Subject Access Requests (SARs)

How to request your records from police, social care, schools and medical services — and use them to protect your children.

You have a legal right to see most of the information held about you and your children. This includes records held by police, schools, social workers, medical services, and local authorities.

A Subject Access Request (SAR) allows you to obtain this information under data protection law.

SARs can reveal:

What professionals have written about you
Errors or misinformation affecting your case
Missing evidence or overlooked safeguarding concerns
Inconsistent or unsafe decision-making

1VAA can help you write SARs, understand them, and use the information safely in meetings, complaints or court.

What Is a Subject Access Request?

A SAR is a formal request you send to an organisation asking for:

Copies of records they hold about you
Copies of records about your child (if you have parental responsibility)
Notes, emails, assessments, reports and internal communications
Safeguarding concerns, referrals, or decisions
Any data used to make decisions about your family

You do not have to explain why you want the information. It is your legal right.

Who You Can Send a SAR To

You can send a SAR to any organisation holding your or your child’s data, including:

Police (incident logs, 999 calls, DASH assessments, crime reports)
Children’s Services (case notes, assessments, strategy meetings, minutes)
Schools & nurseries (safeguarding notes, behaviour logs, SEN reports)
Medical professionals (GP records, paediatric notes, hospital visits)
Cafcass / Guardians / GAL (case notes and recommendations)
Domestic abuse services (support records)
Housing authorities
Counsellors and therapists (some restrictions apply)

Where data relates to another person (e.g. the other parent), organisations may redact information — but you are still entitled to the parts about you and your children.

What You Can Request

You can ask for:

Full case notes
Emails and internal communications mentioning you or your child
Safeguarding referrals and decision-making summaries
Meeting minutes
Copies of assessments, reports, and plans
Records of phone calls and professional observations
Chronologies created by agencies
Audio or visual recordings (where they exist)

The more specific your SAR, the more complete the response will usually be.

How to Write a SAR

Your SAR should include:

Your full name, date of birth and address
Your child’s details (if requesting their data)
A clear statement that you are making a Subject Access Request under data protection law
Any specific dates, individuals or types of records you want
Proof of identity (usually required)

1VAA provides templates you can personalise for each organisation.

Example wording:
“I am making a Subject Access Request for all records, notes, assessments, emails and information held about me and my child, [Name], DOB [____], under the UK GDPR/Data Protection Act. Please include internal communications and all safeguarding-related information.”

Timescales and What to Expect

Organisations must normally respond within one month of receiving your request.

They may extend by two months for complex cases, but must tell you why.

A SAR response may include:

A cover letter explaining what data has been provided
PDFs of notes, reports and emails
Redactions (blacked-out sections)
Reasons for withholding certain information

If large amounts of information are missing, we can help you challenge the response.

How to Organise the Information You Receive

When you receive SAR documents, it can be overwhelming. Here is how to make it manageable:

Sort documents by organisation (police, social care, school, medical)
Put them in date order
Highlight key entries linked to your evidence file
Note any factual inaccuracies
Note where your child’s disclosures appear — or have been ignored
Check for contradictions between agencies

This information can then be used in complaints, meetings, court bundles and safeguarding escalation.

Red Flags to Look For

While reviewing SAR documents, watch for:

Information missing from key dates
Unrecorded disclosures from your child
Notes that contradict what you were told verbally
Professionals minimising or dismissing risk
Inaccurate statements presented as fact
Bias (“hostile mother”, “high conflict”, “alienating behaviour” with no evidence)
Copy-and-paste style assessments

These may indicate poor practice, negligence or misconduct — and can be challenged.

Challenging a SAR Response

You may challenge a SAR response if:

Important information is missing
Excessive redactions have been used
Records appear altered or incomplete
You were told something existed but it is not included
There is evidence of bias or unlawful decision-making

You can:

Write a follow-up letter requesting missing items
Make a formal complaint
Escalate to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
Use the data in court to challenge inaccurate assessments or reports

1VAA can help you identify gaps and draft escalation letters.

How 1VAA Helps With SARs

As a 1VAA member, you can access:

Templates for SARs to police, schools, social services and medical providers
Guidance on what to ask for and how to phrase it
Help organising the data after you receive it
Support identifying red flags, contradictions and inaccuracies
Assistance drafting complaints or escalation letters
Advice on how SAR information fits into your wider safeguarding or legal strategy

SARs can transform your case. We will walk with you through every step.