Privacy notice

01Who we are

WellCare Fostering Services Ltd (“WellCare”, “we”, “us”) is an independent fostering agency registered with Ofsted (URN SC061984). We are registered in England and Wales, company number 04963908. Our registered office is 504 Olympic House, 28–42 Clements Road, Ilford IG1 1BA.

We are the data controller for the personal information described in this notice. This means we decide how and why it is used, and we are responsible for looking after it.

We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), registration number ZA595280.

If you have a question about your information, please contact our team by email at info@wellcarefostering.co.uk or by phone on 020 3417 9292.

02Who this notice covers

This notice covers people who:

• visit our website
• make an enquiry about fostering or transferring to WellCare
• contact us by phone, email, WhatsApp or social media
• ask about a job or send us your CV
• sign up for information or events.

If you go on to apply to foster with us, or you are a WellCare foster carer, a child or young person in our care, or a member of staff, we will give you a separate privacy notice. It explains the more detailed information we need for assessments, placements and employment.

03The information we collect

Information you give us. When you use our forms or contact us, we may collect:

• your name, email address and phone number
• your town or postcode area
• the type of fostering you are interested in and the best time to call
• your answers to our quick check (whether you are 21 or over, have a spare bedroom and have the right to live and work in the UK)
• if you are transferring, information you choose to share about your current fostering
• if you ask about a job, the role you’re interested in, your CV and anything else you choose to send us
• anything else you tell us in a message or call.

Information collected automatically. When you visit the website, our systems may record technical details such as your IP address, browser and device type, and the pages you visit. Some of this comes from cookies. See our cookies policy.

Sensitive information. We don’t ask for sensitive information, such as health details, through the website. If you choose to tell us something sensitive, we will only use it to respond to you properly, and we will treat it with extra care.

04How we use it, and why we’re allowed to

Data protection law says we must have a lawful reason, called a “lawful basis”, for each way we use your information.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we have balanced our interests against your rights. You can ask us about this balance.

05Who we share it with

We never sell your personal information. We only share it when we need to, with:

• local authorities, the police or Ofsted, where the law requires it or a child’s safety is at risk
• professional advisers, such as lawyers, auditors and insurers, where needed.

If you use Google Maps on our Contact page, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok, those companies handle your information under their own privacy policies.

06How long we keep it

We keep your information only for as long as we need it:

If you apply to foster, your records are kept for the periods set out in fostering regulations, as explained in the separate privacy notice you will receive.

07Keeping it secure

We use technical and practical measures to protect your information from loss, misuse and unauthorised access. These include secure systems, access only for staff who need it, and staff training on confidentiality and data protection.

If something goes wrong, we will act quickly. Where the law requires it, we will tell the ICO and anyone affected.

08Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

• be told how we use your information (this notice)
• ask for a copy of your information
• ask us to correct information that is wrong or incomplete
• ask us to delete your information
• ask us to limit how we use it
• object to how we use it, including for marketing
• ask for your information in a format you can take elsewhere
• withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on it.

Some rights only apply in certain situations. To use any of them, email info@wellcarefostering.co.uk or call 020 3417 9292. It’s free, and we will reply within one month. We may need to check your identity first.

09Children and young people

If you are a child or young person, your information belongs to you too. You can ask us what information we have about you and why. Your foster carer, social worker or another adult you trust can help you do this.

If you are worried about your safety right now, call 999. You can talk to Childline free on 0800 1111, any time.

10Concerns and complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have used your information, please tell us first, so we can try to put it right.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office:

• Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
• Helpline: 0303 123 1113
• Post: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF

11Changes to this notice

We review this notice regularly. If we make important changes, we will update the date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, tell you directly.