Why we keep social care records
The Council's Adult Social Care service protects and promotes the wellbeing and rights of adults at risk. We rely on receiving and sharing information so that we can:
- Look at your social care needs
- Discuss with you the services that are available to meet them.
We do understand that for some people, sharing even the most basic information about themselves is a very sensitive issue. We may be given information about you by someone else, such as a member of your family or your doctor.
We know that you expect any information provided to be treated as confidential and we respect that.
What is in the records?
The type of information we keep will include details like your:
- Date of birth
- Name
- Address.
Depending upon the nature of the service that we provide we may also need to keep information, that is of a more personal or sensitive nature like your:
- Personal circumstances
- Health
- Lifestyle
- Financial situation
- Records of meetings with you and others
- Any decisions made
- Services provided
- Sometimes records are kept in paper files or they could be held on a computer.
Your records are always treated as confidential and are held securely. We will not give your information to anyone else unless:
- We have your permission
- We are required by law to share information
- It is essential to safeguard either your welfare or the welfare of others.
Some records are held for many years, others are destroyed after a period of time.
Requesting to see your records
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to access the information that we hold about you. However, there are certain situations where some information may need to be withheld, for example if it:
- mentions another individual
- could cause harm to you if disclosed
- is required for the prevention or detection of crime
If we are unable to provide you with access to some information, we will explain the reasons why.
We will provide your personal records within one month of receiving proof of identification and any supporting information we may require. This timeframe can be extended by up to a further two months in certain circumstances. If this happens, we will let you know.
We will usually send copies of your records by recorded delivery. However, it may be possible to email them or arrange an alternative method if you prefer.
Please refer to our Processing personal data privacy notice page for more details.
