You can request to see the information we have about you and this is sometimes called a subject access request.
We are committed to providing service users, those acting on their behalf, and those affected by social work and care services with a transparent, accessible, and effective process for requesting their records.
Accessing a copy of the information we hold about you will normally be free of charge and will be provided to you within one month. If we can’t provide you the information within one month we will contact you to explain the reason why. It might be because the request is complex, so it will take us a bit longer to respond. In these cases we can extend the time period to three months.
We are currently experiencing a higher volume of requests. We recognise that there have been instances where we have been unable to respond to requests on time. Please be reassured that we are working towards a resolution for this delay.
You can also contact the Access to Information Team on 01224 070074 or at the following address:
Access to Information
Aberdeen City Council
Business Hub 16
Third Floor West
Marischal College
Broad Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1AB
We may also need to verify who you are before we process your request. This is because we want to make sure we don’t give your information to anyone who is not authorised to have it. We will be in touch directly with you about this.
We handle large volumes of requests so we may ask you to give us more detail about the information you would like to access.
You could consider making a joint request with a family member. This may enable a more open release of records as we will be permitted to share information that could otherwise be redacted.
What happens next?
Once your request has been received and recorded, you will receive an acknowledgement either by letter or email. This will let you know that we have one month to provide your information to you and we will keep you updated on the progress of your request.
We will assess whether an extension of up to three months is required and if so, we will advise you of this. We will also contact you early in the process to discuss your request in more detail and to gain an understanding of your circumstances, if required.
Receiving your information
Your records contain your personal information.
Where possible, we always provide you with as much information about you. Where we have removed information, this is called redaction and will show as black areas in your records. The redaction process is as minimal as possible.
Where we have made any redactions, this is because the information is not about you or related to you, and may be about family members, people that you have lived with, people you have known etc. This information is removed in line with the requirements of Data Protection Legislation and their right to confidentiality.
There are also some situations set out in law where we may not be able to give you all the information we hold about you. If these circumstances apply, we will give you as much information as we can. Some examples of these circumstances are:
- Information which may be seriously harmful to you or someone else.
- The information identifies another person who has not agreed to it being passed to you.
- Information given and held for the purposes of preventing or detecting crime, or for prosecuting or apprehending offenders.
- Information which is restricted by another law, for example adoption agency records.
Support
Information provided may have an effect on your emotional wellbeing or mental health. Contact details for organisations who can help, and details of the services they offer, can be found below.