Paramount Foster Care is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This privacy statement explains how personal information is collected, used, stored and protected in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and the Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011.
This statement applies to foster carers, applicants, children and young people, employees, contractors, partners, website users and other individuals whose personal data we process.
Who We Are
For the purposes of data protection legislation, the data controller is:
Paramount Foster Care
SMA House
172 Birmingham Road
West Bromwich
West Midlands
B70 6QG
Data Protection Officer: Martin Rae
Email: mrae@paramountfostercare.co.uk
The Data Protection Officer is responsible for overseeing data protection compliance and responding to enquiries or requests relating to personal data.
Data Protection Principles
Paramount Foster Care processes personal data in accordance with the UK GDPR principles. Personal data will be:
- Processed lawfully, fairly and transparently
- Collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes
- Adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary
- Accurate and kept up to date
- Retained only for as long as necessary
- Processed securely to protect against unauthorised access, loss or misuse
The Personal Data We Collect
We may collect, use, store and share the following categories of personal data, where relevant and lawful:
a. Adults (including foster carers, applicants and staff)
- Identity Data: name, title, date of birth, gender, photographic identification (e.g. passport, driving licence)
- Contact Data: address, email address, telephone numbers
- Lifestyle and Background Data: household composition, employment details, fostering history, significant relationships
- Financial Data: bank details, national insurance number, insurance and benefit information
- Special Category Data: ethnicity, religion or beliefs, sexual orientation, health information
- Criminal Records Data: DBS checks, spent and unspent convictions, cautions or warnings
- Medical Data: medical assessments and reports
- Transaction Data: payments to and from foster carers
b. Children and Young People
- Referral and Placement Data: information provided by local authorities at referral and matching stage
- Care Data: care plans, placement plans, risk assessments, pathway plans and related reports
- Education Data: school details, attendance, progress and attainment information
c. Website Users
- Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system and device information
- Usage Data: information about how the website is used
- Marketing and Communications Data: preferences for receiving communications
Special Category and Criminal Records Data
Due to the nature of fostering services, Paramount Foster Care processes special category and criminal records data where necessary. This will only occur where:
- Explicit consent has been provided; or
- Processing is necessary for safeguarding and social care purposes; or
- Processing is required to comply with legal or regulatory obligations; or
- Processing is necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims; or
- Processing is required for reasons of substantial public interest.
Enhanced safeguards are applied to all such data.
How We Collect Personal Data
Personal data may be collected:
- Directly from you (e.g. applications, assessments, correspondence, feedback)
- Through the fostering assessment and approval process
- From local authorities and placing agencies
- From professional referees, employers, GPs and medical practitioners
- From the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
- From panel members and independent assessors
- Via our website through cookies and similar technologies
- From publicly available sources where lawful (e.g. Companies House)
How We Use Personal Data
Personal data is used only where the law allows. Lawful bases include:
- Legal obligation: compliance with fostering, safeguarding and regulatory duties
- Contract: to assess, approve and support foster carers and placements
- Vital interests: safeguarding children and vulnerable individuals
- Public task: carrying out statutory fostering functions
- Legitimate interests: operational management and service improvement
- Consent: where required, particularly for marketing communications
Purposes for Processing
Personal data may be used to:
- Assess and approve foster carers
- Maintain statutory fostering records
- Safeguard children and young people
- Match children with suitable foster carers
- Support placements and monitor outcomes
- Meet regulatory and inspection requirements (including Ofsted)
- Administer payments and contracts
- Manage complaints, incidents and safeguarding concerns
- Operate and improve our website and services
- Communicate updates, training and relevant information
Failure to Provide Information
Some personal data is a statutory or contractual requirement. Failure to provide required information may result in:
- Inability to progress a foster carer application
- Inability to approve or maintain foster carer status
- Inability to place or support a child or young person safely
Sharing Personal Data
Personal data may be shared, where lawful and necessary, with:
- Local authorities and placing agencies
- Ofsted and other regulators
- Health, education and safeguarding professionals
- IT and system service providers
- Professional advisers and auditors
- Law enforcement or government bodies where required
All recipients are required to handle personal data securely and lawfully.
Data Security
Appropriate technical and organisational measures are in place to protect personal data. Access is restricted to authorised individuals with a legitimate need. Data breaches are managed in line with legal requirements and reported where necessary.
Data Retention
Personal data is retained in line with fostering regulations, safeguarding guidance and statutory limitation periods. Records relating to children and fostering services are retained for extended periods as required by law.
Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, individuals have rights including:
- The right to be informed
- The right of access
- The right to rectification
- The right to erasure (where applicable)
- The right to restrict processing
- The right to object
- The right to data portability
Requests should be made to the Data Protection Officer.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). We encourage concerns to be raised with us first.
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