What happens to my fostering records if I leave an agency in Walsall?

When you leave a fostering agency, your records are generally kept securely for the period required by fostering regulations, safeguarding duties and data protection law. They do not automatically disappear, and leaving does not usually give you an automatic right to take the original file with you. If you transfer to another agency, the agencies should explain which information is needed, why it is being shared and how the transfer will be carried out.

Your fostering file may contain information about your assessment, approval, training, supervision, reviews, household members, placements and any concerns or significant events. Some information may also relate to children, birth families or other people. This is why records must be handled confidentially and why an agency cannot simply release an entire file without considering the rights and safety of everyone mentioned in it.

If you move to another agency

The original agency will normally coordinate with the new agency about relevant records. The purpose is to ensure that the new assessment or approval process is based on accurate information rather than starting with an incomplete history. The transfer may include assessment documents, approval details, training records, review information and records of placements or incidents where these are relevant.

• Ask both agencies what information is being requested and what will be transferred.
• Check that your consent has been recorded where it is required.
• Tell the new agency about any changes to your household, circumstances or availability rather than relying only on historic records.
• Keep copies of documents you are entitled to receive, such as your own training certificates or correspondence, where appropriate.
• Ask who remains responsible for storing the original records after the move.

A transfer does not necessarily mean every document will be copied to the new agency. Information should be relevant, accurate and shared only for a proper fostering, safeguarding or legal purpose. The former agency may retain its own records even after sending relevant information elsewhere.

If you stop fostering without moving agency

The agency will normally close or update your active fostering record and retain it securely rather than deleting it immediately. The retention period can depend on the type of record, whether you were approved, whether children were placed with you and whether there were safeguarding, complaints or legal matters. The agency should be able to explain its retention policy and what happens to your information once your approval ends.

Records concerning a placement may need to be retained even when you have stopped fostering because they can form part of a child’s history or be needed to evidence decisions and actions. Information about you may therefore remain in records that also relate to other people. This can limit what an agency can remove or disclose.

Confidentiality and access

Fostering records should be stored with appropriate security and accessed only by people with a legitimate role. You can ask the agency how your personal information is being used, how long it is expected to be kept and how to make a subject access request. Any disclosure must take account of third-party confidentiality, safeguarding concerns and legal restrictions, so you may not receive an unredacted copy of every document.

You can also ask the agency to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete. However, a disagreement about an assessment, supervision note or professional opinion does not necessarily mean the original entry can be deleted. The agency may need to retain the original record and add your response or a note explaining the disputed point.

Concerns about the way records are handled

Start by asking the agency’s data protection or complaints contact for an explanation. Set out which record or disclosure concerns you, what you believe is inaccurate or inappropriate, and what outcome you are seeking. Keep copies of your correspondence. If the issue is not resolved, you can ask about escalating the complaint and may be able to raise a data protection concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Safeguarding concerns should be reported through the appropriate safeguarding route rather than treated only as a data request.

Before ending an agency relationship, ask for written confirmation of the arrangements for your records, any planned transfer, outstanding reviews or complaints, and the contact point for future data protection queries. This gives you a clear record of what has been agreed without assuming that leaving ends the agency’s legal responsibilities.