Foster carer supervision and support - unsuccessful applicants – retain for 3 years after date of application withdrawal or refusal (ref CS01)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – foster carer enquiry, application and assessment records, case files and statutory register maintenance
- authority – The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Children's contact with no service provided – retain for 6 years after date last modified (ref CS02)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – no further action referrals including missing episodes for previously unknown children
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Adoption and special guardianship finance – retain for 6 years after meeting (ref CS03)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – review
- scope – records relating to application for, or award of, finances for adoption and special guardianship cases
- authority – best practice
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Independent visitors for Looked After Children – retain for 6 years after date of last contact with the independent visitor (ref CS04)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to the recruitment and management of independent visitors for Looked After Children
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Foster carer supervision and support - successful applicants – retain for 10 years after date of end of last placement (carer ceases to provide care) (ref CS05)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – foster carer enquiry, application and assessment records, case files and statutory register maintenance
- authority – The Fostering Services (England) Regulations 2011
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Supported Lodgings providers – retain for 10 years after last placement (ref CS06)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to supported lodging providers
- authority – best practice in line with approach for foster carers
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Residential homes management and administration – retain for 15 years after date created (ref CS07)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – transfer to Dorset History Centre
- scope – management and administration of children’s residential homes including records and registers relating to multiple residents
- including records specified within schedule 3 of the regulations – admission and discharge, accidents, administration of medicinal products, money and valuable deposited for safekeeping, disciplinary records and daily log of events
- in addition, record of persons employed by or working at children’s home, duty rotas, record of other persons resident at the home and accounts
- authority – Children’s Homes Regulations 1991 s.17
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Special guardianship approval - terminated without placement – retain for 25 years from file closure (ref CS08)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to the management of terminated special guardianship orders
- authority – best practice
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Early help case management – retain for 25 years after date of birth (if care-experienced or adopted retain for 150 years) (ref CS09)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – eligibility and assessment records, requests for support, consent, children missing education, intensive prevention
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Children in need case management – retain for 25 years after date of birth (if care-experienced or adopted retain for 150 years) (ref CS10)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – management and administration of Children in Need & family cases, including preventative services, privately fostered children, and sexually harmful behaviour, consisting of enquiry processing, referral, needs assessment, care and support planning, key information recording
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Children and Young Adults with a disability (CWAD) support – retain for 32 years after child’s date of birth (if care-experienced or adopted retain for 150 years) (ref CS11)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – case documents including transition planning documents, care act assessments, capacity assessments, care and support plans
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Education support case management – retain for 25 years after date of birth (if care-experienced or adopted retain for 150 years) (ref CS12)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – parent and family education support, childcare provision and monitoring, support of gifted and talented children, post‐16 support, physical and sensory disability support, educational psychology and behavioural support and assessment
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Education & Learning
Young carers support – retain for 25 years after date of birth (if care-experienced or adopted retain for 150 years) (ref CS13)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to young people who act as carers
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Safeguarding – retain for 100 years after date of birth (if care-experienced or adopted retain for 150 years) (ref CS14)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – Child Protection administration, referrals and management, child sexual exploitation investigation, allegations and causes for concern about carers / adopters, medical arrangements, court case preparation and orders, liaison with police and other agencies
- authority – best practice and in response to IICSA
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Quality Assurance & Safeguarding
Youth offender supervision and support – retain for 25 years after date of birth (if care-experienced or adopted retain for 150 years) (ref CS15)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – young offender case management, bail and remand supervision, education, health, safeguarding assessment and intervention, and public protection assessment intensive supervision and surveillance, and restorative justice and reparation management, parent and carer support
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
SEN assessment and support – retain for 32 years after date of birth (if care-experienced or adopted retain for 150 years) (ref CS16)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – Special Educational Needs (SEN) assessment and statementing including Education Health Plans (EHC) and education support
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Education & Learning
Supported Lodgings case management – retain for 150 years after date of birth (ref CS17)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to supported lodging placements
- authority – best practice in line with approach for foster carers
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Looked After Children support – retain for 150 years after date of birth (ref CS18)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – written case records as specified in The Care Planning, Placement and Case Review (England) Regulations 2010 s.49 and s.50. To include care leaver support records.
