The service processes personal information in order to provide a range of pre adoption related services. These services are provided either directly or jointly with partners and commissioned private and third sector providers. This includes:

• the recruitment and assessment of adoptive parents
• support to children who require an adoption service
• services to adoptive families who require support and adopted adults and the family members of adopted people

The service processes personal information which is relevant to individual cases which may include, but is not limited to, the following personal data:

• personal details (e.g. name, email, contacts, address, date of birth)
• personal reference numbers  (e.g. NHS Number, NI number)
• financial details
• family details
• employment details (including employment references)
• lifestyle and social circumstances information
• visual images, personal appearance and behaviour e.g. photographs
• case file information(including complaints)
• details of extended family members and support systems
• personal and work related references
• proof of citizenship/residency

We may also process some special category (sensitive) information, which is relevant to individual cases and may include some of the following but is not limited to:

• physical or mental health details (including from health records and assessment report and/or social care records)
• racial or ethnic origin
• offences (including alleged offences) criminal proceedings, outcomes and sentences
• religious or other beliefs of a similar nature

The legal bases for processing this personal information are:

Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation and associated regulations and statutory guidance. Significant pieces of legislation are:

• Education and Adoption 2016
• Adoption and Children Act 2002
• The Local Authority Adoption Service (England) Regulations 2003
• Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005
• The Adoption Support Agencies (England) and Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005

We may need to share the personal information you have given to us or we’ve collected about you with partner organisations where relevant to the individual and/or their service provision. These include but are not limited to:

• other local authorities who have children with adoption plans
• Adoption Central England local authority Social Work Teams
• individuals and agencies who are required to provide reference checks.
• foreign embassies if living abroad for application checks
• voluntary agencies who work closely with the regional adoption agency
• providers of adoption support services
• National Adoption Register
• courts
• other statutory services according to your assessed need e.g. health and housing

Information will only ever be shared when it is strictly necessary to help us provide effective services and you may have the right to refuse.  We will not pass it onto any other parties unless required to do so by law or in all reasonable circumstances the disclosure is fair and warranted for the purposes of processing or subject to a data protection exemption.

We have specific data sharing agreements in place with local agencies and sometimes the law requires that we may have to pass your details on to a third party, for example, to prevent crime.

All adoption records are kept for at least 100 years in line with legislative requirements. If prospective adopters are unsuccessful or withdraw an application or resign their approval, records will be kept for 25 years.

More information about our retention periods can be found in our summary Disposal Schedule.

Please note stated retention periods may be subject to any legal holds imposed under the Inquiries Act 2005 that may concern the information and override standard retention periods.

You are entitled to a copy, or a description, of the personal data we hold that relates to you, subject to lawful restrictions. Please go to our Make a Data Protection Request page to find out how to make a request.

You may be entitled to rectification, restriction, objection, and erasure of your personal information depending on the service and legal basis. Please in the first instance contact dataprotection@worcestershire.gov.uk to exercise these Information Rights or call the main Worcestershire County Council contact telephone number of 01905 765765.

Please see our overarching Privacy Notice for further contact details and if you have a complaint about your information rights.