1. Purpose and scope

UK Spaniel Rescue (UKSR) checks the identity and residential address of prospective adopters, foster carers and volunteers where appropriate to their role. These checks support responsible placements, safeguarding and the organisation’s lifetime rescue-backup commitment. This policy sets out the documents accepted, the checks required, how documents are shared, and how records are retained.

2. Required evidence

Applicants must provide photographic identification and proof of their current residential address. A current photocard driving licence showing the applicant’s correct address can satisfy both requirements. Where separate documents are used, the details must be consistent with the application.

Acceptable photographic ID

• Valid passport
• Current photocard driving licence
• Other recognised government-issued photographic ID, with coordinator approval

Acceptable proof of address

• Current photocard driving licence showing the current address
• Council tax bill for the current financial year
• Gas, electricity or water bill dated within the last three months
• Bank or building society statement dated within the last three months
• HMRC or DWP correspondence, subject to coordinator review

A bill or statement must be dated within the last three months. Digital bills or statements may be accepted if legible and reasonably verifiable. The abolished GB paper counterpart to a photocard driving licence is not acceptable. An old-style paper-only licence is not photographic ID and cannot meet the photographic ID requirement by itself. Northern Ireland licence formats should be assessed separately.

3. Submission and initial checks

Applicants submit documents through the designated UKSR WPForms ID Submission form. UKSR receives an email notification, then authorised personnel open the relevant WPForms entry and retrieve the documents. A form entry marked “Completed” means a submission was made; it does not confirm that all required documents were supplied or approved.

• Confirm photographic ID has been received and is legible.
• Confirm proof of current address has been received, is sufficiently recent where applicable, and matches the application.
• Record the check outcome and any missing or unclear information.
• Refer discrepancies, unusual documents or alternative evidence to an authorised UKSR coordinator.

4. Home visits and placement approval

For adoption home visits, UKSR sends the required documents securely to its external voluntary home-checking organisation. The organisation will not carry out a home visit unless satisfactory photographic ID and proof of address have been provided. No dog may be placed until UKSR’s applicable checks and approvals have been completed. Foster and volunteer checks should be completed before relevant duties commence, according to the role’s risk and requirements.

5. Alternative evidence and fairness

Where an applicant cannot provide standard documents, an authorised coordinator may approve a proportionate alternative verification method and document the decision. Applicants should not be automatically rejected solely because a standard document is unavailable. Any additional evidence requested should be necessary for the purpose.

6. Storage, access and secure sharing

Uploaded files are retrieved through WPForms and copies are saved in UKSR’s Google Drive for authorised operational use and secure sharing with the home-checking organisation. Access should be limited to volunteers who need it; sharing links and permissions should be reviewed, and personal copies on devices or in downloads folders should be deleted when no longer required. UKSR should confirm WPForms file-access controls, WordPress permissions and Google Drive access arrangements periodically. Email notifications should not unnecessarily include copies of identity documents.

7. External home-checking organisation

UKSR should obtain written confirmation from the external organisation about permitted use, authorised access, secure storage, any onward sharing, retention, deletion and incident reporting. UKSR currently understands that the organisation deletes documents after use, but this has not yet been confirmed in writing. The organisations should document their respective data-protection responsibilities and appropriate information-sharing arrangements.

8. Record retention and deletion

UKSR provides lifetime rescue backup for adopted dogs. Relevant adoption applications, agreements, contact details and dog-related records may therefore be retained for the dog’s lifetime, subject to periodic review of necessity and accuracy. Foster and other volunteer records are retained during active involvement, then reviewed for deletion or any justified additional retention. Copies of passports, driving licences, bills and other identity/address evidence are a separate category: they should be securely deleted from WPForms, Google Drive and downloaded copies once verification and associated home-check arrangements are complete and no further justified need exists. UKSR should agree and document a practical deletion trigger and timeframe before implementing this policy. A minimal record of what was checked, when, by whom and the outcome can remain with the relevant application record. Legal holds, disputes or safeguarding issues may justify limited longer retention where documented.

9. Verification record

For each relevant applicant, record: photographic ID received (yes/no/pending); address evidence received (yes/no/pending); document type(s); verification outcome; date checked; checked by; referral or exception decision; date sent to the home-checking organisation where applicable; and document deletion status/date. Do not record passport or driving licence numbers unless specifically necessary and justified.

10. Data protection and review

UKSR must provide appropriate privacy information explaining why documents are collected, the lawful basis relied upon, who receives them, how long they are kept and applicants’ rights. UKSR should keep a documented retention schedule and periodically review access, sharing, deletion and this policy. Any suspected loss, inappropriate access or disclosure should be escalated promptly under UKSR’s data-breach procedure.