Fostering services - Privacy notices

Last updated: 18 October 2019

The following privacy notice applies to the Fostering Services provided by Warwickshire County Council. It should be read in addition to the council’s overall Customer Privacy Notice.

Fostering Services provides a full range of fostering related services including:

• Recruitment of prospective foster carers
• Assessing prospective foster carers, connected others and private fostering arrangements
• Providing foster families for children
• Supporting and training approved foster carers
• Service reviews

Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation and associated regulations and statutory guidance. Significant are:

• Children Act 1989
• Children’s Act – Fostering Services 2013
• Care Planning, placement and Care Review (England) Regulations 2010
• Fostering Services: National Minimum Standards 2011
• The Foster Carer Charter 2011 (Fostering Network)
• Human Rights Act 1998

Depending on your service requirements Fostering Services will process personal information which includes but is not limited to:

• Personal details (name, email, contacts, address, date of birth)
• Personal reference numbers  (NHS Number, NI number)
• Financial details
• Family details
• Employment details (include employment references)
• Lifestyle and social circumstances information
• Visual images, personal appearance and behaviour e.g photographs
• Case file information (include complaints)
• Physical or mental health details (include from health records and assessment report and/or social care records)
• Racial or ethnic origin
• Offences (including alleged offences) criminal proceedings, outcomes and sentences religious or other beliefs of a similar nature
• Details of extended family members and support system
• Personal and work related references
• Proof of citizenship/residency

• Other Services within Warwickshire County Council.
• Individuals and agencies who are required to provide reference checks.
• Foreign embassies if living abroad for application checks.
• Courts.
• Other statutory services according to your assessed need e.g. health and housing.

All Fostering records are kept for 75 years in line with legislative requirements from date of last entry.

If prospective foster carers are unsuccessful or withdraw an application or resign their approval, records will be kept for 25 years from file closure.

A prospective foster carer enquiry will be kept for 6 years from last contact.

Please note: all stated retention periods will be subject to any legal holds imposed under the Inquiries Act 2005 that may concern the information and override standard retention.

Find out how to access your personal information.

For rectification of your personal information, or to restrict the processing your personal information please in the first instance contact your Social Worker or care provider to exercise these Information Rights or call the main Warwickshire County Council contact telephone number of 01926 410410

You do not have any other information rights.

See our overall privacy notice for further contact details and if you have a complaint about your information rights.

Our customer privacy notice