The Fostering Services Regulations 2002

Retention and confidentiality of records

32.—(1) The records compiled in relation to a foster parent under regulation 30(1), and any entry relating to him in the register maintained under regulation 31(1) shall be retained for at least 10 years from the date on which his approval is terminated.

(2) The records compiled by a local authority under regulation 30(4) in relation to a person with whom a child is placed under regulation 38(2), and any entry relating to such a person in the register maintained under regulation 31(1), shall be retained for at least 10 years from the date on which the placement is terminated.

(3) The records compiled under regulation 30(5) shall be retained for at least 3 years from the refusal or withdrawal, as the case may be, of the application to become a foster parent.

(4) The requirement in paragraphs (1) to (3) may be complied with by retaining the original written records or copies of them, or by keeping all or part of the information contained in them in some other accessible form such as a computer record.

(5) Any records or register maintained in accordance with regulation 30 or 31 shall be kept securely and may not be disclosed to any person except in accordance with—

(a) any provision of, or made under, or by virtue of, a statute under which access to such records is authorised;

(b) any court order authorising access to such records.