A New Standard for Sharing

The WASPI UK GDPR Code of Conduct Arrives

Posted by Danny Jones on 23/10/2026

Every day across Wales, a social worker needs to know what the GP knows. A school needs to understand what a family support team has seen. A safeguarding lead needs the full picture, quickly. Behind each of those moments sits a question that has challenged public services for years: how can we share personal information confidently, lawfully and safely?

The launch of the WASPI UK GDPR Code of Conduct for Information Sharing Protocols ("The Code") offers a powerful answer, and it is one worth celebrating.

WASPI Code of Conduct

A Milestone Built on Hard Work and Strong Foundations

Approval of a Code of Conduct under Article 40 of the UK GDPR is no small achievement. It takes years of careful development, rigorous scrutiny, extensive consultation and an unwavering commitment to getting the detail right. The Wales Accord on the Sharing of Personal Information (WASPI) has delivered all of this and the result is a framework that is as practical as it is robust.

Behind the publication is a dedicated team who have worked tirelessly to bring it to fruition, supported by close collaboration with colleagues from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Code Team. Their combined effort has produced something genuinely groundbreaking: the first approved UK GDPR Code of Conduct across the UK to cover both public and third sector partners.

That is a Welsh first, and a UK first, and the WASPI team should be enormously proud.

The code does not appear from nowhere; the WASPI framework has been developed and improved over the last 20 years. During which time it has earned the trust of services right across Wales. The publication of the code represents the next stage of that journey, strengthening confidence in information sharing arrangements while protecting the rights and freedoms of the individuals those arrangements exist to serve.

Effective information sharing is the lifeblood of integrated public services. When it works, people receive joined-up support, risks are identified early and vulnerable individuals are better protected. When it fails, the consequences can be serious particularly in safeguarding situations where timely access to information can be critical.

The WASPI Code tackles this head-on by offering organisations a clear, recognised and consistent approach to reciprocal information sharing. One that supports health, education, social care, safeguarding and wider public services alike.


WASPI on the Road

A milestone like this deserves to be marked in person, and members of the ISG team were delighted to attend the first WASPI on the Road event in Wrexham, where the publication of the code took centre stage.

WASPI on the Road - ISG Team in Wrexham

he atmosphere was one of genuine celebration. The WASPI team, the ICO Code Team and members of Welsh Government were all present, and the event offered a fitting moment to acknowledge the extraordinary effort, collaboration and persistence that have brought the code to this point. Seeing those who shaped it in the same room reflecting on what has been achieved together was a powerful reminder of how much hard work sits behind every page of the code.

The event was also an opportunity to look forward. The ISG team used the occasion to showcase the role it can and will play in the continued adoption of the WASPI framework and importantly, the Code itself. Taking WASPI on the road brings the framework closer to the practitioners and organisations who will put it into practice, and we are proud to be part of that effort as awareness and membership grow.


The Benefits of Adopting the Code

There are significant benefits for organisations that will choose to adopt the code moving forward, and details of these along with who the code is for can be found in the official WASPI article on the code of conduct.

WASPI Code of Conduct Benefits

Learn more about the WASPI UK GDPR Code of Conduct here.

We are delighted to be working alongside the WASPI team as this next chapter unfolds. With the work now under way to establish the WASPI service as an independent Monitoring Body, and with partners preparing to apply for code membership in the coming months the momentum is real and the opportunity is considerable.

Congratulations to everyone involved on reaching this landmark. The code is a testament to what can be achieved when dedicated people, collaborative partners and a shared commitment to protecting individuals come together. We look forward to supporting organisations as they take the next step.


Find Out More

To learn more about the WASPI UK GDPR Code of Conduct and what membership could mean for your organisation, visit www.waspi.gov.wales.