Family Help Privacy Notice
Enfield Council’s Family Services deliver a range of support services for children and their families through the Family Help Service. In order to provide these services, the Family Help Service collects and processes personal information about you and your family. The council is registered as a Data Controller under the Data Protection Act 2018.
This privacy notice explains the personal information we collect, store and process for justifiable business reasons
This notice applies to all personal information collected by, or on behalf of, the Council in relation to the Family Help Service, regardless of whether it is provided by letter, email, in person, by telephone, online, or by any other means.
Enfield’s Family Help Service assesses, supports, and safeguards children, ensuring a consistent, multi-agency approach in line with Working Together to Safeguard Children.
Purpose for processing your information
We collect and use personal information to:
- identify and assess the needs of children and families who may require support over an extended period
- help ensure that your family receives appropriate help and support from the local authority
- provide advice, emotional support, practical assistance and safeguarding measures for children and their families
- record details of contact with you, including home visits and meetings held at Council offices, Family Hubs or other venues
- monitor the use of our services and ensure they continue to meet the needs of local families
- evaluate the extent to which our services and programmes improve outcomes for children
- prevent crime and fraud and to assist other public bodies in carrying out their functions safely and effectively
- understand and reflect the views, wishes and feelings of children and their parents or carers
- provide information to other relevant public and voluntary sector to undertake relevant and lawful duties
We collect the following information
The categories of personal information that we collect, and use may include the following:
- Personal and family details
- Health needs
- Financial details
- Employment and education details
- Lifestyle and social circumstances
- NHS number
- Housing needs
- Visual images
- Details of personal appearance and behaviour
- Student and pupil records
- Case file information, including your views about the needs of you and your family and the support being provided
How we collect your information
We collect your information when you have requested support from any of the Family Help services. We also collect information when another service which already knows you, your child or family, makes a referral to Family Help on your behalf. We expect other services to have discussed their wish to make a referral with you and have your prior agreement for this to happen.
Referrals to Family Help
All referrals are made through the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) via the Children’s Portal.
Referrals can come from:
- Professionals (for example, schools, health, police)
- Parents, carers or young people (self-referrals)
- Family Hubs (who support families to refer)
How information is collected
At the referral stage
Information is submitted via the Children’s Portal, including:
- Child and family details
- Reason for referral and presenting concerns
- Referrer information
- Known risks and safeguarding concerns
During MASH screening
- Information is gathered from partner agencies (for example, police, health, education)
- This helps build a full picture of need and risk
After a referral
- MASH carries out initial checks and screens the referral
- Risk and need are assessed using a structured BRAG rating
- The case is then directed to the appropriate service
Where Early Help is appropriate
- The case is allocated to a Family Help Team
- A Family Help Practitioner (lead worker) is assigned
- The practitioner completes a whole-family assessment and plan
Case recording
All information is recorded on the council’s system (LiquidLogic), including:
- Referral details
- Screening decisions
- Risk ratings and outcomes
- Case notes and actions
Who the information is shared with
Your information will be held on LiquidLogic. Information recorded on this system will only be accessed by staff working within the Family Help service where this is necessary to support your family and monitor the effectiveness of the services provided. With your agreement, your information may also be shared with other relevant services that have a role in providing the support your family needs.
We will only share information with organisations where it is appropriate, lawful and necessary to do so. Information may also be shared where required or permitted by law, including where there is a risk of serious harm or threat to life, for the prevention or detection of crime or fraud, for the assessment or collection of any tax or duty, or where disclosure is required by a court or by legislation. Where information is shared, we will ensure that this is done in accordance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018.
Sharing of personal data with the Department for Education (DfE)
The Department for Education (DfE) has requested that we provide information about children and families receiving support from the Early Help service in Enfield.
Before any information is shared, details such as names and addresses are removed so that the information cannot be linked to an individual child or family. Any additional information that could identify a person is stored separately and protected to prevent individuals from being identified from the data shared.
The information is shared securely through a password-protected system. The DfE uses this information to review and understand how Early Help services support families. It also provides reports to the council and uses the data to improve understanding of Family Help support nationally.
These reports contain only aggregated information about groups of families and do not include names or addresses.
What is the purpose of this collection?
The DfE is implementing reforms through the Families First Partnership Programme, which aim to improve some aspects of how support for families is delivered. This data is being collected to help the DfE understand the:
- issues and challenges experienced by children and families
- professionals responsible for leading the support provided
- outcomes achieved as a result of the support
For further information about how the DfE processes personal data, visit GOV.UK - Personal information charter.
How long do we keep your information?
We will retain your information only for as long as necessary to meet legal requirements and in line with the Council’s corporate retention schedule.
Rights to access, correct and remove information
- Data subjects have the right to access any personal information (data) about them that is held.
- Data subjects have the right to have data about themselves corrected or erased subject to certain conditions
- Data subjects also have the right not be subject to automated decision-making including profiling
If you wish to access the personal information we hold about you, you must submit a Subject Access Request. For further details, please email sar.enfieldcouncil@infreemation.co.uk.
Changes in your personal circumstances
You must notify us immediately if there are any changes in your circumstances and personal details so we can maintain an accurate and up to date record of your information.
Complaints procedure
If you have concerns about how we have handled your personal information, you have the right to make a complaint to us. To submit a complaint, email complaintsandinformation@enfield.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the council’s response you have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Changes to our privacy policy
As the council develops new services, this privacy notice may need to be updated. Any future changes to this privacy notice will be published on this page.