Who is the data controller?
As the Fostering service is a joint department across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, the Data Controller is dependent upon where you live. For Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire County Council is the data controller for the information that you provide and for Peterborough, Peterborough City Council is the data controller . Fostering Services is committed to protecting your personal information and ensuring that processes and procedures are in place to make us compliant with current data protection regulations.
The Data Protection Officer for both authorities is:
Ben Stevenson, Ben.Stevenson@Peterborough.gov.uk
Why we collect your data
The purposes for which the data will be used are:
- The recruitment, training, assessment and approval of persons wishing to become foster carers, including those persons who wish to become foster carers for family members –referred to as family and friends foster carers or connected foster carers.
- Support and supervision of all foster carers registered with the relevant council.
- Training and development of all foster carers registered with the relevant council.
- Placement finding and matching exercises for children requiring placements with foster carers registered with the relevant council
It is very important that we are able to plan, monitor and realign our delivery of services to meet the needs of children and families’. To do this, we carefully and responsibly use the information we collect. Where personal information is used for statistical purposes we will ensure it is anonymised.
In certain cases, such as safeguarding inquiries and criminal investigations we are legally obliged to provide information to the police. However we have procedures in place that allows this to be carried out in a secure and confidential manner.
What is the legal basis for collecting and processing this data?
All organisations must provide a legal basis for processing your information. In most cases this is found in the new data laws of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
The Fostering Services (England) Regulations, 2011 allows both councils to provide Fostering services. Article 9 of the GDPR also requires us to process your information based on your explicit and informed consent, where appropriate, with associated data subjects’ rights applicable at all stages.
Who will your information be shared with?
Fostering services works in collaboration with a number of local authorities and third party agencies.
- Where you agree to the placement of a child from another fostering service we will share your information with that fostering service.
- We are required to provide your data for the purpose of statutory data collection by external agencies including OFSTED.
- If you apply to another fostering agency for the purposes of fostering or adoption the agency can ask to see the information that Fostering services may hold about you, if we have retained it.
- Where directed to by the court in any family proceedings.
- Foster panel, Fostering Network, NSPCC
We are statutory obliged to protect public funds, which include allowances and discretionary payments made to foster carers. In some circumstances we will be required to share information to authorised bodies for the prevention and detection of fraud.
- NSPCC - to access support services
- GP and authorised NHS agencies
- Other local authorities, independent fostering agencies and assessors would be able to view files if carers transfer to them, or if a safeguarding issue arises.
How long will you keep this information for?
This information is set out in the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011. In addition we will keep your information for a limited period of time should you decide to not proceed from enquiry to application in order that we may complete our statutory annual fostering return.
How will my information be stored?
Your information will be stored securely on our computer databases. Access to these databases will be restricted to those who are entitled to view and process your data. If the information is collected in a paper format we will also ensure it is kept secure and destroyed in a secure way when no longer required.
Will this information be used to take automated decisions about me?
No
Will my data be transferred abroad?
No
What rights do I have when it comes to my data?
You have a number of rights that are set out within our Data Protection pages.
What complaint rights do I have when it comes to my data?
In the event of concerns in respect of our use of your personal data, you may wish to raise a complaint with the Data Protection Officer whose contact details are shown at the start of this notice.
Should you wish to complain directly to the Information Commissioner, their contact details are:
Information Commissioners Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone 0303 123 1113
www.ico.org.uk