- authority – best practice based on the ‘Good practice guidance for record-keepers and care professionals’ report commissioned by the Chief Archivists in Local Government Group (CALGG)
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Residential homes Children's case management – retain for 150 years after date of birth (ref CS19)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to individual children as specified in Schedule 3 of the regulations.
- including: personal details in relation to the child; contact details of certain persons in relation to the child; information relating to the care, protection or safety of the child; plans or reports relating to the child; health matters in relation to the child
- authority – The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 s.36
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Adoptions management – retain for 150 years after date of adoption order (ref CS20)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – the guidance on adoption for local authorities published by the DfE in 2014 specifies “Section 56” information that is covered by the 100 year retention rule as being:
- identifying information about the child, the birth parents, other birth relatives, adoptive parents and any other people involved in the adoption such as foster carers and professionals
- background information including the child’s birth and medical history, education, and development
- information supplied by the birth parent and other birth relatives including photographs, and letters
- information supplied by the adoptive parent(s) after the adoption
- information supplied by any foster carer
- information that the adopted person has asked to be kept, this would include their views on any contact
- a copy of the child’s permanence record (CPR)
- the prospective adopters’ report
- written record of the proceedings of the adoption panel and the agency decision
- any consent to placement and placement orders and any withdrawal of consent
- the Adoption Placement Report
- the Adoption Support Plan
- the Adoption Placement Plan
- any other information the agency considers necessary to keep
- care leaver support records
- authority – best practice based on the ‘Good practice guidance for record-keepers and care professionals’ report commissioned by the Chief Archivists in Local Government Group (CALGG)
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Special guardianship orders – retain for 150 years after date of order (ref CS21)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to the management of special guardianship orders
- authority – best practice
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
People posing a risk to children notifications – retain for 100 years from adult’s date of birth (ref CS22)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope - notifications that an adult poses a risk to children received from police, the prison service or the probation service
- authority – Children and Young Persons Act 1933
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Quality Assurance & Safeguarding
LADO contact and referral – retain for 10 years after file closure (ref CS23)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – review, then destroy
- scope – referral form, any case notes, attachments – including letters
- authority – best practice as defined by the LADO Network
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Quality Assurance & Safeguarding
LADO allegation cases (progressed cases) – retain for 100 years after date of birth (where DOB is unknown retain for 100 years after date of file closure) (ref CS24)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – referral form, initial evaluation meeting minutes, post-allegation investigation meeting minutes, any employer investigation reports, strategy discussion
- authority – best practice as defined by the LADO Network
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Quality Assurance & Safeguarding
Child Work Permits & Performance Licences – retain for 25 years after date of birth (ref CS25)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – applications for work permits and performance licences, workplace health and safety risk assessments, Body of persons approval (BOPA), exemptions, administrative documents relating to granting permits
- authority – business need
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
Chaperone Licences applications – retain for 6 years after last contact (where application is cancelled retain for 6 months after last contact) (ref CS26)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – approved and refused applications to be a chaperone in a place of entertainment
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
School records – retain for 25 years after child’s date of birth (if care-experienced or adopted retain for 150 years) (ref CS27)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – admissions, school placement applications, attendance and sessional attendance, school transport details, pupil educational records, suspensions and exclusions, pupil details from census and on-roll information including special category information
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Education & Learning
Home Educated Children – retain for 25 years after child’s date of birth (if care-experienced or adopted retain for 150 years) (ref CS28)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to children and young people known to be home educated
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Education & Learning
School Governor Services – retain for 6 years after a governor’s final term has finished (ref CS29)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – governor data information including governor data information (GDI) forms
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Education & Learning
Early Years Funding – retain for 7 years after date last modified* (ref CS30)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to nursery placements and funding
- authority – business need
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Education & Learning
*not possible to implement on current system – funding records will be kept until the child’s data is deleted.
