Bob and Jane were in the process of adopting a child. The birth parents formally contested the adoption. Bob and Jane were advised by their social worker that, unfortunately, a partially redacted copy of Annexe A had been sent to the birth parents directly (not through their solicitor) by email. This contained their address.
It was agreed that the data breach did create a risk to the placement and that Bob and Jane would have to move. The Local Authority agreed to support Bob and Jane in moving. At the time of the breach, Bob and Jane were living in rental accommodation at very reduced rates because of the close relationship they had with the landlord. As they needed to move address very quickly they left their home and moved in with Jane’s parents until alternative accommodation was found.
The local authority gave the couple £5,000 to cover initial expenses. Bob and Jane then contacted the local authority and shared the details of the rental property they were intending to move to. Unfortunately, the local authority didn’t reply to them. It had been around two months of radio silence when they decided to seek legal advice and instructed Enable Law.
Bob and Jane were determined to achieve stability for their child, so they rented a comparable property to the one they lived in before they had to relocate in a different area. The new property was more expensive than where they had been living and we secured an interim payment of £30,000 to allow them to cover the additional rent whilst the claim was investigated.
The claim was ultimately settled for £200,000 which will allow the family to provide the security and stability for their child and to ensure that they can take any further steps they may need to in the future to keep their family safe.
How we can help you
Adoption proceedings often involve very sensitive information that when disclosed to the birth family can be incredibly worrying for the adoptive family. If you find yourself in a situation where you have been the victim of an adoption data breach, we can help you. It is important that you get the support you need quickly to get your family in safety. To have a free, confidential discussion with a member of our team call us today on 0800 044 8488 or fill in our contact form.
