SOCIAL SERVICES records..........

[LOONEYplayingachristmasTUNEy]

Just a quicky.......my dh and his siblings had a bad childhood and therefore a very thick file with social services. Something in the family is going on atm and I've been asked to find out if they legally have a right to seeing the contents of the file? It's from back in the 60's/70's. Just wondered now there is the Freedom of Information Act, they may be allowed a copy???

Anyone know the answer?

I will be interested to know too.
I have considered asking the same thing.
good luck

Thanks and good luck to you too

I'm fairly certain that you can get a copy of your own social services file. But you need to apply to the social service office that made the file in the first place. Some times depending on the information it contains they may ask you to go for counciling befor hand or may only release a proportion of the file at a time. For instance in abuse cases. But this depends on the individual SS office.

Your first port of call needs to be the social services office that dealt with your DH case and ask the question. I think they will talk to you in generic terms as to what is possible / what their requirments are. But your DH will need to make the request personally.

Additionally I am not certain of what would happen if there is only 1 file covering several siblings.

HTH and good luck I hope your DH gets the answers he needs.

Thanks - it's actually his twin brother who is really wanting them but dh would also like a look. Will pass this info onto them both.

I'm not an expert, but i think that freedom of information act refers to more general information, like that held by local authorities or government.

you want subject access rights under data protection legislation.

how to access your information

I think you can, watching Jeremy Kyle television recently someone had accessed all their reports from SS from when they were a child.