The information you provide will be held and used in accordance with the requirements of UK and European data protection law. The information will form part of your social care record, and will be held for the retention period stated below, in line with North Somerset Council’s retention schedule:
1. Individual child or family case records for:
- early help
- children in need
These children will not have been subject to child protection procedures, nor looked after, nor adopted.
These records will include
- contact forms
- referrals
- children in need (S17) assessments and records of provision of services
- specialist needs assessments
- care and support planning
These records will be kept until the child reaches the age of 30. If the child dies before age 18, records will be kept for six years from the date of death.
2. Child protection case records for children not looked after. This will include:
- where a strategy discussion is convened
- investigations under child protection (Section 47) of the Children Act 1989
- child protection conference documents (assessments, reports, minutes and plans) and associated case recordings
These records will be kept for 35 years after a case has been closed.
3. Records relating to children looked-after including individual child case records and children leaving care records.
These records will be kept for 75 years from the child's date of birth. If the child dies before age 18, records will be kept for 15 years from date of death.
4. Records relating to private law applications made by parents where private proceedings (Section 7) and care proceedings (Section 37) reports have been prepared by social care.
These records will be kept until the child reaches the age of 30. If the child dies before age 18, records will be kept for six years from the date of death.
5. Documents used in any pre-proceedings case, for example:
- assessments (parenting and kinship etc)
- expert reports (drug, alcohol and DNA testing, psychological, psychiatric)
- pre-proceedings plans (written agreements)
- disclosure from health and police authorities and educational bodies
Documents used in any court applications made in respect of the child for any public law orders but where private law orders were made, for example:
- child arrangements orders
- special guardianship orders
Documents used in any court applications made in respect of the child for any public law orders, for example:
- emergency protection orders
- care orders
- placement orders
- supervision orders
- family assistance orders
These form part of the child’s social care record. These records will be kept for 75 years from the child's date of birth. If the child dies before age 18, records will be kept for 15 years from date of death.
6. Case management files, records and court papers for adopted children and all records relating to the management of the adopted children where an adoption order has been made.
These records will be kept for 100 years.
7. Adoption case file where an adoption order is not made.
These records will be kept as set out in the Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005, Regulation 40.
8. Case records for foster carers:
- approved under regulation 28 of the Fostering Services Regulations 2002
- including relatives, friends or connected persons granted temporary approval under regulation 24 of the Care Planning and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010
This will consist of any information relating to them as part of their case records under regulation 30 of the Fostering Services Regulations 2002, including enquiry, application, assessment and training records, reviews and statutory register maintenance.
These records will be kept for at least 10 years from the date on which their approval is terminated.
9. Records listed in schedule 2 of the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011. This includes records regarding each child placed with foster carers, records regarding all those working for the fostering service provider and a record of all accidents that occur to children or young people while they are placed with foster carers.
These records will be kept for a minimum of 15 years from the date of the last entry. Files should be reviewed before being destroyed as consideration needs to be given to the age of the child at potential destruction date and the possibility of them making a claim, particularly if the file contains any adverse comments or concerning incidents.
10. Case records for people who are not approved as foster carers or who withdraw their application prior to approval.
These records will be kept for at least three years from the refusal or withdrawal.
11. Private fostering (where parents make their own arrangements for their child to be privately fostered).
These records will be kept for 75 years from the child's date of birth. If the child dies before age 18, records will be kept for 15 years from date of death.
