Privacy Notice

Who is collecting and using your personal data?

Adopt North East is a Regional Adoption Agency hosted by North Tyneside Council who act as a ‘data controller’ for any personal data that you provide to us for adoption purposes. As such, we will ensure that the data you give us is processed in line with our organisation’s data protection policies and in line with Data Protection Legislation. North Tyneside Council’s Data Protection Officer is Wendy Rochester.

Adopt North East is required to collect and use personal information about individuals, their families and others in their support network, who wish to become adopters.

Personal information we process

During assessment, approval, matching and supporting adoptive parents we collect the following personal information when you provide it to us:

  • personal information (such as name, address, contact details, date of birth, gender and language)

  • special category characteristics (such as ethnicity, disability, religion and medical information)

  • family network and relationship information

  • employment information

  • financial information

  • information relating to assessments and approvals for suitability to adopt children

 We also obtain personal information from other sources as follows:

  • the local authority in whose area you live

  • other adoption agencies previously involved

  • past and/or present employer

  • references (personal and employment)

  • previous partners

  • health authorities

  • schools and education providers

  • disclosure and barring service

  • probation service

Why are we processing your personal data?

To deliver the services of Adopt North East we need to process personal data about prospective adopters and children who have been placed for adoption and those who are adopted or affected by adoption and ask for support. 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.

We use your personal information 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, those adopted and those affected by adoption

  • prevent or detect crime or fraud

  • assess and evaluate our services

  • inform future service planning and the commissioning of services

Lawful Basis for processing your data

Adopt North East processing of your personal data, is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation and the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Regional Adoption Agency by virtue of various UK laws including, but not limited to:

  • 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.

Adopt North East processing of your special category personal data is necessary for the purposes of the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services on the basis of Union or Member State law or for reasons of substantial public interest, or necessary for legal claims.

Who will we share your personal data with?

To deliver adoption services it may be necessary for us to share personal data about prospective adopters and children placed for adoption with the following:

  • Independent adoption panel members who are responsible for assessing the suitability of prospective adopters to adopt a child.

  • other local authorities with statutory responsibility for safeguarding children and for delivering adoption services.

  • adoption agencies

  • any adoption agency from which children are placed with RAA adopters

  • any other adoption agency we are liaising with in relation to Family Finding

  • any adoption agency we are working with to provide adoption support.

  • therapeutic providers who are undertaking adoption support work

  • Police

  • other local authorities for statutory checking purposes

  • education establishments

  • employers

  • Link Maker (national agency for matching)

  • Ofsted

  • health agencies and GPs

  • any person undertaking a Statutory Inquiry under section 81 of the Children Act 1989

  • CAFCASS officers

  • The Court and officers of the Court

  • The Disclosure and Barring Service

  • any person appointed to deal with a complaint or representation in respect of which access to the Adoption Case Record is required in order to carry out the responsibilities of their appointment.

  • any qualified person undertaking a Serious Case Review in relation to a child

  • The Secretary of State or persons authorised on their behalf, an ombudsman or regulatory authority

  • contractor/service provider to support adults who have been adopted or have family who have been adopted

We will not share your personal data with other organisations without a legitimate lawful reason to do so.

How long will we hold your personal data?

We keep your information securely in line with Adoption Regulation 2005 which are reflected in North Tyneside Council’s Records Management Policy and Retention Schedule.

Keeping your personal data secure

We have appropriate security measures in place to prevent personal information from being accidentally lost, processed 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.

Exercising your rights

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation, you have the following rights:

  • The right of access to your own personal data.

  • The right to request rectification or deletion of your personal data.

  • The right to object to the processing of your personal data.

  • The right to request a copy of the information you provide us in machine readable format.

  • The right to withdraw your consent to any processing that is solely reliant upon your consent.

 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.

Should you wish to exercise any of your rights, you should contact one of the Adopt North East Team AdoptNorthEast@northtyneside.gov.uk or see the full Authority Privacy Notice at www.northtyneside.gov.uk. 

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