The Information Commissioner’s first statutory duty is to promote the following of good practice in the handling of personal information. ‘Good practice’ means practice that appears to the Commissioner to be desirable, having regard to the interests of individuals and the organisations that process personal information about them. Good practice includes, but is not limited to, compliance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 (the Act).
The Commissioner has produced this framework code to help organisations to adopt good practice when sharing information about people. The framework code is intended to be of use to all organisations involved in information sharing throughout the UK, including voluntary bodies. However, some of it will be of most relevance to public sector organisations. The framework code should be of use even where there is a statutory requirement to share information. Using the framework code will help organisations to make sure that they address all the main data protection compliance issues that are likely to arise when sharing information. This in turn should help organisations and their staff to make well-informed decisions about sharing personal information.
Framework code of practice for sharing personal information
Endorsement
The ICO will offer a written endorsement where the information sharing document in question covers the main matters in the ICO’s framework code. However, the document must make a public commitment to allow the ICO to audit the organisation’s compliance with its code. If you wish to apply for an endorsement of your organisation’s information sharing document, please contact mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk stating ‘Application for Endorsement of Information Sharing Document’ as the subject title or contact your Regional Office.