Information Sharing Guidance

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. 

Guidance

Sharing information safely: Guidance on sharing personal information under the Family Violence Act 2018 [PDF, 3.4 MB]

Decision Tree poster

This poster sets out the information sharing process step-by-step.  You may like to print a copy to display at work.

Guide to sharing information under the Family Violence Act 2018 [PDF, 540 KB]

Factsheet

Family Violence Information Sharing for family violence agencies and social services practitioners [PDF, 172 KB]

Publishing this Guidance is just one step towards supporting the workforce to safely and appropriately share family violence information. We welcome continued dialogue with the sector about any additional tools they may need to support effective practice and the implementation of the law. If you have any questions or ideas on how the family violence information sharing guidance can be improved, you can contact us at: FVinformationsharing@justice.govt.nz

The following agencies and practitioners are a part of the family violence sector and can share using the new information sharing laws:

Family violence agencies

Specified government agencies (ACC, Department of Corrections, Ministries of Education, Health, Justice, Social Development, Immigration New Zealand, New Zealand Police, Oranga Tamariki, Housing New Zealand Corporation)

  • District Health Boards
  • Registered Community Housing Providers
  • Non-government organisations that are partly or wholly funded by government and that provides family violence services
  • School boards
  • Licensed early childhood services

Social services practitioners 

  • Teachers with current practising certificates or limited authority to teach
  • Registered health professionals
  • Registered social workers

How the Family Violence and Oranga Tamariki guidance documents work together

Information sharing under the Family Violence Act 2018 and Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 [PDF, 166 KB] [PDF, 156 KB]

Information sharing guidance:  Summary of feedback report

In January 2019 we released a summary of feedback received from victims, practitioners, agencies and the public on the draft family violence information sharing guidance.

Sharing information safely – Summary of Feedback: Guidance on sharing personal information under the Family Violence Act 2018 [PDF, 370 KB]