If you have adoption records or care records being held by Barnardos in the UK do beware.
It really does be beggar belief that a major childrens' charity has so little to say about the fact that it is has committed such a major breach of confidentiality and has been so untruthful about what records it holds.
In December of last year I asked my lawyer to ask Barnardo's lawyers, why in 1992/3 or thereabouts when I was searching for my family Barnardos had claimed that it held no information about my sister other than that my mother had had another female child who was adopted?
In later Barnardos was able pass on to me completely un-requested and as a part of a bundle of other documents, full details not only of my sister's adoption but also of her paternity and details of the circumstances of her conception.
On Friday 25 February 2005, I received in black and white from Barnardo's legal representative a letter via my solicitor outlining amongst much else, why the above had happened.
It was because; "at that stage Barnardo's were aware that Mr Harritt had already had a reunion with his sister so this issue had been dealt with".
These people really do beggar belief don't they?
So there you have it then in black and white, all you need do is to have a "reunion" with one of your relatives long lost to adoption or Barnardo's care and Barnardos will automatically and without further ado, let you have all of your relatives most intimate details. Yet when you are actually searching for your brother or sister or any other loved one, it is perfectly good practice, apparently, for Barnardos to claim that it holds no records at all for the person you seek. Even when in fact they do have all those intimate details as well as the information needed in order to trace.
I wonder if Barnardos President Ms Cherie Booth, our current Prime Minister's wife runs her legal office in such a way. Or if her husband runs his country that way?
And Barnardos now want me to sign additional waivers before they will show me more of my own records????? Even those mentioned in them have been dead for at least 15 years.
If it wasn't clear before, it is now, the terms that Barnardos likes to throw around willy nilly, like "duty of confidentiality" and "duty of care" have little or no real meaning to some of its employees. What matters at the modern Barnardos is individual and corporate backside covering.
My search
http://robin.robin.org/search
Robin Harritt
http://harritt.net
*