This item is in the NZFVC Good Practice Database.

This protocol was developed by the New Zealand Police National Headquarters to assist Police with, and support a consistent approach to, cross-agency information sharing in the context of the collaborative case management of family violence cases. The protocol states that the effectiveness of interagency work in the family violence sector is directly related to the kind of information sharing processes employed, and that the failure of agencies to share information has been identified as a factor in some of the family violence deaths in New Zealand. Ways that Police can legally share personal information with support agencies, for the purposes of safety and the prevention of further violence, are outlined in the document. The principles of the Privacy Act (1993) are discussed in the context of the current Police practice of collecting and disclosing information using the POL400 (Police family violence forms). While the protocol is intended to guide police work, it is relevant to other agencies involved in interagency family violence work.

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