Children and Families (Children's Social Care)
Data Controller – Somerset Council – ICO Registration Z5957592
Data Protection Officer contact – informationgovernance@somerset.gov.uk
Purpose for processing – We will process personal information about you and your family in order to provide you with appropriate services and to protect children and young people.
Business area – Contact and Referral
Purpose for processing – To assess and identify appropriate services for children and young people.
Business area – Early Support (Children with Disabilities)
Purpose for processing – To assess and identify appropriate support services for children and young people with Disabilities.
Business area – CIN (Children in Need)
Purpose for processing – To assess and identify appropriate services, and to undertake direct work to support improved outcomes for Children in Need.
Business area – Child Protection
Purpose for processing – To assess and identify appropriate services, and to undertake direct work to protect children at risk of harm and to support improved outcomes for Children in Need.
Business area – CLA (Children Looked After)
Purpose for processing – To assess and identify appropriate services, and to undertake direct work to support improved outcomes for children who cannot live at home.
Business area – Leaving Care
Purpose for processing – To assess and identify appropriate services, and to undertake direct work to support improved outcomes for young people who have been Looked After.
Business area – Adoption
Purpose for processing – To assess and identify appropriate services, and to undertake direct work to support improved outcomes for children who are being adopted.
Legal basis for processing – by law
The relevant laws and regulations that provide the legal basis for processing personal data for the purposes defined above.
Contact and Referral
- The Children’s Act 1989
- The Children & Young People’s Act 2008
- The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970
Early Support (Children with Disabilities)
- The Children’s Act 1989
- The Children & Young People’s Act 2008
- The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970
CIN
- The Children’s Act 1989
- The Children & Young People’s Act 2008
- The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970
Child Protection
- The Children’s Act 1989
- The Children & Young People’s Act 2008
- The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970
CLA
- The Children’s Act 1989
- The Children & Young People’s Act 2008
- The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970
Leaving Care
- The Children’s Act 1989
- The Children & Young People’s Act 2008
- The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970
Adoption
- The Children’s Act 1989
- The Children & Young People’s Act 2008
- The Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970
Public Task Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.
Legitimate interests – Somerset Council will also use your data for the purposes of monitoring quality, audit, and for dealing with any enquiries or complaints.
Data sharing – the personal data provided will be shared with Somerset Council colleagues and professionals from partner organisations, including Children’s Social Care, Education, Adults Social Care, Health, Housing and Police, in order to provide you with appropriate services and to protect children. This may include: your GP, schools and school nurses, mental health professionals, health visitors and midwives, probation officers, youth justice workers, educational psychologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, housing providers, Department of Work and Pensions, drug and alcohol workers and early years.
Where appropriate, this will be done under the Child Health Information Service procedures or as part of the Education, Health & Care Plan.
Data will also be shared with Central Government Departments (and agencies working on their behalf) for the purposes of statutory reporting, research and improvement in efficiency and effectiveness of local public services for children and young people.
Transfers abroad – Your personal information will normally remain within the UK / European Union. If your information needs to be sent abroad you will be informed prior to any transfer.
Data retention – Somerset Council will retain your information while it is providing you with a service and in accordance with Council retention policies and associated statutory guidance, taking into account any legal injunction preventing the destruction of records. Statutory retention periods are based on the level of service provided: should we need to share your information for safeguarding purposes, the investigation of crimes, or because a child is looked after or adopted, the highest tariff will apply to all information held by Somerset Council.
Please note that due to the current independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) all records will be retained until further notice. Once the Inquiry is complete and the legal hold lifted the retention will return to the retention listed below.
Business area – Contact and Referral only
Retention category – 6 years
Business area – Contact and Referral and Assessment
Retention category – 25 years
Business area – early Support (Children with Disabilities)
Retention category – 34 years from date of birth
Business area – CIN
Retention category – 100 years
Business area – Section 47 (no outcome of Child Protection)
Retention category – 35 years
Business area – Child Protection
Retention category – 100 years
Business area – CLA
Retention category – 100 years
Business area – Leaving Care
Retention category – 100 years
Business area – Adoption
Retention category – 100 years
Your rights – You have the right to ask Somerset Council to a copy of your data, the right to rectify or erase your personal data, and the right to object to processing. However, these rights are only applicable if the Council has no other legal obligation concerning that data. You also have the right to complain to the regulator, ico.org.uk/