Retention, Archiving and Destruction of Records

1. Retention of Documentation

All records, including files, photographs, secure removable media and other written or electronic and visual material that originates in connection with social work duties, are the property of Hull City Council.  

Under no circumstances should the materials referred to above be retained in an employee's possession, whether at home or elsewhere.

Removable media such as Memory sticks must be password protected in line with council policy, for example the use of 'safe sticks' and 'safe boot' encryption. Any information stored on such devices must be transferred to the council network as soon as possible, and deleted from the device.

Staff using computers at home for Council purposes must do so using equipment provided by the council's ICT department, as this will have been installed with the appropriate security software. Any information stored on these portable devices must be transferred to the council network as soon as possible, and then deleted from the device. Under no circumstances should an individual's private/home computer be used for council purposes.

Case files should not be removed from the office, unless prior authorisation has been given by the individuals' line manager. Removing files from the office should not be the norm, and any prior authorisation can be revoked at any time. 

Managers should have systems in place to record any removal of documentation from the workplace and their return, with appropriate signatures and dates.

Any breach of these arrangements may lead to disciplinary action being considered.

Any further advice on issues regarding the holding or managing of confidential personal information about service users can be obtained from the council's Caldicott Guardian.

Note that foster carers who keep records on children, young people as part of their fostering role, or have been given copies of documents such as care plans, must when the individual's placement ceases give all recordings and documents to their fostering social worker for destruction.

2. Retention Schedule

Children's Records

The table below contains a list of categories of children's records with the timescales. Once the retention period is up, the files will be reviewed and if appropriate destroyed. The timescales apply to paper and electronic files.

Caption: retention table

Type of Record	Retention period. All dates are from the young person reaching 18 unless otherwise stated.
Adoption Case Records (including Pre Adoption and Post Adoption Records):	100 years from the date of the Adoption Order.
Looked After Child Legal status included in the category: Interim Care Order - Sec.38 Children Act 1989; Care Order - Sec.31 Children Act 1989; Accommodated under Sec.20 Children Act 1989; Remanded under Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act 2012; Bailed under the Bail Act 1976; Subject to an Emergency Protection Order under Sec.44 Children Act 1989 and placed in Local Authority accommodation.	75 years, except when an individual dies prior to age 18, then records should be retained for 15 years from date of death.
Other Local Authority Looked After Children Placed in Hull but all case work completed by another local authority.	Until they reach the age of 18 if the child does not receive any services from Hull.
Section 8 Orders - Children Act 1989 Several types of orders can be made under Section 8, these include: Child Arrangements Orders; Prohibited Steps Orders; Contact Orders; Specific Issues Orders.	75 years.
Special Guardianship	75 years.
Children in private foster placements	75 years.
Unaccompanied minor, for example asylum seeker	75 years (Looked After Child)
Child Protection This category includes the individual records for children who have been: Subject to a Section 47 enquiry and / or Child Protection Conference; Subject to Child Protection Plan; Subject to a Child Assessment Order; Subject to a Supervision Order under Sec.31 Children Act 1989.	50 years
Other children including Children in Need
Child who has been referred to social care but for whom there has not been a Children's Social Care Assessment.	10 years.
Children's Social Care Assessment only then NFA.	10 years.
Child considered to be in need and services provided (but not subject to Section 47 enquiry) where family support is provided.	25 years.
Child considered to be in need and services provided (but not subject to Section 47 enquiry) where there are complex concerns or concerns about parenting.	50 years.

Other Records

Caption: other records

Type of Record	Retention Period
Complaints Records	The same period as the child care record.
CYPS DP Breach Complaints	The same period as the child care record.
CYPS Subject Access Requests	The same period as the child care record.
Missing Children Episodes for children living in Hull but not open to social care	6 years after the child's 18th birthday
Missing persons Records (not children)	6 years since the last contact with the department
Other Local Authority Missing Children	6 years after the child's 18th birthday
Adults who pose a risk to children	75 years from date of caution or conviction
Allegations of Harm	75 anniversary of the date of birth of the child to whom it relates.
Allegations of Harm against a professional working with children and young people	Normal Retirement Age or 10 years (whichever is the longest)
Cases discussed at MARAC	7 years + 1
Cases discussed at MAPPA	7 years + 1

Children's Homes

Caption: child home

Type of Record	Retention Period
Children's home records including admissions and discharges, rotas, daily logs etc.	75 years.

Foster Carer / Adoptive Carer Records

Caption: adop records

Foster or adoption applicants who receive information / attend presentation, then NFA	12 months
Foster or adoption applicants who undergo initial assessment, then NFA	10 years (or 75 years if there are concerns)
Foster or adoption applicants who undergo part of a comprehensive assessment, then NFA either through their withdrawal or the fostering team's refusal or refusal at Panel	35 years (or 75 years if there are concerns)
Foster or adoptive carers who de-register.	75 years from last contact with the service

3. Archiving of Paper Files

Child care records should be archived when they have been inactive for 3 years. Regular checks should be made on all non-active files and where these have reached the 3 year limit. When archiving files attention must be given to appropriately marking the files for destruction in accordance with guidelines. A date for destruction should be attached to paper files and recorded on LiquidLogic.

It is also important to note the existence of any other types of electronic files that may exist and be linked to the child's record – such as a complaints file or a cyclops file for subject access requests. These should be recorded in the paper file area – to ensure the relevant systems are checked and purged at the same time as the main children's file. Archived paper records may be retrieved from the relevant Records Office when required with the approval of the relevant manager and the signature of the authorised signatory:

• Where a file(s) are requested, these must be returned to the archive when involvement has ceased;
• All case records for depositing / archiving must be sent to the Administration Section (Headquarters) either by hand or by the Internal Courier Service. When sent through the Internal Courier Service a tracking form must be completed to accompany the file, in order to track each stage of the files journey.

4. Process for the Review and Destruction of Records

The date for the destruction of a record should be written on its front cover (in the case of a paper file) and entered on the computer system when the case is closed (in the case of electronic records). The retention period is entered on the computer system (LiquidLogic). At case closure a retention task will automatically be created.

Managers may decide to retain records for longer than the minimum periods specified above. The decision to do so, with the reasons for it, should be clearly recorded and signed by the manager concerned.

There is a discretion to specify a longer period where the circumstances warrant this, for example if a person is known to be violent, records may be retained for longer to indicate the potential risk posed by such a person or if litigation is possible.

If a closed case is subsequently re-opened, care must be taken to erase the date for destruction on the paper and electronic record.

Whenever there is the possibility of litigation, the records and information likely to be affected should not be amended or destroyed until the threat of litigation has ended.

When records identified for destruction are destroyed, a register of such records should be kept with sufficient detail to identify the record and the date destroyed.

In all cases, the destruction of paper records, both in offices and in archives should be coordinated with the deletion of any electronic corresponding records, an electronic record will not be deleted until it has been confirmed on the system that the paper file has been destroyed.

5. Customer Information

Information regarding the timescales that records are retained will be communicated to customers (children, young people and their families) by the Social Worker involved with them. As looked after young people reach adulthood and as the involvement of the social care team / Early Help service ends they will be informed in writing of the timescale for the retention of their records along with the Access to Records policy.

Communication with children and families will have to take account of their communication needs, age and level of understanding. People who do not have English as their first language will require the use of the interpretation service and may request that they are accompanied by an advocate.