1.6.1 Retention and Destruction of Children's Records |
RELATED CHAPTERS
This chapter should be read in conjunction with the Principles of Recording set out in the Policy Framework, Values and Underlying Principles of Recording, Confidentiality and Consultation
AMENDMENTS
This chapter was updated in November 2009.
Contents
1. Retention of Documentation
| 1.1 | All records, including files, records, photographs, disks and other written or electronic and visual material that originates in connection with social work duties, are the property of the Council. |
| 1.2 | Under no circumstances should the materials referred to above be retained in the employee’s possession, whether at home or elsewhere. |
| 1.3 | Staff working at home must use PCC encrypted laptops or flash drives. No Council information must be saved on personal PCs, laptops, flash drives or discs and staff must not email documents to their personal email accounts. |
| 1.4 | Staff are not allowed to remove case records from their office, whether this is to work at home or for meetings, except as agreed on a case-by-case basis by the line manager. |
| 1.5 | Managers should have systems in place to record any removal of documentation from the workplace and their return, with appropriate signatures and dates. A security log will be maintained by administrative staff for this purpose. |
| 1.6 | Any breach of these arrangements may lead to disciplinary action being considered. |
2. Destruction of Files
| 2.1 | Records must be retained for the following time scales: Children in care:75 years from the date of birth of the child or 15 years from the date of death in the case of a child who dies before the age of 18 Adoption Case Records: 100 years from the date of the Adoption Order Private Foster placements: 25 years from the date of birth of the last child in their care to reach 18 Children subject to Supervision Orders: 7 years from date of closure Children in Need: 7 years from date of closure Children subject to Section 47 Enquiry which does not result in a Child Protection Plan: 7 years from date of closure Children subject to a Child Protection Plan: 25 years from date of birth Unaccompanied minor, for example an asylum-seeker: 75 years from file closure. Assessment and approval of adoptive parents/foster carers: 25 years from the date of birth of the last child in their care to reach 18 OR 10 years from the date approval is terminated/carer's resignation whichever is the longer period Documents relating to the operation of children’s homes, for example, diaries, rota's, daily logs: 15 years from date of last entry (with the exception of records of menus which are retained for 1 year) Records relating to staff working with children: 7 years from date when employment ends |
| 2.2 | The date for the destruction of a record should be recorded on the paper and electronic record when the case is closed. |
| 2.3 | If a closed case is subsequently re-opened, the destruction date should be amended when the most recent case is closed. |
| 2.4 | In all cases, the destruction of paper records should be coordinated with the deletion of any electronic corresponding records. |
End