Lost adoption file

[Slippersmum]

Just after some advice. I have been informed the local authority cannot 'locate my file' I know I have one because I have seen it before when I was very young but needed to double check some details which have since come to light. How should I progress now? I am upset that it is somehow ok with them to lose the only copy of important documents. I have met other people whom this has happened to, infact it seems fairly commonplace that files are mislaid. Has this happened to anyone? What did you do? Any ideas as to how I should progress things?

This is completely unacceptable. It's highly personal information, and they're hoping that you'll just walk away and go quiet about it. I would ask them what measures they've taken to look for it, and contact one of the central adoption organisations for further info on how to proceed. They will have lawyers who specialise in this kind of thing.

Contact BAAF for advice! They can't have just lost it. How unsettling for you.

Thanks so much for your replies and for making me feel my upset is justified!

It's awful, but really common :(. I'm a foster carer and in an audit our LA had lost 20% of adoption files.

I worked in Leaving Care and a lot of files were separated into volumes, with some in the office and others Archived. It should be logged on their system how many volumes your file is separated into, and where they are located.

There are several organisations who can advise you. Have you heard of NCAS? Don't let this go as the LA cannot be allowed to get away with such a lax attitude towards care files.

Look at this website: leavingcare.org
They have a contacts page. I found them really helpful.