Family Help Privacy Notice
This privacy notice is designed to help you understand how we use personal information when delivering our Family Help services. It explains the services covered, the information we use to provide support, who we may share it with, and how long we keep it. Our aim is to be open and transparent so that children, young people and families understand how their information is handled and protected.
Family Help provides support to children, young people and their families when their needs are multiple and/or complex and require more than universal or community services. It brings together support previously delivered through Targeted Early Help, Child Protection and Children in Need into one coordinated approach, ensuring families receive the right help at the right time.
A Family Help Lead Practitioner works alongside the family as their main point of contact, coordinating support from a team of professionals. Families have one assessment and one plan, which stays with them and can be updated as their needs change, reducing the need to repeat their story and helping to keep support consistent.
Where there are concerns about a child’s safety, Family Help involves specialist practitioners and multi‑agency safeguarding partners. This includes working with Multi‑Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs), who bring together experienced professionals from social care, health, education and the police to lead statutory child protection activity and support the Family Help Lead Practitioner where there are concerns about significant harm.
Families may also be offered Family Group Decision Making, allowing wider family networks to help develop safe and sustainable plans.
Some interventions we offer are optional and are designed to support your assessment and plan. Where participation in an intervention is voluntary, we will ask whether you wish to take part. This relates only to your choice to participate. It does not affect the council’s lawful basis for processing your personal data, which is carried out under our statutory duties and public tasks.
Family Help can also support children to return safely to their families from care, where this forms part of an agreed plan. Support focuses on helping the family create safe, stable and sustainable arrangements in line with statutory guidance.
The purpose of Family Help is to strengthen relationships, build resilience, and support children to remain safely within their families wherever possible.
What information we collect, use, and why
When you contact us or receive support through Family Help, we collect and use personal information so that we can understand your circumstances, assess your needs, coordinate support, and keep children safe. We only collect information that is relevant, necessary and proportionate to delivering our services, meeting our legal duties, and helping families achieve positive outcomes.
We collect three main types of information: personal data, special category data, and, where required, criminal offence data. Below is an outline of the information we use and why.
Personal Data
To identify you and communicate with you about meetings, assessments, plans, updates and decisions.
To confirm identity, understand your age and developmental needs, and link records accurately.
To understand who lives in the household, who is involved in caring for the child, and who forms part of the wider family network.
To understand school attendance, progress, learning needs, and any barriers such as exclusion, absence or work-related issues affecting the family.
To understand any issues such as overcrowding, temporary accommodation or homelessness that may affect the child’s wellbeing.
To understand financial pressures, debt, worklessness or other issues that affect the family’s ability to meet a child’s needs.
Records of contacts, referrals, assessments, plans, reviews, decisions, actions and outcomes, to ensure support is coordinated and consistent.
Such as NHS number or Unique Pupil Number, to match records and work effectively with health, education and safeguarding partners.
These may be used to evidence activities, collect feedback, or support promotional materials. This consent relates only to these optional uses and does not affect the council’s lawful basis for delivering statutory services.
Special Category Data
Because Family Help is a service focused on children’s safety, wellbeing and development, we sometimes need to collect and use more sensitive information where necessary and lawful.
This may include:
To understand health needs, disabilities, mental health concerns, or developmental needs that affect the child or family.
Where this is relevant to assessing needs, planning support, or safeguarding.
To ensure services are inclusive, culturally competent and accessible to all families.
Where this is relevant to planning support, understanding family preferences, or ensuring cultural sensitivity.
Including domestic abuse, neglect, substance misuse, parental conflict, or other factors that may affect a child's safety or wellbeing.
Criminal Offence Data
When necessary we will also collect information about:
Where this is necessary to safeguard children, assess risk, or plan appropriate support.
Where this affects the child’s needs or safety, or where multi‑agency working is required.
Sources of Information
We collect most of the information we use directly from you and your family during conversations, meetings, visits, assessments and reviews. We also receive information from a range of professionals and agencies involved in supporting your child or family to make sure we have a complete and accurate understanding of your circumstances. We only obtain information from others where it is relevant, necessary and lawful to do so.
We may receive information from:
Such as GPs, midwives, health visitors, school nurses, mental health services, hospital teams or therapists, to understand health needs, risks, development, and any care or treatment being provided.
Including nurseries, schools, colleges, Virtual School teams and education support services, to understand attendance, progress, support needs, risks and any concerns affecting the child’s learning or wellbeing.
