Privacy policy

Who we are

Embrace Therapeutic Fostering Services Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales (Company No: 13362525). We're an Ofsted-registered independent fostering agency (URN: 2661954). Our registered office is Mayflower Cottage, Clumber Park, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 3BQ.

For privacy matters, contact the Registered Manager, Jeanette Robertson, at enquiries@embracefostering.com.

What information we collect

When you contact us through our website or by phone, we may collect:

• Your name, email address and phone number
• Your postal address (if relevant to your enquiry)
• Information about your household and circumstances
• Your reason for contacting us
• Any other information you choose to share

If you proceed to formal assessment as a foster carer, we'll collect significantly more personal data including DBS checks, medical reports, references, and information about your background and family. This is governed by the Care Standards Act 2000, the Fostering Service Regulations 2011, and your specific consent.

How we use your information

We use the information you give us to:

• Respond to your enquiry
• Assess your suitability as a foster carer (if you progress that far)
• Provide ongoing supervision and support as an approved carer
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements (Ofsted, local authorities)
• Improve our service

Lawful basis for processing

We rely on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR:

• Consent for marketing communications and initial enquiry follow-up
• Contract for ongoing relationships with approved carers
• Legal obligation for safeguarding, regulatory and statutory requirements
• Legitimate interests for the safe operation of our fostering service

How we share your information

We will only share your personal information with third parties where necessary:

• Ofsted and other regulators
• Local authorities placing children with us
• DBS for background checks
• Your GP and other healthcare professionals
• Foster Talk and other support providers (with your consent)
• Legal or financial advisors when required
• Law enforcement when required by law
• Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, if you accept advertising cookies (see Cookies below)
• Microsoft, through its Clarity service, if you accept analytics cookies (see Cookies below)

We do not sell your data.

How long we keep your information

Different types of information are retained for different periods:

• Enquiries and screening calls, not kept unless there's a safeguarding concern, and then kept for 3 years
• Applications to foster that are withdrawn or refused, kept for 3 years after the withdrawal or refusal
• Approved foster carers' records, kept for 10 years after their approval ends
• Placement records and registers, kept for 10 years after the foster carer's approval ends
• Children's records, kept for 75 years

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Ask us to correct inaccurate information
• Ask us to delete information (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Object to how we use your information
• Withdraw consent at any time (where consent is the basis)
• Complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk

To exercise any of these rights, email us at enquiries@embracefostering.com.

Cookies

Our website uses strictly necessary cookies to function and may use analytics cookies (with your consent) to help us understand how the site is used. You can manage your cookie preferences via the cookie banner when you first visit.

Analytics cookies

If you choose Accept all on our cookie banner, our site loads Microsoft Clarity. It records how visitors use our pages, such as where they click and how far they scroll, as recordings and heatmaps that show us what's working and what isn't. Anything you type into our forms is hidden from it, and it never runs on our page for referring a child. Microsoft keeps recordings for 30 days, or 9 months if we mark one to keep, and heatmaps for 9 months. If you choose Essential only, it doesn't load at all, and you can change your mind at any time with Cookie settings at the bottom of every page. Microsoft's privacy statement explains what Microsoft does with it.

Advertising cookies

If you choose Accept all on our cookie banner, our site loads the Meta Pixel. It tells Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, which of our pages you visit and whether you send us an enquiry. That shows us whether our adverts are working, and Meta uses it to decide who sees them. Meta may link it to a Facebook or Instagram account you're signed in to. It never runs on our page for referring a child. If you choose Essential only, it doesn't load at all, and you can change your mind at any time with Cookie settings at the bottom of every page. Meta's privacy policy explains what Meta does with it.

Spam protection on our forms

Our forms use Cloudflare Turnstile to tell people apart from automated scripts. When you start filling one in, your browser loads a check from Cloudflare, which sees your IP address and technical details such as your browser type. Cloudflare uses those to spot bots and to get better at spotting them, not to identify or profile you, and all we get back is a pass or a fail. It is how we keep the forms usable without asking you to solve puzzles. Cloudflare's Turnstile privacy addendum explains more.

Security

We hold personal data securely with appropriate technical and organisational measures including encryption, access controls and regular security reviews. We're registered with the Information Commissioner's Office as a data controller.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The most recent version will always be available on this page with the date last updated.