Childcare records for Early Years settings owned by Dorset Council – retain for 6 years after child leaves setting (ref CS31)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – contractual documentation including parent and guardian details, medication record, registrations forms, parental permission forms and nursery attendance registers
- authority – business need
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
Accident reports for Early Years settings owned by Dorset Council – retain for 21 years and 3 months after child’s date of birth (ref CS32)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – accident reports involving children
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
Childcare provider information – retain for 6 years after the setting closes or provider resigns (ref CS33)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to registered and non-registered childcare providers including day nurseries, pre-schools, childminders, home childcarers, holiday clubs, wrap-around care and all merged registration and provider documents, as well as the main staff contact details
- staff contacts details change more regularly and will be kept up to date
- authority – business need
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
Prospective childcare provider information – retain for 1 year after date of application (ref CS34)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to prospective childcare providers including prospective childminders who do not become registered
- authority – business need
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
Schools and childcare provider advice, guidance, and support – retain for 6 years after school or childcare setting is closed (ref CS35)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to school improvements including service level agreements and visit reports
- authority – business need
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Education & Learning
Training for education and childcare professionals – retain for 6 years after completion of training course or qualification (ref CS36)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – training records for schools, early years settings, professionals working with children, foster carers, and youth workers, including personal information, booking forms, feedback, and certificates for training and qualifications
- authority – business need
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Education & Learning
Family Information Service (FIS) activity and family support records – retain for 1 year after the service has ended (ref CS37)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to family support services and activities for children, young people and families
- authority – business need
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
Outdoor Education Service – retain for 6 years after date last modified (ref CS38)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – consent forms for group leaders and participants, service level agreements, certification logs for completed courses
- authority – best practice
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
Outdoor Education Service mailing lists – keep up to date, destroy individual’s data once consent withdrawn (ref CS39)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – mailing list subscriber’s data
- authority – best practice
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
Whole Family Working (unless any individual’s records involved are subject to longer children’s retention policies - in which case other policies take precedence) – retain for 15 years after date last modified (ref CS40)
More details about the retention:
- This information is dynamic and will be constantly updating.
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – Information received from other internal systems. This work supports The Dorset Children Thrive Model, delivered through Localities is the mechanism through which Dorset Council and our partners will deliver a system-wide whole family approach to Early Help and family support.
- authority – business need
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
Contacts linked to children – retain until the last child’s record linked to this data is deleted (ref CS41)
More details about the retention:
- This data supports the work of several services.
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – contact details and demographic information for contacts associated with children, including family members, internal and external professionals working with children, and employers and agencies
- authority – business need
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
Children’s Centre and Family Hub files – retain for 25 years after date of birth (ref CS42)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – group contact details*, attendance register
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
*paper contact forms destroyed after added to electronic system Connect Plus
Children’s Services unique property files – retain indefinitely until Dorset Council are longer responsible for premises (ref CS43)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – review
- scope – records relating to properties including plans and insurance
- authority – business need
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
Research or evaluation data gathered for specific projects – retain for 12 months after the end of the project (ref CS44)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – personal data for example name, contact details, client management system number, and responses to questions
- authority – best practice and business need in case of queries with validity of any results
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
Early years SEND support – retain for 32 years after date of birth (if care-experienced or adopted retain for 150 years) (ref CS45)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records relating to support for young children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) before they start school
- authority – Limitation Act 1980
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships
Residential homes personnel records - agency staff - retain for 25 years after end of placement (ref CS46)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – records of individuals registered with third-party healthcare agencies employed by residential children's homes. Includes terms and conditions of employment, job description, personal specification, pay grade and record of changes to employment contracts
- authority – business need
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Care & Protection
Body of persons approval (BOPA) licences - retain for 12 months after date last modified (ref CS47)
More details about the retention:
- disposal action – destroy
- scope – body of persons approval (BOPA) licences, including applications and notifications
- authority – business need
- Information Asset Owner – Corporate Director for Commissioning & Partnerships