Video resources: Principles and values for data governance and ethics centring the voices of children and families
Lots of information is collected about the children and families involved with children's services but this information is not always used to best meet the needs and interests of children, young people and families.
These video resources will:
examine the ethics around information and voice.
explore democracy, equality and justice.
look at what effective governance looks like, including accountability, trustworthiness and transparency.
look at what effective professional skills, virtues and culture look like.
These resources were developed from sessions held at Principles and values for data governance and ethics centring the voices of children and families. The event explored how we can engage children and families with the governance, processes, skills and culture needed to develop an organisational dialogue around ethics.
What we mean when we talk about data and voice
Professor Elaine Sharland from the University of Sussex research team examines what we mean when we talk about voice, data and information.
Talking points
This video looks at:
the multiple voices that we need to capture and pay attention to.
the complexity around recognising voice.
definitions of information as both qualitative and quantitative.
Consider examples from your own organisations and practice:
How does your conception of data, information and voice shape the way that you work with people with lived experience of social care?
Do your definitions of information and voice align with your organisation’s definitions?
Understanding information, democracy, equality and justice
Dr Liam Berriman from the University of Sussex research team provides an overview of the key issues that affect how children’s information is used and what they might mean for how information systems are designed.
Talking points
This video looks at:
how we can proactively design information systems in ways that are integrating voice within them.
the ways in which systems may not be experienced equitably.
the effect that measurement can have on information.
Reflective questions
Consider examples from your own organisations and practice:
1. How would you know that your systems are designed to place information and voice at the heart of your work?
2. What steps could you take to ensure that your information and data systems are experienced equitably?
Whose voice and whose information?
Dr Liam Berriman from the University of Sussex research team discusses how information and voice are recorded within case records and the ethical considerations around how we bring a variety of voices into these records.
Talking points
This video looks at:
how case records relatedly concern many people.
the redaction of voices within records.
Reflective questions
Consider examples from your own organisations and practice:
1. What steps would you undertake to understand the variety of voices that are contained within a case record and the implications of recording them?
Going beyond a tick-box culture
Dr Perpetua Kirby talks about the factors that we should consider to go beyond tick-box culture and processes into a place where we are actively considering how we collect and use information and voice to shape our work.
Talking points
This video looks at:
issues around power.
the avoidance of harm.
security protocols and potential vulnerabilities.
harms to the environment.
access to data ethics expertise.
fostering professional values.
Reflective questions
Consider examples from your own organisations and practice:
1. How are you considering power when collecting and using information and voice?
2. Do you have access to data ethics expertise? If not, how might your organisation develop expertise and capacity in this area?
