PN0499
CYPS – Early Intervention and Safeguarding
Privacy Notice – Fostering Service
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council of Town Hall, Crossley Street, Halifax, HX1 1UJ is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) under the provision of the Data Protection Act 2018. The Council takes its responsibilities as Data Controller under the Data Protection Act and UK GDPR very seriously.
This privacy notice explains how your personal information will be processed by Calderdale Council’s Fostering service.
This notice applies to:
- Members of the public who are making enquiries as prospective foster carers
- Foster carer applicants
- Connected carer applicants
- Special Guardianship Order applicants
- Adults living in the same home as applicants
- Members of the public who have been asked to provide references for applicants
- Approved foster carers, connected carers and Special Guardians
The type of information we will collect:
In the course of approving and supervising foster carers, we collect the following personal information when you provide it to us:
- personal information (such as name, address, contact details, date of birth, gender, National Insurance number, language)
- special category characteristics (such as ethnicity, disability, religion
- family network, regular contacts, and current and previous relationship information
- Current and previous employment and education information
- GP details and health information
- financial information
- housing information
- historic details of previous carer roles/voluntary work/life experiences
- details of cautions, convictions, and criminal enquiries
- information relating to references, assessments, and approvals for suitability to foster children
Why we collect and hold this information
- To assess potential foster carers and their suitability
- To allow us to communicate relevant information which may be of interest to potential foster carers and foster carers
- For the ongoing assessment of foster carers
- To assist foster carers with using the service
- To measure the effectiveness of the service
- To match foster carers with children who require foster placements
- To monitor the progress and stability of placements, to safeguard and support children
- To provide ongoing support, advice, and training to foster carers
- To ensure that foster carers receive the correct payments
- To help us assess the effectiveness of the service and to plan and improve future services
Sharing your personal data
Your information may be obtained from, and shared with, the following types of organisations/services as appropriate:
- Other Calderdale Council services as necessary including Children’s and Young People’s services
- Other Local Authorities, or Overseas agencies where applicable
- Current and previous employers
- All fostering/adoption agencies/local authorities applied to
- Checks in respect of Serving or ex-Service Army or Air Force Personnel
- Ofsted
- Police
- The Probation service
- Disclosure and Barring service (DBS)
- Housing providers
- Health services
- Schools and other educational establishments
- Independent reviewing officers
- Independent fostering panel members
- Court as part of care/legal proceedings
- Foster carer recruitment and support organisations and service providers g., Fostering Network, Kinship Charity, Foster Care Association.
Information provided within references will be shared with the named individual in the correspondence, the fostering team, and the independent fostering panel.
We will only ever share relevant information about you with third parties when they are involved in your support, or where there is a legal basis for us to do so.
The lawful basis for the processing your data
The Fostering Service lawfully processes personal information as part of its legal obligations under legislation including:
- Children Acts 1989 and 2004
- Children’s and Families Act 2014
- Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011
Please note that the legislation, regulations, and guidance are not limited to what is listed above.
We process personal information and special category data under the following GDPR lawful bases:
- Article 6(1)(c) – for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject as above
- Article 6(1)(e) – for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller
- Article 9(2)(i) - processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest
- DPA 2018 Schedule 1 Part 2 (6) - statutory and government
The nature of our service means that we need to collect data about criminal offences. In order to collect this, we must comply with UK General Data Protection Regulation Article 10. The Council meets this requirement.
Retaining your personal information
Your personal information will be kept for the following length of time and then will be securely destroyed:
- 3 years if an enquiry as a prospective foster carer is made but not progressed;
- 10 years from the date of withdrawal/ending of the assessment or from the date of panel if not approved, or approved but not subsequently ever having a child placed;
- 75 years from date no longer approved as a foster carer if a child is
Your rights
The GDPR provides the following rights for individuals. Not all rights are absolute and therefore will only apply in certain circumstances:
- The right to be informed
- The right of access
- The right to rectification
- The right to erasure
- The right to restrict processing
- The right to data portability
- The right to object
- Rights in relation to automated decision making and
You also have the right to complain to the Data Protection Officer if you feel that your data has not been handled in accordance with the law. You can contact the Council’s Data Protection Officer at information.management@calderdale.gov.uk.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk