, and wants to work with you to develop people who are confident, informed and equipped for the realities of their role, talk to Kingdom Academy.