Accessing your Children's Social Care records

The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018 entitles you to request access to the records that Children’s Services hold about you.  This is called a Subject Access Request (SAR)

Information that you can see

You are entitled to have access to information of which you are the Data Subject and which comprises of your personal data. You can see what Children’s Social Care workers have recorded about you, unless there are legal reasons for this information to be withheld.

Information that you are not allowed to see

You will not be able to see information that has been provided by other people outside of Newcastle Children’s Services, for example professionals and/or individuals form other agencies.

You are not entitled to see information about other people. We have a duty of confidentiality to other people and it may be necessary to contact them to seek their consent in order to disclose their information to you.

Under the General Data Protection Regulations there are some exemptions for accessing the information we hold. For more details visit the Information Commissioners Office website (https://ico.org.uk).

Accessing the records of children and others

You are not entitled to see information about other people unless they give their permission. This includes information about members of your family. If you are the parents of a child aged 12 years or under and have ‘parental responsibility’ you may have the right to see the information we hold about them. If you are requesting information about your children aged between 13 and 17 years, we will require their consent to share their personal information with you.

Accessing Adoption records

There are separate processes for requesting access to adoption records. Please contact Adopt North East by telephone 0191 64 5000 or email adoptnortheast@northtyneside.gov.uk

How to make a Subject Access Request to Newcastle Children’s Social Care?

You should complete our Subject Access Request Application Form to gain access to your records. 

Make a Subject Access Request

You will need to provide us with proof of your identity. We require copies of 2 forms of identification, one of which should be photographic. Please do not send original documents.

How long does a Subject Access request take?

The GDPR requires us to respond to Subject Access Requests within a month of receiving the request. However if your request is complex and/or lengthy this time can be extended.

It is important to note that we do not have to respond to a request until we are provided with sufficient information necessary to confirm your identity and to locate the information you are seeking.

What to do if I'm not happy with the response to my Subject Access Request?

If you are not satisfied with the response to your Subject Access Request, you can make a complaint using Newcastle City Council’s complaints procedure. Find out more information on how to make a complaint .