Who we are
Organic Fostering Ltd is an independent fostering agency registered in England and Wales.
• Company number: 14619227
• Ofsted URN: 2752487
• Registered office: Beaumont House, Office 4, 455 Chester Road, Manchester, M16 9HA
• Telephone: 0161 241 1332
• General email: info@organicfostering.co.uk
For data-protection purposes, Organic Fostering Ltd will be the controller where it decides why and how personal information is used. In some work involving a child or placing authority, another organisation may be a separate or joint controller.
Who this notice applies to
This notice may apply to:
• people exploring or enquiring about fostering;
• prospective and approved foster carers;
• partners, household members, adult children, former partners, referees and support-network members;
• children and young people receiving a service;
• birth parents, relatives and other significant people;
• people enquiring about transferring fostering service;
• job applicants, employees, workers, panel members and independent professionals;
• local authority and partner-agency professionals;
• suppliers and service providers;
• website visitors;
• people who give feedback, raise concerns or make complaints.
Where the context requires more specific detail, separate privacy information may be provided, including an age-appropriate notice for children and young people and a workforce notice for staff.
Information collected through the website
When you browse the website or submit a general enquiry, we may collect:
• name;
• email address;
• telephone number;
• postcode or general location;
• preferred contact method and contact time;
• the reason for your enquiry;
• information entered in an open message field;
• marketing preference, if offered;
• cookie choices;
• IP address, browser, device and basic security logs;
• page visits, referral source and campaign information where permitted;
• correspondence and a record of follow-up contact.
Do not submit detailed information about a child, a criminal matter, a medical diagnosis or another person's private life through a general enquiry form unless the form specifically and securely requests it.
Information used during foster carer recruitment and assessment
Fostering assessment is detailed because the agency must make safe, evidence-informed decisions. Depending on the stage and circumstances, information may include:
• identity, date of birth and contact details;
• address history, household and accommodation information;
• nationality, immigration status and right-to-work evidence;
• family, relationship and parenting history;
• details about children and adults in the household;
• education, employment, volunteering and skills;
• finances and household stability;
• physical and mental health;
• disability and reasonable-adjustment needs;
• culture, ethnicity, religion, language, sex and sexual orientation where relevant;
• criminal-record, barred-list and safeguarding information;
• local authority and other statutory checks;
• personal, employment and professional references;
• information from relevant former partners, adult children or family members;
• previous fostering, adoption or childminding enquiries and applications;
• home safety, pets, vehicles and driving information;
• assessment conversations, training and observations;
• reasons for withdrawal, deferral or a decision not to progress.
Health, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and some other information is special-category data. Criminal-offence data has additional protections. Organic Fostering must document a valid legal condition before using either.
Information about approved carers and fostering households
Depending on the relationship and legal requirements, records may include:
• approval terms and fostering agreement information;
• placement, referral and matching records;
• supervision, training and development records;
• annual reviews and household updates;
• payment, expense and tax statement information;
• daily logs and records relating to a child's care;
• health and safety, unannounced visit and compliance records;
• complaints, concerns, allegations and safeguarding information;
• professional correspondence and meeting records;
• photographs, audio or video where a specific need and lawful basis exist;
• resignation, transfer or termination records.
Information about children and young people
The information held depends on Organic Fostering's role and the child's care plan. It may include:
• identity and contact details;
• family and important relationships;
• placement history and care plan information;
• health, disability and emotional wellbeing;
• education and development;
• culture, ethnicity, religion, language, sex and identity;
• wishes, feelings, communication and accessibility needs;
• safeguarding risks, incidents and protection plans;
• achievements, routines and progress;
• family time and contact arrangements;
• complaints, advocacy and representation;
• information supplied by the placing local authority and professionals.
Children and young people should receive privacy information they can understand. Where a child's records are controlled by the placing local authority, this must be made clear.
Information about staff, applicants, professionals and suppliers
The agency may hold identity, contact, qualification, professional-registration, work-history, right-to-work, payroll, performance, training, health, DBS, insurance, contract and supplier-payment data where relevant.
Job applicants and workers should receive a separate workforce privacy notice.
