Adopt Birmingham Privacy Notice

Adopt Birmingham is the Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) for people living within 50 miles of Birmingham who wish to fulfil their dream of becoming parents through adoption.

The service is delivered though our partner agencies:

  • Birmingham Children’s Trust as the home organisation. The Trust is owned by, but independent from Birmingham City Council and is responsible for all children in care in Birmingham, including all children who need an adoptive family.
  • Family Society, which operates VAA Adoption Focus.

This privacy notice explains how Adopt Birmingham collect, use and share personal information about you. This includes personal data and personal data in special categories.

Purposes of collecting this personal information

Adopt Birmingham uses your personal data to:

  • Process adoptive parent applications.
  • Assess suitability to become an adoptive parent.
  • Match approved adoptive parents with children for adoption, to ensure the most successful outcomes for children who have been in care.
  • Provide ongoing support and advice to adoptive parents.
  • Access the adoption support fund. 
  • Prevent or detect crime or fraud.
  • Assess and evaluate our services.
  • Inform future service planning and the commissioning of services.

Legal basis for processing

We rely on the following legal bases under UK GDPR:

  • Article (6)(1)(c) - Legal obligation: the processing is necessary to comply with the law (not including contractual obligations)
    • Adoption and Children Act 2002 and associated regulations
    • Children and Adoption Act 2006 and associated regulations
    • Local Authority Social Services Act 1970
    • Local Authority Adoption services (England) regulations 2003
    • Adoption Statutory Guidance 2014
    • The Education and Adoption Act 2016
    • Care Standards Act 2000
    • The Fostering Services Regulations 2011 as amended by The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review and Fostering Services (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2013
    • The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review Regulations 2010
    • The National Minimum Standards for Fostering Services (England and Wales)
    • Children and Families Act 2014.
  • Article (6)(1)(e) - Public task: the processing is necessary to perform a task in the public interest or for official functions (task or function has a clear basis in law)

When we collect or share special category personal data, we rely upon the following legal bases under UK GDPR: 

  • Article 9(2)(g) - Reasons of substantial public interest..
  • Article 9(2)(h) - Health or social care.
  • Article 9(2)f) – Legal claims or judicial acts

What personal information do we collect to deliver this service?

In the course of approving, matching and supporting adoptive parents we will collect the following personal information (these lists are not exhaustive):

  • Personal information such as your name, address, contact details, date of birth, gender, and language.
  • Special category information such as ethnicity, religion, medical information, sexual orientation, disabilities.
  • Family details and relationships.
  • Employment history and current employment.
  • Financial information.
  • Housing details.
  • Social care history.
  • Training and qualifications.

We will also seek personal information from other sources including:

  • Relatives and friends.
  • Previous partners.
  • Other Birmingham City Council departments.
  • Your GP in regard to your health
  • Police.
  • Social media.
  • References (personal and employment).
  • Schools (in relation to any children presently in your care).
  • Other adoption agencies if previously involved.
  • Other Local Authorities.
  • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Where post adoption support is required, the following information may be sought in respect of the adopted child:

  • Case Records and linked information.
  • SEND details.
  • EHC Plan.
  • Education details, attendance and absence, exclusion record.
  • Free School meal status.
  • Home to School transport details.
  • NHS Number.
  • Pupil Premium details.
  • Unique Pupil Number.

How we collect this information

We collect personal information in the following ways:

  • Face to face.
  • Secure records databases managed by Birmingham Children’s Trust, Birmingham City Council, and/or other agencies if appropriate.
  • Telephone.
  • Application form.
  • Email.

In addition to processing adopters’ information, we also work with a range of people affected by adoption and, at times, will need to obtain personal information from them. For example, we receive requests for post-adoption support and the ‘letterbox’ scheme. These do not require as much personal data as the adoption process itself but will need us to obtain some limited personal data.

How your personal information is stored.

We keep your personal data securely in line with Adoption Regulation 2005 which are reflected in the Trust’s Retention Schedule, after which the information is made inaccessible to system users or securely destroyed.

How long your personal information is stored for

Information which you have provided will be stored securely in line with the retention periods shown below after which time it is archived or securely destroyed, unless we are required by law to retain records for longer than the stated retention period. The information will only be used for the purposes stated when it was collected. Information will not be sold, rented or provided to anyone else, or used for any other purpose than that for which it was originally collected unless required to by law.

​Category of information

​Retention period

​Adoption files, adoption panel records, and suitability checks for successful adopters

​ Last action + 100 years  

Applicants who did not go on to full approval

Last action +15 years  

Adoption panel records.

Date of adoption order plus 100 years.

