Accessing information: freedom of Information

The Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to access information held by Cafcass Cymru.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, you have a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, unless particular exemptions apply.

If the information you would like to see is not already published, you can make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request for it.

We are not required to provide information not already recorded or to create new information in response to a request.

You have a statutory right of access to personal data about yourself under the Data Protection Act 2018.

This is known as a Data Subject Access Request (DSAR). Our Data Subject Access Request factsheet explains how to make a request for your own personal information.

We do not normally charge for FOI requests; however we may refuse a request in circumstances where we estimate the time required to meet your request exceeds the appropriate time limit (24 hours). If you can be as specific as possible about the information you are seeking, it can help in keeping your request within the limit.

Is the information you want suitable for general publication? The aim of the FOI Act is to make information available to the general public. You can only obtain information that would be given to anybody who asked for it, or would be suitable for the general public to see.

Is the information already available? You may find you can access the information more quickly by searching our website.

Also, information previously requested may be published on the Welsh Government Disclosure Log.

You can make a request by email to CafcassCymru@gov.wales

Or you can send a written request to:

Central Support Team
Cafcass Cymru
Welsh Government
Sarn Mynach
Llandudno Junction
LL31 9RZ.

Please provide your name and address for correspondence and if possible a telephone number.

There is no requirement to provide a telephone number, but it would be helpful if there are any aspects surrounding your request that we need to discuss with you.

We will acknowledge your request within 3 working days of receipt and provide a full response within 20 working days. If this is not possible, we will inform you of this fact in writing.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you can ask for an internal review. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. Our response letter will provide information on how to do this.