The Green Paper for Vulnerable Children - Ministry of Social ...

minimising the negative consequences associated with monitoring, including the need forwell trained professionals, a focus on transparency and a balance between monitoring andprivacy rights.Use of monitoring information: Many submissions suggested effective information-sharingbetween professionals as a way of tracking vulnerable children. A centralised database was themost common suggestion for implementing this idea. However, the need for confidentiality ofinformation was raised as a concern.Mandatory reporting: A small number of submissions addressed mandatory reporting.The weighting between support and opposition for mandatory reporting was very close,with support for mandatory reporting slightly higher than opposition. Submissions supportingmandatory reporting commonly suggested it should be implemented with care, limited tohighly trained professionals, and that mandatory reporting would only be beneficial if agencieswere adequately resourced to follow up all reports. A small number of submitters supportedmandatory reporting for everyone. Those opposed to mandatory reporting argued that itwould be unfeasible, may deter help seeking and does not reduce child abuse/neglect.Some submissions suggested a more constructive approach would be to have highly trained,well-resourced professionals, who were able to use their own sound judgement to reportwhen necessary.How much information should be shared: The balance of opinion was for information to beshared among professionals to ensure child safety. Most submissions were in support of sharingonly enough information to keep children safe. Support for sharing all information was low incomparison as was total opposition to information-sharing. Many submissions talked about theneed for protocols to guide those sharing information in order to minimise encroachments onfamily privacy.Who should share information: Most submissions were in support of information-sharingamong Crown sector agencies and NGOs working with families. Submissions were in support oftrained professionals sharing information, with the aid of training, professional codes of ethicsand a centralised database. A smaller number of submissions argued that information should beshared among both the relevant professionals and the families involved in child welfare cases.When information should be shared: Submissions supported sharing information when therewere concerns about a particular child. A smaller, but substantial, group of submissions arguedthat information should be shared as a part of usual practice.128 Make Child-Centred Policy Changes