This petition was submitted by Victoria Pritchard, having collected a total of 260 signatures.

Text of Petition:                     

Everyone who has been in the care of social services should be told of their right to request their personal information by social services when they turn 18. Reviewing papers years and years after the event can have a significant detrimental effect on a person's well being and families.

Every person has human rights and should be informed about the right to view their file.

Additional Information:

Because I was so passionate about helping other children I chose to study youth & community work degree and during a discussion with my lecturer, as they knew I had been in care during previous conversations, they asked if I had asked for my data protection file which I had no idea what it was or what they were referring too. They told me what to do, I followed the procedure and was handed the file. The man looked at me with empathy as he had read it. I was a bit shocked and confused by the empathy he was showing me. I went home with this file quite interested at this point to have a read especially due to the man’s expression on his face knowing he had read the file also, low and behold I had no idea what was ahead of me, I was exposed to all the childhood trauma and neglect that I had experienced and it was such a shock to me that I had to be seen by a psychiatrist due to revisiting past trauma. I’m not blaming social services for the way my parents treated me that’s not their fault.

Senedd Constituency and Region

• Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
• Mid and West Wales

Further information

• The Petitions Committee homepage
• View all open petitions
• View all petitions the committee is currently considering
• How the petitions system works