To help us understand safeguarding concerns, missing episodes, domestic abuse incidents, or other information relevant to a child’s safety or risk of harm.
Where adults or young people are involved with probation, Youth Justice Services, or diversion/support programmes and this information is needed to assess risk or coordinate services.
Such as substance misuse services, domestic abuse services, victim support, mental health providers, and voluntary or community sector organisations working with your family.
Information may be shared lawfully between safeguarding partners involved in protecting children and supporting families, including through Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs or multi-agency child protection teams.
Information shared by parents, carers, wider family network members or friends involved in caring for your child or taking part in Family Group Decision Making.
Such as FGDM facilitators, coordinators or partner agencies supporting family meetings.
This may include schools, health services, other agencies, or members of the public who raise a concern or request support for your family.
We only use information from these sources where it is necessary to provide Family Help, safeguard children, or meet our legal duties. All information shared with us is handled securely and in line with data protection legislation.
What your personal information is used for
We use your personal information to understand your family’s situation, identify what help is needed, and work with you and other professionals to keep children safe and well. We only use information where it is relevant, necessary and lawful to support you and to meet our statutory duties.
Your information is used to:
To help us understand what is working well, what you are worried about, and what support may be required.
To plan, coordinate and deliver support from the Family Help Lead Practitioner and other professionals involved with your family.
To record decisions, actions and progress, ensuring support is clear, consistent and adapted as your needs change.
To help your wider family network contribute to plans where this is appropriate and safe.
To take appropriate action where a child may be at risk of harm, including carrying out Section 47 child protection enquiries and working with Multi‑Agency Child Protection Teams when required.
So that professionals such as health, Department for Work & Pensions (DWP), education, police, probation, youth services or community organisations can work together effectively.
To identify outcomes, monitor progress and make sure support is achieving positive and sustainable improvements for the child and family.
Including responsibilities under the Children Act, Working Together guidance, and other statutory requirements relating to safeguarding, early help and children in need.
Where required, anonymised or pseudonymised information may be used for reporting, evaluation and improvement of national programmes.
To address concerns, provide updates, or support you in understanding decisions about your child or family.
We only use your information for purposes directly connected to delivering Family Help or fulfilling our legal responsibilities. It is never used for purposes that are unrelated or incompatible with these functions.
Who we share your information with
We only share your information when it is necessary, lawful and proportionate to do so. Information is shared to help coordinate support, keep children safe, meet our legal duties, and ensure that all professionals involved have the information they need to work effectively with your family. We do not share more information than is needed for each purpose.
We may share information with:
Such as GPs, midwives, health visitors, mental health services, paediatric teams, therapists and other NHS professionals involved in a child’s care or assessment.
Including nurseries, schools, colleges, Virtual School teams and education support services, to coordinate support, monitor progress, and respond to attendance or safeguarding concerns.
Where this is necessary to safeguard children, understand risks, respond to incidents, or support joint investigations under child protection procedures.
Where this is relevant to assessing risk, coordinating support, or meeting statutory responsibilities for young people and families.
Where these services are working directly with your family and need information to provide safe, appropriate support.
Where these organisations are providing support to you or your family as part of a coordinated plan.
Including facilitators or coordinators who support the FGDM process, where they need information to prepare meetings or develop family-led plans.
Such as Multi‑Agency Safeguarding Hubs or multi‑agency child protection teams, where this is necessary to protect children and respond to significant harm concerns.
Sharing with the Department for Education (Targeted Early Help Annual Data Collection)
We are required to share pseudonymised information with the Department for Education (DfE) about children who are supported at a Targeted Early Help level. This is part of the Targeted Early Help Annual Data Collection, which helps the DfE understand the needs of families nationally and evaluate the impact of the Families First reforms.
The information is sent securely using a password‑protected government system and does not include names or direct identifiers. The DfE uses the information to carry out checks, analyse patterns and provide feedback reports to the local authority. Any reports produced from this data contain only non-identifiable, aggregated information.
The DfE uses this information to understand:
- the problems children and families are experiencing
- which professionals are leading support
- the outcomes of the support provided
Further information about how the Department for Education processes personal data is available in the DfE Personal Information Charter.
Data Processors
We use data processors to support the delivery of Family Help and to ensure your information is managed securely and effectively. Data processors act on our instructions and must comply with data protection legislation. They are not permitted to use your information for their own purposes.
We use the following types of data processors:
- Case management systems: We use secure electronic systems to record and store information about contacts, assessments, plans, reviews and case records. Access is restricted to authorised professionals involved in your family’s support.
