Jill Sheldrake of the Together Trust on the difficulties that heavily redacted care files can cause
Kirsty Capes offers a powerful account of the impact of receiving heavily redacted care files (‘The secret of my identity devastated me’: could official records reveal the truth about my childhood?, 15 May). Our identity and sense of belonging are tied up in the memories of our childhood, but for children in care their records are often the only thing they have to piece together their life story. Unfortunately, Kirsty’s story is not unique. Despite the introduction of statutory guidance, care-experienced people still receive their files with huge redactions, leaving more questions than answers. As corporate parents, charities and residential care providers, we have a duty to ensure that those records are filled with photos, stories and milestones – items that any parent would keep for their own child.
At the Together Trust, we have a substantial archive of records dating back to 1870, because our founders recognised the significance of keeping records for the young people they cared for. It is part of our DNA to ensure that our care records help people understand their childhood. It is a privilege to preserve and protect the histories of the young people we care for, because their history is a part of ours.
Jill Sheldrake
Service director, Together Trust
