Real-time rights-based recordkeeping governance

The Setting the Record Straight for the Rights of the Child Summit in May 2017 identified the pressing need for independent advocacy, governance and oversight of recordkeeping to reflect child/person centred and rights based approaches to the provision of childhood out of home Care. It again revealed the structural inequalities in existing frameworks, where those who need to account for decisions, actions and inaction, control records creation, management, access and use. Discussions highlighted the conflict of interest in childhood records continuing to be held and controlled by the agencies responsible for child welfare and protection services that are also answerable for any abuse and neglect whilst under their care. Examples were raised of the impacts on adult lives of the use of childhood records of out of home care experiences under the current unmediated access regime.
Access, disclosure and consent processes governed by an independent archival regime and supported by the provision of safe and secure archival keeping places, were identified as key to addressing issues of misuse/abuse of childhood records, and meeting Care leavers ongoing identity, memory and accountability needs. This research project takes up the challenge of investigating the mechanisms and models for an Independent Recordkeeping and Rights of the Child Advocate as part of a National Framework for Recordkeeping for Childhood Out of Home Care