Where information comes from
Information may be received:
• directly from you;
• through website forms, telephone calls, email and meetings;
• during enquiry, assessment, training, supervision and support;
• from household members, former partners, adult children and referees;
• from employers, training bodies and professional regulators;
• from the Disclosure and Barring Service;
• from local authorities, police, health services, schools and courts;
• from Ofsted and other public authorities;
• from placing authorities, social workers and other professionals;
• from cookies, security logs and analytics where permitted;
• from public sources where lawful, necessary and relevant.
Where possible, we will tell you whether information is required and what may happen if it is not provided.
Why information is used
Organic Fostering may need personal information to:
• respond to a website, telephone or email enquiry;
• check initial suitability and recruitment area;
• assess applicants and their households;
• complete statutory checks and obtain references;
• prepare, train, approve, supervise and review foster carers;
• consider referrals and match children with appropriate households;
• safeguard children and adults;
• deliver, monitor and improve fostering services;
• maintain assessment, placement, panel, review and regulatory records;
• work with local authorities, families and professionals;
• manage allowances, expenses and financial records;
• investigate complaints, concerns, incidents and allegations;
• recruit and manage people who work for or with the agency;
• manage contracts, suppliers, insurance, audit and legal claims;
• secure and maintain the website and organisational systems;
• understand website performance where optional analytics consent exists;
• send optional marketing where the required permission exists;
• meet legal, court, safeguarding, inspection and regulatory duties.
Lawful bases and additional conditions
Data-protection law requires a lawful basis for each use of personal information. Special-category and criminal-offence data require additional conditions or authority. Consent is not automatically the correct basis simply because a form is used, and it may be inappropriate where the agency has a statutory safeguarding duty.
The processing activities recorded for Organic Fostering include:
• website enquiries;
• fostering recruitment and assessment;
• approved carer management;
• child and placement records;
• safeguarding, complaints and allegations;
• payments, tax and accounting;
• recruitment and workforce management;
• optional analytics;
• optional marketing.
Sharing personal information
Where necessary and lawful, relevant information may be shared with categories such as:
• local authorities and placing authorities;
• social workers and safeguarding partners;
• police, courts and the Disclosure and Barring Service;
• health, education and support professionals;
• Ofsted and other regulators;
• fostering panel members and the agency decision maker;
• independent review, advocacy, investigation or support services;
• insurers, auditors, legal advisers and professional advisers;
• approved training, assessment and support providers;
• approved case-management, hosting, form, email and communications suppliers;
• HMRC and other public authorities where required;
• emergency services;
• another fostering service during an authorised transfer.
Information should be limited to what is relevant for the purpose. Organic Fostering does not sell personal information.
Safeguarding and confidentiality
We respect confidentiality, but cannot promise secrecy where a child or another person may be at risk. Information may be shared without consent where lawful and necessary to protect someone, prevent or detect crime, respond to an emergency, comply with a court order or meet a regulatory duty.
Where safe and appropriate, we will explain what is being shared and why. Our safeguarding page sets out more about this.
Service providers and international transfers
Some suppliers process personal information on the agency's behalf. They must be selected and governed appropriately.
If information is transferred outside the UK, the agency must use a lawful transfer mechanism and provide the required transparency.
Cookies and website analytics
Essential technologies support security and core site functions. Non-essential analytics or advertising technologies should load only after the required consent.
Our cookie policy explains the cookies and similar technologies used on this website.
Automated decision-making
Data-protection law gives additional protection where a decision is made solely by automated means and produces a legal or similarly significant effect.
Where such a decision applies to you, you can ask for human involvement in it.
How long information is kept
We keep personal information only for as long as needed for its purpose and applicable legal, safeguarding, regulatory, insurance and dispute requirements.
Different records require different periods. We do not apply one retention period to every fostering file. Retention is set separately for record categories including:
• enquiries that do not progress;
• withdrawn or unsuccessful applications;
• approved foster carer records;
• child and placement records;
• safeguarding and allegation records;
• complaints;
• recruitment and staff records;
• financial records;
• analytics and consent records;
• marketing suppression records.
How information is protected
Organic Fostering uses organisational and technical controls appropriate to the nature and risk of the information.
No internet or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure. Where a personal-data breach creates a risk, the agency will investigate and make any notification required by law.