Local Authority Recording Compliance
A guide for UK foster carers, independent fostering agencies (IFAs), and supervising social workers on using digital drafting pads in accordance with statutory record-keeping regulations.
In this guidance:
1. The UK Statutory Fostering Framework
Record-keeping in foster care is governed by a strict hierarchy of legislation. Fostering providers are regulated under:
- The Children Act 1989 (Section 22G): Places a general duty on Local Authorities to secure sufficient accommodation for looked-after children.
- Fostering Services Regulations 2011 (Regulation 30 & Schedule 2): Defines the mandatory files that must be kept by the fostering provider for each child.
- Ofsted National Minimum Standards (NMS) Standard 14: Mandates that records must be accurate, clear, and up-to-date, reflecting a clear child-centric narrative.
FosterFlow is designed to support, not replace, these statutory structures. Because we operate anAnonymisation-by-Design model (prohibiting legal child names, case file numbers, or NHS IDs), no identifying child records (PII) are stored on our servers. This ensures compliance with both theData Protection Act 2018 and **UK GDPR Article 4(5) (Pseudonymisation)**.
2. System of Record vs. Drafting Pad
A major point of confusion for local authority teams is the difference between a **System of Record** and a **Drafting Tool**.
Official System of Record
Databases managed directly by the Local Authority (e.g., Charms, Liquidlogic, Mosaic). These are the official legal vaults where child placements, legal documents, and case review logs are stored permanently.
Requires LA ContractFosterFlow Drafting Pad
A private keyboard/writing helper for foster carers. Legally equivalent to using Microsoft Word, Apple Notes, or a paper notebook to draft daily notes before copying and pasting the clean text into the official system.
Fully Carer-ControlledUnder UK data protection principles, a foster carer is permitted to use a digital writing aid to prepare their text, provided that no direct identifiers (PII) are fed into the tool and the resulting text is transferred securely into the official platform.
3. Local Authority Compliance & Governance
How does FosterFlow integrate with standard compliance processes in regions such as the following?
Kent County Council (KCC)
South EastBirmingham Children's Trust
West MidlandsCroydon Council
LondonEssex County Council
East of EnglandManchester City Council
North WestLeeds City Council
Yorkshire & HumberFostering teams auditing FosterFlow look for three key compliance signals:
- Official ICO Registration: FosterFlow is registered as a data controller under reference ZC136598 (Trading as AgencySoftware.io).
- Transient Audio Processing: Spoken voice recordings are transcribed live in memory and immediately discarded. No audio files are parsed or retained to train public AI engines.
- B2B Data Processing Agreements (DPA): For local authorities or IFAs wishing to approve FosterFlow as a standardized tool, we offer a ready-to-sign DPA at fosterflow.uk/dpa.
4. Checklist for Fostering Social Workers
Presentation Sheet for Fostering Panels / SSWs
If your Supervising Social Worker has questions about your usage of FosterFlow, share the following points:
"The system only stores initials." (e.g. 'Child A' instead of 'Leo Smith'). Real names are replaced automatically by the transcription engine.
"The official database remains our local system." FosterFlow is purely a secure typing notebook to format observations before copy-pasting them into Charms/Mosaic.
"No voice records are kept." Spoken recording is transiently processed and deleted instantly from memory.
"The platform is registered with the ICO." Under parent entity AgencySoftware.io, registration reference ZC136598.