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Many Care Leavers are aware that the Local Authority holds information about their journey into care and as they approach adulthood they think about having this information.

If you are thinking about this, it is worth bearing the following in mind as you decide what to ask for:

• The information you will be given if you ask for your records may not answer the questions you have. Why is this? Because often what you want to know is information about someone else. You may be wondering most about why your parents or siblings took certain actions, or didn’t take certain actions. You may be wondering why your siblings experienced different decisions made for/with them to those you faced. However, when you ask for information from your records, you are only given information about you; information about anyone else, including your parents and siblings is removed.

• Is it likely to help or hinder your emotional wellbeing? Is it likely to help resolve difficulties, or might it create more questions, frustration or anger for you?

• Consider what support you have around you while you are reading your records, or people to speak to after any time you set aside to read them. It is not likely to be healthy for you to go through this process alone.

• Asking for your full record is likely to be overwhelming, it may be 1000s of pages. If you are looking for something specific, it may be much more beneficial to ask for that particularly.

• You don’t actually have to wait until you are 18, you can apply to access your records from the age of 12.

• If there is any doubt in the minds of those who work to prepare your records as to whether it will be in your best interests to receive them, for example if they worry about the impact on your mental health, they will ask for an opinion from those who may know you, for example your Personal Adviser. If they remain concerned, there is a nominated officer within the Local Authority, called the Caldecott Guardian, who will decide whether or not your records are given to you.
  
  
• Adoption related information cannot be provided by us through a Subject Access Request. You have to go to the relevant adoption agency to access this information.

We very much recognise the benefits for you of knowing your story, having a clear sense of identity and being able to process your experiences and feelings. As a Local Authority we are committed to helping you with this throughout your involvement with Children’s Social Care. Therefore, we encourage to talk to your social worker, Personal Adviser or Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) as early as possible, and as often as you like, about the questions you have and how you feel about these.

In addition, it may be helpful for you to have therapeutic discussions with Thor to help you reflect.

If you do want to access your records, you can make a request. However, the team who manage Subject Access Requests (SARs) do advise that you speak to your social worker or Personal Adviser about making the request.