Online Workshop on Principles and Values for Data Governance and Ethics Centring Children and Families' Voices

Workshop Summary

Hosted by Research in Practice (RiP), members of the research team led an online workshop on 5th March 2024 to explore the principles and values for the ethical use of children’s information. 

Local authorities are using information from and about children and families in many different ways.  Central to this should be core questions about: How can we ensure that Information is safe, secure and ethical in the way we receive it, the way we use it and the way we share it? 

Our starting point was that ‘Voice’ is central to all the ethical issues that the use of children’s information raises. Highlighting principles of democracy, equity and justice, and of accountability, transparency and trustworthiness, we looked at how to engage children, families and practitioners in the governance, processes and practices of information use. We also focused on the skills and culture needed to develop an organisational dialogue around and engagement with the ethics of information use.  

The workshop was well attended by representatives from 12 local authorities, and 7 voluntary or  independent organisations and consultancies, and provoked lively discussion. Prompted by ‘hotspot’ examples drawn from findings of the Children’s Information project, participants shared priorities, concerns, challenges and examples of promising practice from their own everyday experience. Feedback (below) confirmed that participants found the workshop thought provoking and stimulating.

A recording of the workshop will be available soon.