Care Leavers' Association

A Childhood on Paper: Accessing the Child Care Files of Former Looked After Children in the UK

In December 2005, Jim Goddard, Secretary of the CLA, launched a report on access to records along with Julia Feast (BAAF) and Derek Kirton (University of Kent). The research was launched at a conference, where four different care leavers gave their own individual account of accessing their records.

The report, A Childhood on Paper: Accessing the Child Care Files of Former Looked After Children in the UK, looked at how local authorities and voluntary agencies manage and respond to access to files requests in the UK. For more information about the research, or for a copy of the report, contact Dr Jim Goddard.

Four care leavers who had accessed their records spoke at the conference. Each person's experience was different. Below, is a video of Mary Clear talking about her experience. Mary Clear was Treasurer of the CLA for many years and founded the CareleaversReunited website.