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Access to records

At St Christopher’s we know that growing up away from your family can leave you with unanswered questions about your past and your identity. That’s why we are happy to help anyone who thinks they may have lived in one of our homes or services and wants to find out a bit more about their time with us.

We have been caring for children and young people since 1870 and have provided a range of services across England and the Isle of Man in this time.

 

How can I access my records?

Legislation and practice has changed in the time we have been operating, so in some instances we unfortunately have fewer records for children and young people who lived in our homes many years ago – but we will always seek to help you where we can.

If you would like to access your records please do feel that you can call us and we can help you understand the process.

This will require you to fill in the Subject Access Request form below and send a copy of your ID to:

Data Protection Officer

St Christopher’s

1 Putney High Street

London SW15 1SZ

We will respond to you as quickly as we can, and within a calendar month, to explain if we have any information and what this is. We would recommend any person wishing to access their files to arrange to visit us in person to go through the information, where a suitably qualified professional will be on hand to help with anything you do not understand or would like explained in more detail. You can bring a relative or friend with you if that would make you feel more comfortable and you will have the opportunity to take a copy of your file away with you.

If you cannot visit our office you still have the right to receive a copy of your information and we can send this to you, if this is what you prefer.

In some instances it may not be possible to share some information in your file with you due to legal restrictions. If we have to do this with your information we will always explain the reasons why.

Who has access to my records?

All information is stored in line with our Privacy Policy and we welcome enquiries from former residents about information we may hold on them.

Your information will never be disclosed to anybody who does not have a legitimate reason for access. It will only be disclosed to those who have a genuine need to see it, such as if required by law.

How can I access the records of someone else?

You may wish to find out information about one of your relatives who is no longer alive but lived with St Christopher’s as a child.

Sometimes we are able to support these requests if proof of the relation and death can be provided, but on other occasions it may not be possible for us to do so.  Please get in touch and we can talk you through the process.

Request your information

St Christopher’s Fellowship process the personal information of different categories of data subjects including young persons. Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) you have the right to ask whether we hold personal information about you and, unless an exemption applies, to receive a copy of that information.

To help us deal promptly with your request and to satisfy legal requirements placed on us to ensure the identity of data subjects, please enclose proof of identity with this form. Satisfactory proof of identity includes a photocopy of your birth certificate, marriage or civil partnership certificate, driving licence or passport. If none of these are available then please contact the administration team at info@stchris.org.uk for advice on other acceptable forms of identification.

The information requested is in most instances provided free of charge. However, in very rare cases we may charge some amount to cover our administration expenses.

We aim to deal with your enquiry after a valid proof of identity has been provided within one calendar month. For complex enquiries, we will notify you within one calendar month if we would require an extension of time.

Please fill in the form below to request your information.