Access to records
We can help with accessing personal records for those who were formerly in our care or received a service through us.
You can request information from our records if you previously used one of our services. For example, if you:
- Lived in a care home run by Action for Children (formerly National Children’s Home or NCH).
- Were placed in an Action for Children foster home.
- Were supported through one of our services that is no longer open.
The type of documents that you will be able to access will be different for each person. It will depend on what kind of service you used.
Some of the records you might be able to request include:
- Admission details, including information about what led to you being placed in care
- Service referral details
- Family background information
- School and branch reports
- Progress reports and assessments
- Letters and correspondence
It’s rare to find photographs, or details about daily life. Also keep in mind that legally we cannot provide information relating to third parties or personal information relating to others
In some cases records may have been destroyed or damaged by fire or flood, and in a small number of cases we may be unable to locate records.
To request your own records, complete the Access to Personal Records form below. Or, you can apply directly through Onetrust.
Email us your completed form and the required identification.
Whilst we appreciate the importance and value of these records to family members, as a charity we have very limited resources to carry out this work.
We are processing these enquiries as we are able around our statutory duties with a waiting list in place, if you would like to be added to the waiting list please email [email protected] providing details of the records you are requesting.
Most people formerly in our care have had happy experiences. If your childhood experiences were painful, traumatic or unhappy, we would like you to tell us.
We’re committed to supporting anyone who has experienced abuse. This includes adults who suffered as a result of child migration.
We’ll use your data to search for the records you request, and to monitor and improve our service.
We destroy your identity documents once we’ve completed your request. And we won’t share your data with others, unless we have to by law.
The law decides how long we have to keep other information related to your request. For residential care files, it’s 75 years from date of birth. It’s 100 years for adoption files.
To find out how to access or change the information we have about you, see our privacy policy.