- Secure communication platforms: We use approved systems to send emails, documents, meeting invitations and updates between the Council and partner agencies who are working with your family.
- Cloud storage and IT service providers: We use Council‑approved technology providers to host information securely, maintain system functionality and provide secure data back‑ups.
- Online referral and information‑sharing portals: We use secure digital portals to receive referrals, share documents and allow professionals to contribute safely to assessments and support plans.
- Digital tools supporting Family Group Decision Making: We use secure systems to coordinate FGDM activity, manage documents and communicate with family members and professionals involved in the process.
All data processors are contractually required to protect your information, use appropriate security measures, and process data only for the purposes set by Cheshire West and Chester Council.
Data Controller
Cheshire West and Chester Council is the Data Controller for the personal information processed as part of the Family Help service. This means the Council is responsible for deciding how and why your information is used, and for ensuring that it is handled lawfully, fairly and securely in accordance with data protection legislation.
We are also responsible for ensuring that any organisations working on our behalf, or partners involved in delivering Family Help, process your information safely and only for the purposes we instruct.
The Lawful Basis for Processing
We do not rely on consent under UK GDPR to process personal information for Family Help. Family Help is a public service delivered under legal duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and the processing of personal information is necessary for the Council to perform these duties.
It is important to distinguish between:
- (1) Permission to receive a service
- Families are involved in decisions and may be asked to agree to take part in support, assessments or meetings (for example, taking part in Family Group Decision Making or agreeing to an Early Help plan). This is about engagement with the service, not data protection consent.
- (2) Consent as a lawful basis under UK GDPR
- This is not used for Family Help. Even if families decline support, the Council may still need to process and share information where this is necessary to safeguard a child or meet our statutory duties.
Lawful Basis for Personal Data
We process personal data under:
UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e) – Public Task
Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority.
This includes:
- responding to concerns about a child
- assessing a child’s needs and safety
- providing Family Help support
- coordinating multi-agency work
- carrying out Section 17 (Children in Need) functions
- carrying out Section 47 (Child Protection) enquiries
- supporting national monitoring, including the Targeted Early Help Annual Data Collection
- meeting duties under the Children Act and statutory safeguarding guidance
Lawful Basis for Special Category Data
We process special category data under:
UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h) – Health or Social Care
Processing is necessary for the provision of social care and the management of social care systems and services.
We only use consent for optional activities such as photos, videos or quotes used for feedback or promotional purposes. This consent relates only to these optional elements. It does not apply to, or affect, the council’s lawful basis for providing statutory services. Where consent is used, it can be withdrawn at any time.
UK GDPR Article 9(2)(g) – Substantial Public Interest
Supported by the Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1 conditions, including:
- safeguarding children and individuals at risk
- preventing or detecting unlawful acts
- protecting the public
- ensuring equality of opportunity or treatment
- support for individuals with a particular disability or medical condition
- regulatory requirements relating to social care functions
These provisions allow the Council to handle sensitive information where necessary to safeguard children, assess risk, and provide appropriate help, support or protection.
Criminal Offence Data (Schedule 1, DPA 2018)
Where we process information about offences, alleged offences or criminal history, this is carried out under:
- Schedule 1, Part 2 — Safeguarding of children and individuals at risk
- Schedule 1, Part 2 — Preventing or detecting unlawful acts
- Schedule 1, Part 2 — Regulatory requirements relating to social care functions
This ensures information about risks or offending is handled lawfully and proportionately when needed to protect children or support safe decision making.
Consent and Family Help: what this means in practice
- We do not rely on UK GDPR consent to collect, store or share information for Family Help.
- Families are encouraged to participate and work collaboratively, but withdrawal of cooperation does not prevent the Council from processing information where safeguarding or statutory duties apply.
- Any “consent” forms used within services (e.g. agreeing to take part in a plan or meeting) are service-level agreements, not data protection consent.
- Your personal information is processed because it is necessary, proportionate and required for the Council to carry out its legal responsibilities.
Legislation We Rely On
We use your personal information to meet our legal duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, provide early help, and deliver social care services. The main legislation and statutory guidance we rely on includes, but is not limited to:
This sets out the duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, including responsibilities under Section 17 (Children in Need) and Section 47 (Child Protection enquiries).
This sets the framework for multi‑agency working to improve the wellbeing of children and requires partners to cooperate in safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare.
