How to access your social work file

Data protection law gives you a legal right to see what information is held about you and we wish to support people in gaining access to anything that is written about them. However there are some circumstances set out in data protection law where we may not be able to disclose to you all the information we hold. Even if these circumstances apply, we have the duty to provide you with as much information as we can.

Examples of circumstances:

• Information which may be seriously harmful to you or some other person.
• The information identifies another person who has not agreed to it being passed to you.
• Special rules apply to information provided by health professionals, the Children's Reporter and the Education Service.
• 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 e.g. adoption agency records.

You can write to us or email us to make a request to access to your information.

Please send your request to the following address:

Access to Information Team
Aberdeen City Council
Marischal College
Broad Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1AB

You can email us on accesstoinformation@aberdeencity.gov.uk 

Once we have received your request we will aim to provide the information to you within one calendar month, from the first day after the request was received. If we can’t provide you the information within one month we will let you know and 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 but only to a maximum of 3 months in total.

There is no charge for providing this information. 

If you think that the information about you is wrong you should tell the Complaints, Rights and Enquiries Team. If we agree that what is recorded is wrong then the information will be altered and if we do not agree that what is recorded is wrong we will note your concerns on the record.

If you are not satisfied with the response you can write to the Information Commissioner or you can appeal in writing to the Complaints, Rights and Enquiries Team, within 28 days of receiving the response. You should make clear the grounds on which the appeal is based and any written evidence in support of the appeal.

If your appeal is successful, you will be provided with the withheld information. If your appeal is unsuccessful, you will be notified within 7 days of the decision being made.

If you are still not satisfied, you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner.

The Commissioner's address is:

Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Fax: 01625 524510
Enquiry / Information Line: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545745 (national rate). 

You can find more information on the Information Commissioner's Office website.

If you require further advice regarding an appeal, you can contact a solicitor or the Citizen's Advice Bureau, 41 Union Street, Aberdeen, AB11 5BN, 01224 586255.

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