Looked after children and children in need privacy notice

This privacy notice is designed to help you understand how and why we process your personal data in relation to looked after children (LAC) and children in need (CiN). This notice should be read in conjunction with our corporate privacy notice.

Who are we?

North Yorkshire Council are a ‘data controller’ as defined by Article 4(7) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The teams dealing with looked after children and children in need collect and process data in order to facilitate the direct care of children receiving these services.

We have appointed Veritau Ltd to be our data protection officer.

Their contact details are:

Information Governance Office

Veritau

West Offices

Station Rise

York

North Yorkshire

YO1 6GA

Email: infogov@northyorks.gov.uk

Tel: 01904 552848

What personal information do we collect?

In order to deliver our looked after children and children in need services we will need to collect both personal and special category data, specifically personal data collected:

  • personal information (for example, name, date of birth, address)
  • NHS number
  • family details
  • lifestyle and social circumstances
  • housing needs
  • case file information
  • episodes of being looked after and being a child in need (for example, important dates, information on placements, referral information, assessment information, Section 47 information, child protection information, child protection plan information)
  • outcomes for looked after children (for example, health assessments, dental assessments, strengths and difficulties questionnaires)
  • adoptions (for example, dates of key court orders and decisions)
  • care leavers (for example, activity, accommodation)

Special category data collected:

  • ethnicity or race
  • immigration information
  • physical or mental health details
  • social care support outcomes
  • sexual life
  • criminal history

Why do we collect your personal information?

We need to collect this information for the following purposes:

  • children in need and looked after children service provision
  • safeguarding children
  • supporting children and monitoring their progress
  • providing children with pastoral care
  • service improvement
  • prevention of fraud/detection of crime

Who do we share this information with?

In the course of performing our duties, we may share your information with a number of agencies who are key to delivering our service.

Within the council, the staff responsible for the direct care of the child agencies share information with:

  • National Health Service (NHS)
  • Department for Education (DfE) (statutory requirement)
  • care placement providers
  • Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)
  • Police

How long do we keep your information?

We only retain your personal data for as long as is necessary to provide services to you and in line with our record retention and disposal schedule. The following table details the retention period for records relating to this service:

Data held Retention period
Records relating to a child in care 75 years from the date of birth of the child

What is our lawful basis for processing your information?

With regard to personal data:

  • Article 6(1)(c) – legal obligation
  • Article 6(1)(e) – public task

With regard to special category data:

  • Article 9(2)(h) – provision of health and social care

The legislations, policies and guidance that relate to this service include but is not limited to:

  • Children Act 1989
  • Children (leaving care) 2000
  • Adoption and Children Act 2002
  • Children and Families Act 2014
  • Children and Adoption Act 2006
  • The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015
  • Children and Young Persons Act 2008
  • Children and Social Work Act 2017
  • The Education (Information about Individual Pupils)(England) Regulations 2013
  • sufficiency – statutory guidance on securing sufficient accommodation for looked after children

For more information about how we use your data, including your privacy rights and the complaints process, please see our corporate privacy notice.