This guidance sets out how organisations must work together to identify, assess and support children who need help or protection, including information sharing requirements.
This supports duties relating to children with special educational needs, disabilities, and wider family support.
Used in the delivery of statutory social care functions, including assessment, planning and safeguarding responsibilities.
These underpin duties relating to school attendance, inclusion, support for children unable to attend school, and safeguarding within education settings.
Used where domestic abuse affects a child’s safety, wellbeing or family circumstances.
Used where information sharing is necessary for safeguarding or the prevention and detection of crime.
These support the Council’s legal powers and duties to deliver services to children, young people and families.
This supports the delivery of Family Help, multi‑agency child protection, Family Group Decision Making, and national reporting requirements, including the Targeted Early Help Annual Data Collection.
This legislation provides the lawful foundation for collecting, using and sharing personal information as part of the Family Help service and ensures that children, young people and families receive effective, coordinated and legally compliant support.
International Data Transfers
Although the Family Help service is primarily delivered within the United Kingdom, we sometimes need to share or obtain information from organisations based outside the UK. This occurs in situations where families, children or young people have lived in another country, recently arrived in the UK, or are receiving support connected to immigration, asylum or international safeguarding concerns.
International transfers happen only when they are necessary, proportionate and lawful. Examples include:
We may need to request information from social services, education, health organisations or authorities abroad to understand previous involvement, risks, safeguarding concerns or existing support.
Where a child or family has an asylum or immigration background, we may need to work with relevant bodies, such as overseas authorities or international organisations, to establish identity, assess risks, understand family connections, or ensure appropriate safeguarding arrangements.
We may need to contact overseas relatives or authorities when assessing wider family networks, including as part of Family Group Decision Making, reunification planning or understanding safe caring arrangements.
If a child is at risk of harm and key information is held outside the UK, we may need to request or share information with relevant overseas agencies to protect them.
When international transfers take place, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information. This includes:
We transfer information to countries that the UK has formally recognised as having strong data protection laws.
Where adequacy decisions do not apply, we use legally binding agreements to ensure your information is handled to UK standards.
We carry out transfer risk assessments to confirm that your information remains protected when shared internationally.
We use secure channels, encryption and strict access controls to protect your information when it is transferred.
We only transfer personal information internationally when it is strictly necessary to deliver Family Help, safeguard a child or young person, or meet our legal responsibilities.
Retention Period
We only keep personal information for as long as it is needed to deliver Family Help, meet our legal duties and maintain accurate records of the support provided. Once information is no longer required, it is securely destroyed in line with the Council’s Corporate Retention Schedule.
The following retention periods apply to Family Help:
Records created as part of non‑statutory early intervention or Targeted Early Help support are retained for 7 years after the case is closed.
Records relating to Children in Need support, including referrals, assessments, reviews, plans and multi‑agency involvement, are retained until the child’s 25th birthday.
Records created when a child receives statutory safeguarding support that does not result in looked‑after status are retained until the child’s 25th birthday.
Youth offending, prevention, and diversion case records are retained until the child’s 25th birthday.
Police notifications and related safeguarding information (such as Operation Encompass) are retained until the child’s 25th birthday.
Records relating to FGDM meetings, family involvement and family plans are retained in line with the child’s main case record:
- Early Help / Targeted Early Help: 7 years after closure
Any information contributed by partner agencies that forms part of the child’s case record is retained according to the same retention period as the child’s file.
Where information about offending, alleged offences, or Youth Justice involvement forms part of a Family Help record, it is retained until the child’s 25th birthday.
Information used for reporting, monitoring or evaluation is anonymised or pseudonymised wherever possible. Any temporary working documents are securely destroyed once reporting is complete.
Where records must be retained longer due to statutory inquiries, litigation or safeguarding investigations, they are retained in line with the Council’s legal obligations and the Corporate Retention Schedule.
These are subject to separate statutory retention requirements and are covered in the dedicated Looked After Children Privacy Notice.
- CIN / CP cases: until the child’s 25th birthday
Your Rights
The UK GDPR provides you with a several rights to control what personal information is used by us and how it is used by us.
Further guidance about these rights can be accessed from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website
If you are not happy about the way your personal data is being used, or you require further information about how we process your personal data, you can contact Council’s Data Protection Team:-
- Online: Contact the DPO
- By post: Data Protection Officer, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BA
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office using the following details:
- Website: Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
- Instant Message: Live Chat
- By post: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
- Telephone: 0303 123 1113