Enhancing Antenatal Safeguarding: Professional Perspectives on the Safeguarding Information Request System (SIRS)

Abstract Failures in inter-agency information sharing remain a recurring feature in serious child safeguarding cases, particularly where risks posed by fathers and male partners are overlooked. The Safeguarding Information Request System (SIRS) was developed in Northumberland in 2018 to address this gap by enabling maternity services to request relevant safeguarding information from general practitioners (GPs) about prospective fathers. Despite being cited as an example of emerging good practice, SIRS had not previously been evaluated. This study reports findings from a rapid evaluation of SIRS, undertaken as part of a wider project on improving information sharing about men who may pose risks to children. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with 51 professionals, including GPs, midwives, social workers, and safeguarding leads. Data were thematically analysed to explore experiences of using SIRS, perceived value, challenges, and views on sustainability. Five themes were identified: (1) consent and legality, (2) what constitutes ‘relevant’ information, (3) systemic and practical limitations, (4) variability in implementation, and (5) transferability. While participants generally agreed that SIRS improved early risk identification, concerns persisted around legal thresholds, proportionality, variable GP responses, incomplete records, and the exclusion of men outside local GP systems. The evaluation highlights SIRS as a potentially valuable tool, but one limited by inconsistencies and legal ambiguities. Wider adoption would require national endorsement, clearer guidance on consent and thresholds, integration with existing health systems, and resourcing to support sustainability. SIRS demonstrates both the promise and the challenges of making ‘invisible’ men more visible in antenatal safeguarding practice.