Information Sharing

Avon and Somerset Police work with partner agencies to develop policing services which helps meet our service objectives and the Police and Crime Plan priorities.

Sharing information about individuals is essential in enabling us to work effectively together. However, we have a duty to ensure we only share information where necessary and have a legal reason to do so.

Where regular sharing arrangements are required between us and partner agencies, these will be under an information sharing agreement.

How we share information

Within Avon and Somerset Police we have adopted a standard Overarching Information Sharing Agreement (OISA) which operates a two tier process.

As we often have multiple agreements with one organisation, the Tier 1 ISA confirms that personal data will be shared in accordance with UK GDPR/DPA 2018, this allows Tier 2 to focus on the process of how and why the information will be shared.

Tier 1 Information sharing agreement

• When an organisation wants to be part of our sharing protocol, they sign up to a Tier 1 Information Sharing Agreement (ISA).
• It is signed off by, or on behalf of, a chief officer or equivalent for each organisation.
• ISA Tier 1 is implemented to make sure regular personal data sharing is in accordance with privacy legislation.

Tier 2 Information sharing agreement

• When two organisations know exactly what data they want to share, for what purpose and for how long etc. they sign up to a Tier 2 ISA
• It can be signed off by local managers, asset owners, asset assistants, asset guardians, asset custodians or anyone who considers themselves accountable for the data and the data exchange.
• As the Tier 2 ISA relates to specific sharing of data, an organisation may have multiple ISA’s with us.

Once either a Tier 1 or Tier 2 ISA is signed, a copy should be sent to us by email: informationsharing@avonandsomerset.police.uk

Who we share with

Information is shared regularly with our partner agencies for a variety of reasons including:

• to allow us to jointly tackle issues relating to policing, crime and anti-social behaviour (operational policing)
• to prevent harm to individuals (safeguarding)
• to carry out research or evaluations (research)
• to collaborate to provide services (collaborations)

Partner agencies

Partner agencies we regularly share information with under an Information sharing Agreement. These are the most recent agreements. There may be other agencies we share with which will not include any national sharing arrangements.