| Legal Status of Child/Young Person | Number of Years of Retention of Files |
| Child in Care who has been adopted | 100 years from the date of the adoption order |
| Adopted | 100 years from date of case closure |
| Adoption records where an Adoption Order is not made | An adoption agency must keep the child's case record and the prospective adopter's case record for such period as it considers appropriate. Where an adoption order is not made and the agency decides to close the child's adoption case record, it should transfer the information from this record to the looked after case record. If the child has never been looked after, the agency should destroy the records when no further action is necessary. An example of when this may be appropriate is if the possibility of adoption of a baby was discussed before the child's birth, but the baby remained with the birth parents. |
| Fostering - Case records for approved foster carers (including relatives, friends or connected persons granted temporary approval under regulation 24 of the Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010), and any information relating to them contained in the register of foster carers. | At least 10 years from the date on which their approval is terminated. |
| Fostering - Case records for people who are not approved as a foster parent, or who withdraws their application prior to approval. | At least 3 years from the refusal or withdrawal. |
| Child in Care from another Local Authority who is placed with SCC carers | 75 years |
| Children's case records for children accommodated in children's homes. | Either:
|
| Child subject to Short Breaks | 32 years |
| Child subject to Private Fostering Arrangements | 75 years |
| Child subject to a Child Protection plan and/or regulations | 75 years |
| Child subject to Strategy Discussions /meetings or other CP process but not placed on a plan | 32 years |
| Child support with Children and Families with children with a learning, physical or sensory disability. | 32 years |
| Child who has received plans/services as Child in Need | 32 years |
| Child –Temporary CP/ transfer in Conferences | 32 years |
| Child subject to CP enquiry but not on a plan | 32 years |
| Child subject to an assessment but no plan, service or other involvement. (Includes age assessments). | 32 years |
| Child – Child Safeguarding Practice Review | 32 years |
| Child – Direct Payments | 32 years |
| Child subject to a referral but never assessed | 32 years |
| Safeguarding risks to children PPR/MARAC/MAPPA | 100 years |
| LADO allegations against adults working with children | 100 years |
| Child not carried to term | 6 years |
| Subject Access Request | 10 years |