Records relating to the adoption and Special Guardianship Finance Support Board.

Date of the meeting of the board plus a minimum of 6 years, then review.

Post-adoption support.

Date of adoption order plus 100 years.

How we use this personal information in Adoption Services

  • To process adoptive parent applications.
  • To assess suitability to become an adoptive parent.
  • To suitably match approved adoptive parents with children for adoption.
  • To provide ongoing support and advice to adoptive parents.
  • To assess and evaluate our services.
  • To inform future service provision and the commissioning of services.

We collect and use your personal information to comply with our legal obligations in the Adoption Agencies Regulations 2005, and to carry out tasks in the public interest, and with consent where we need it.

Who we may share your information with

Adoption laws require that assessment information about prospective adopter(s) must be considered by an Adoption Panel. The Adoption Panel includes independent members as well as employed members.

The panel includes an independent chair, independent members, adopters, social workers and will have an administration assistant present to take accurate minutes.

The information is shared with the Adoption Panel under government approved security measures to make sure information is shared securely. Panel members cannot store your information on any personal equipment, nor make print outs.

We will not normally share your information with organisations other than our partner organisations; however, there may be certain circumstances where we would share without consent such as where we are required to do so by law, to safeguard public safety, and in risk of harm or emergency situations.

Only the minimum information for the purpose will be shared. We may share your information with the following organisations (this list is not exhaustive):

  • Other Adoption Agencies.
  • CORAM BAAF – as data gathering agency for the government only.
  • Link Maker.
  • Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund
  • Therapeutic providers who are undertaking adoption support work.
  • NHS Trusts.
  • Schools.
  • Childcare providers.
  • Housing Agencies.
  • Other Local Authorities.
  • Other health providers.
  • Judicial Agencies.
  • Police or appropriate law enforcement agencies as and when required.
  • Ofsted.
  • Probation Services.
  • Substance Misuse Services.
  • Voluntary or third sector providers.
  • Past and/or present employer.
  • References (personal and employment).
  • Previous partners.
  • Any person undertaking a statutory inquiry under Section 81 of the Children’s Act 1989.
  • CAFCASS Officers.
  • The judiciary and officers of the court.
  • The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
  • Any person appointed to deal with a complaint or representation in respect of which access to the Adoption case record is required to carry out the responsibilities of their appointment.

Why do we share this information?

In order for Birmingham Children’s Trust to fully carry out its statutory and safeguarding legal duties and to deliver its services, it may be a necessary requirement to share this information.

We will share personal information with law enforcement or other authorities if required by applicable law.

Your rights

Under GDPR you have rights which you can exercise free of charge which allow you to:

  • Know what we are doing with your information and why we are doing it.
  • Ask to see what information we hold about you (subject access request).
  • Ask us to correct any mistakes in the information we hold about you.
  • Object to direct marketing.
  • Make a complaint to the Information Commissioners Office.
  • Withdraw consent at any time (if applicable as this will not be possible in certain circumstances).

Depending on our reason for using your information you may also be entitled to:

  • Ask us to delete information we hold about you (if applicable)
  • Have your information transferred electronically to yourself or to another organisation.
  • Object to decisions being made that significantly affect you.
  • Object to how we are using your information.
  • Stop us using your information in certain ways.

We will always seek to comply with your request however we may be required to hold or use your information to comply with legal duties which will override the requirements of the GDPR. Please note, your request may delay or prevent us delivering a service to you.

For further information about your rights, including the circumstances in which they apply, see the guidance from the UK Information Commissioners Office (ICO) on individuals’ rights under GDPR.

Keeping your personal information secure

We have appropriate security measures in place to prevent personal information from being accidentally lost or used or accessed in an unauthorised way. We limit access to your personal information to those who have a genuine business need to know it. Those processing your information will do so only in an authorised manner and are subject to a duty of confidentiality.

We also have procedures in place to deal with any suspected data security breach. We will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected data security breach where we are legally required to do so.

Requesting access to your personal information

Under data protection legislation, parents, carers and children have the right to request access to information that we hold on them. To make a request for your personal information please contact:

Disclosure Team
One Avenue Road
Aston
Birmingham
B6 4DU

Email: DisclosureTeam@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk

If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal information, you should raise your concern with us in the first instance via CustomerRelations@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk.

GDPR also gives you right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. The supervisory authority in the UK is the Information Commissioner who may be contacted on 03031 231 113. Or see the ICO Website for further details.

Contact us

If you would like to discuss anything in this Privacy Notice, please contact:

Data Protection Officer
Disclosure Team
One Avenue Road
Aston
Birmingham
B6 4DU

Email: DPO@birminghamchildrenstrust.co.uk