Informed Consent

Informed consent means agreement or permission to do something from someone who has been given full information about the possible effects or results. 

In safeguarding contexts, the term consent can refer to three distinct but equally important concepts:

Sexual consent: This refers to a person’s ability and willingness to agree to sexual activity. Often described as enthusiastic consent, it means the individual freely, actively, and knowingly agrees to participate—without pressure, coercion, or manipulation.

Consent to share a disclosure: This means a victim-survivor allowing their disclosure of harm or abuse to be shared—either within the organisation or with external agencies such as police or social services. This can be complex, especially if the person is a child or adult at risk, as safeguarding may require sharing without consent to protect them or others. If this happens, it’s essential to explain why, what safeguards exist, and what choices remain for the victim-survivor.

Informed consent for use of lived experience: This applies when someone’s experience of harm or abuse is used to support wider safeguarding efforts—such as inquiries, training, or improving organisational practices. Informed consent means they understand how their story will be used, its potential impact, and agree with full awareness.

Guidance on Informed consent

This guidance focuses on informed consent for sharing disclosures and using lived experience, as these often overlap. Both require careful, respectful handling to ensure victim-survivors maintain control over their information and its use.

Victim-survivors must be empowered and given genuine choice, where possible, when any action is taken relating to their experience of abuse. This includes: 

• Being fully informed about when, why, and with whom their information will be shared. 
• Understanding what will happen to their information once shared. 
• Knowing they can withdraw consent of sharing non-essential information at any time. If a legal process means consent cannot be withdrawn after sharing, this must be made explicit, and the person’s understanding must be confirmed before proceeding.

Supporting Victim-Survivors

If you are supporting a victim-survivor through any part of the safeguarding process, especially when sharing information you should follow these principles: 

• Get informed consent before sharing their information. 
• When information must be shared even without consent (for example, sharing safeguarding concerns internally with your Safeguarding Lead, or with statutory agencies when a child is at risk of serious harm) explain in age-appropriate terms why information needs to be shared and with whom. 
• Check that they completely understand what sharing their information means. 
• Reaffirm consent for each new action or use of their information. 
• Let them know they can withdraw consent at any time. If a legal process means that this will not be possible, ensure the person understands this before sharing. 
• Consent for one purpose does not imply consent for all purposes. Avoid assumptions.
• If you’re unsure how the information will be used, find out before sharing so you can explain it clearly.