Registration Forms, Birth Certificates And Data Protection

[Guest]

Just a heads up to anyone who, like us, keeps copies of children's birth certificates. We thought this was good practice but now our advisory service is saying this may breach the Data Protection Act. Has anyone else come across this? We were advised to add a box on our registration forms instead, indicating who has parental responsibility.

[Phoebe123]

Hi there,

 

I was recently told at my suitable person interview to include on registration details everyone who has parental responsibility. At recent safeguarding 2-day course this was confirmed as good practice. I think it would be all right to request sight of the birth certificate to confirm the details given, which could be noted as seen on the form, but then return document to parent/carer.

 

HTH

 

Lesley

[Guest]

Thanks Lesley, at least it sounds as though the advice is consistent across the country then.

[Inge]

We had to look at proof of ID in some form such as Birth Cert, or passport and send copy to LEA who then had responsibility for it not us!

 

We had a tick box added on reg cert to say we had seen it and a signature block for who it was...

 

and had room for all who had parental responsibility on the form..

 

Bit like not keeping crb certs but number and signature of who had checked it..

 

Inge

Edited November 30, 2009 by Inge

[thumperrabbit]

I was told that we had to take copies for our records because occasionally we would get a request from our Early Years dept asking for a copy of one - these were always for children who we were requesting funding for.

 

Saying that I haven't been asked for a copy for a couple of years now, so I take it the spot checks musn't happen anymore?

Does anyone know?

[Guest]

We have to see the original and retain a copy to get the NEG. It has always made me uncomfortable but I have to sign the parental application forms for NEG to say I have done so. I always scribble COPY in big black letters so it can't be used to take any further copies.

 

Al

[anju]

We are also told as a condition of receving EYFE that we must take a copy of the birth certificate and keep it.

[blondie]

same with us-we have to have a copy of the borth certificate to allow the child to access neg

[Alison]

we've never been required to check birth certificates for funding but we've recently been advised to start so that we can confirm who has parental responcibility

 

I wouldnt feel happy keeping copies of birth certificates and I certainly wouldnt feel happy forwarding copies to the early years thats something parents should be doing surely?

[louby loo]

and what if you don't have a copier on site?

 

We have been asked to 'see' some form of identity but not to copy or keep- and it's not something I'd be happy to do. If they have a query then they can ask parents to send a copy.

[lynned55]

I'm sure as a condition of funding we (as in all providers) have to say they have seen proof of DofB. Some years ago to save us keep doing this each time we applie dfor a child we asked to see proof when they return their application forms. We then tick a box saying we have seen it. I wouldn't keep copies on site and I certainly wouldn't forward copies to LA. Our registration forms contain a section to list who has parental responsibility.

[Lyanne]

We had to send copies of birth certs to LEA this term.

[Inge]

No choice but to send to LEA...

 

No funding if we didnt!

 

we had a list of about 3 different things which were appropriate .. parents had to supply the copy and bring copy and original for us to check, we kept the copy to send off.

 

 

At least we didn't have responsibility for storing them...

 

Inge

[anju]

We also have a section on the registration form for who has parental responsibility but are asked to check by seeing the birth certificate as parents often say their new partner has (when they haven't) or their ex partner hasn't (when he has)....

[currycraver]

We too have to keep a copy for our Free Entitlement funding. We have to keep it for 5 years and then destroy it. This is our third year so in a couple of years we will have to shred and burn the old copies. I like the idea of writing COPY in black over it so that it is not easy to re photocopy

[lynned55]

I'm confused how does a BC tell who has parental responsibility? Tells you who the parents are, but doesn't mean they both have parental responsibility. I thought it was to give you proof of age.

[louby loo]

We were advised that if both parents are on birth cert then they both have equal rights - unless shown a court order to say different.

 

We've been lucky of late in regards to this - but I can see a shift happening, so think we need to amend our registration forms PDQ!!!

 

xxxx

[lynned55]

No this isn't the case. My daughter and her partner are both on their daughters BC but as they weren't married at the time of her birth, he does not have the same parental responsibility as she does. However I think this has changed somewhat in last few years and for children born after a certain date they may have. We have a child who's father is listed on there but most certainly doesn't have parental responsibility

[Lyanne]

No this isn't the case. My daughter and her partner are both on their daughters BC but as they weren't married at the time of her birth, he does not have the same parental responsibility as she does. However I think this has changed somewhat in last few years and for children born after a certain date they may have. We have a child who's father is listed on there but most certainly doesn't have parental responsibility

 

On my older son's BC, both my ex-boyfriend & I are on it, but he was born in 1995, so no question of ex having parental resp, unless we'd later married or we'd signed a seperate parental responsibilty order, giving him parental resp. On younger son's BC, both hubby and I are on it, but beofre our marriage. Younger son was born early in 2003, so the subsequent marriage is what give hubby parental resp for him. We can have a new BC issued to show us as Mr & Mrs Lastname.

 

In England and Wales, from 1 December 2003, if both parents register the birth, they both have parental resp. So if you have a child in preschool, the names on that BC are the people with automatic parental resp. (Since a child born in December 2003 will now be in Year 1 ) http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/ParentsRights/DG_4002954 Direct Gov doesn't discuss Scotland, so I don't know how it works there!

 

I also don't know how it works if you have a child born overseas with both (unmarried) parents on the BC, but now resident in England or Wales. The only children we've had in that situation, either the parents are still living together or the non-resident parent isn't living anywhere near the child, so we've not had any issues yet...

[lynned55]

I'm with you now. But I stll thought seeing the BC was so you had proof of age? Perhaps it's for both now