Councils told to improve care records as watchdog warns of enforcement action

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has urged senior leaders across social care to publicly commit to improving how care records are created, managed and accessed, as it warned that organisations failing to address persistent problems could face enforcement action.

The regulator made the call during a breakfast briefing attended by 55 senior social work professionals from across the UK, where it encouraged local authorities and health and social care trusts to support its Better Records Together campaign and implement its care records standards.

The campaign, launched in December, aims to improve the handling of care records throughout their lifecycle, from their creation to access and disclosure. As part of the initiative, the ICO is asking organisations to prioritise care records by championing their importance, implementing the regulator's standards, ensuring teams are adequately resourced, providing staff with appropriate training and investing in systems that improve record-keeping.

Angela Balakrishnan, Executive Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs at the ICO, said: "We understand the pressures that local authorities and social work practitioners are under - which is why a collaborative approach is so important. It’s not simply about mandating compliance but working together in the belief that we can all build a trusted system that truly serves the people whose lives these records reflect.

"It was encouraging to see so many attendees from across the social care sector, and I urge all senior leaders who haven't yet done so to pledge their support - you are the missing piece of the puzzle. While voluntary, the commitment signals to the public and to people with care experience that your organisation is actively working to improve how care records are created, handled and accessed.

"Today’s session forms part of a much wider conversation and one that is underpinned by the understanding that behind every care record is a real person and their life story. This is something that we must never lose sight of."

The renewed call follows research by the ICO which found people seeking access to their care records through Subject Access Requests (SARs) are frequently being failed by the current system. Nearly nine in 10 respondents (89%) said they were left with questions or concerns after receiving their records, while 71% experienced poor communication from their local authority. More than two-thirds (69%) said the process took longer than expected, with some people waiting up to 16 years for access.

The ICO said it is currently overseeing a UK-wide supervision pilot involving 19 organisations during 2025 and 2026 to monitor performance and drive improvements in care record management.

The regulator also warned that it will prioritise enforcement action where organisations fail to respond to Subject Access Requests within required timescales or do not take sufficient action to reduce harm. It said it will also consider organisations' compliance with the Better Records Together care record standards when deciding whether regulatory intervention is required.

The ICO has already taken action against several organisations over poor information governance. This has included reprimands issued to Glasgow City Council and the City of Edinburgh Council in February 2025, an enforcement notice served on Bristol City Council in September 2025 over delays in child social care data requests, and an £18,000 fine imposed on Scottish charity Birthlink in July 2025 after approximately 4,800 personal records were destroyed.

The regulator is encouraging local authorities and social care providers that have not yet joined the Better Records Together campaign to access its guidance and pledge their support.