Access to information for post-care adults – A guide for social workers and Access to Records Officers (AROs)
By Julia Feast
Price: £9.95
BAAF, May 2009
ISBN 978 1 905664 67 2
Agencies in the UK receive some 4,000 enquiries each year from post-care adults wishing to have access to their records while in care. The need to receive this information is great and its importance should not be underestimated. Such information can explain why an individual came into care and the decisions that were made about them. This can help the post-care adult have a greater understanding of their family background, and help them make sense of their identity and history.
The Data Protection Act 1998 provides the legislative framework for applications for access to information from child care records. However, findings from research show that there is considerable variability in agency practice in how such requests are handled, and the way in which the Data Protection Act is interpreted. There is also a lack of common understanding as to what and how much information, particularly third-party information, it is reasonable to share.
The task of sharing information can therefore be complex and challenging. ‘Whose information is it?’ is a question that workers often struggle with when making decisions about what information they can or cannot share with the post-care adult. This guide aims to set out a protocol for dealing with such requests in order to improve services for post-care adults and to achieve greater uniformity and quality practices across organisations.
The guide includes:
A foreword by Baroness Barker, the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Health in the House of Lords
An overview of the legislative framework
What we know from research
Providing a service
Managing complex situations
Useful appendices including sample letters and forms, a list of useful organisations and a bibliography
This guide will be invaluable for Access to Records Officers and social workers in the UK and will enable them to be more knowledgeable, confident and resourceful when providing access to records and related services for post-care adults.
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