Date policy issued: 01.10.2026
Date policy last reviewed: 01.10.2026
This policy will be reviewed every 12 months (as a minimum).
Review due date: 01.10.2027
Designated Safeguarding Lead Contact Details
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Billie-Jo Jarrett, Compliance Manager
Email: [email protected]
Contact number: 07495 068440
1. Purpose and Scope
1.1 This policy covers paper and electronic records held by Social Work Partners about candidates, placed professionals, internal staff and clients, including complaints and safeguarding allegations.
1.2 Records must be handled lawfully under UK data protection legislation. They should be accurate, relevant, securely stored and retained only for a justified period. This policy should be read alongside the company’s Data Protection Policy.
2. Responsibilities and Security
2.1 Company directors oversee retention, approve exceptions and ensure secure disposal. Staff should report loss or unauthorised access immediately to a director.
2.2 Access should be limited to authorised people who need the information. Sensitive records should be held in restricted files, with access logged, rather than freely accessible recruitment records.
3. Retention Periods
3.1 The following are company retention periods. Applicable statutory requirements take precedence.
3.2 Routine candidate and client recruitment records: Retain for 12 months after creation or the last work-finding service, whichever is later. Necessary placement and contractual evidence is retained under clause 3.3.
3.3 Core employment, placement, contractual and associated compliance records: Retain for six years after employment, the final assignment or the relevant contract ends, subject to the safeguarding exceptions below.
3.4 Accounting records, invoices, timesheets and expenses supporting accounts: Retain for six years after the end of the relevant financial year, or longer where legally required.
3.5 Employer-held right-to-work evidence: Retain throughout employment and for two years afterwards.
3.6 DBS certificate copies and disclosed information: Normally retain for no longer than six months following the recruitment decision. Any exception requires a director’s documented lawful justification and consideration of DBS guidance. Basic check details and the recruitment decision may be retained with compliance records.
3.7 Ordinary complaints and non-safeguarding allegations: Retain for six years after closure.
3.8 Child-safeguarding allegations against candidates or staff: Retain until the individual reaches normal pension age or for ten years after case closure, whichever is later, subject to clause 4.
3.9 Adult-safeguarding allegations against candidates or staff: Retain for ten years after case closure, with longer retention where a documented continuing safeguarding or legal need exists.
3.10 These periods do not justify keeping unnecessary copies, medical details or criminal-record information for the same period. Such information should be reviewed separately.
3.11 The safeguarding periods are company standards, informed by relevant guidance, rather than universal statutory minimums. Directors should confirm applicable national, sector, contractual and insurance requirements when approving this policy and any exceptions.
4. Allegations Against Candidates or Staff
4.1 A confidential record should be created whenever an allegation is received, whether or not it leads to disciplinary action or an external referral.
4.2 The record should include the allegation, relevant dates and evidence, the individual’s response, investigation and referral activity, decisions, reasons and final outcome. Facts, opinions and unproven allegations should be clearly distinguished.
4.3 Records should remain subject to the applicable retention period even if the person resigns, leaves an assignment or is removed from our books. An unsubstantiated or unfounded allegation should not automatically be deleted or treated as proven.
4.4 Where an allegation is established as false or malicious, a director should promptly review removal from personnel and recruitment records, following applicable sector guidance and legal advice. Any separate record retained to explain the decision must have a documented lawful purpose and retention period.
4.5 Low-level concerns should be recorded and reviewed for patterns. Where they do not amount to a safeguarding allegation, the ordinary complaints period applies; where they indicate safeguarding risk, the safeguarding period applies.
4.6 Retaining an allegation does not automatically justify disclosing it in a reference. Sharing must be lawful, necessary, accurate and consistent with applicable professional and sector requirements.
5. Preservation and Exceptions
5.1 Routine deletion should be suspended for records relevant to an ongoing or reasonably anticipated investigation, claim, regulatory process or official inquiry.
5.2 A director should record the reason, scope and review date for extended retention. Binding preservation requirements must be followed.
5.3 Relevant requirements of the operating nation, client sector, insurer and regulator should be checked before disposal. Client care records should remain in client systems; the agency should retain only information necessary for its own responsibilities.
6. Review and Disposal
6.1 Records should be reviewed at least annually. Once retention expires, and no justified exception applies, paper records should be securely shredded and electronic records securely deleted, including duplicates. Backup copies should expire through the normal secure backup cycle and should not be restored to active use without applying relevant deletions.
6.2 A disposal log should record the record category, period covered, disposal date, method and approving person without reproducing sensitive content.
6.3 Access, correction or deletion requests should be referred promptly to a director and handled under the Data Protection Policy. Such requests do not automatically override lawful retention.
6.4 Directors should maintain approval and version records and arrange continued secure custody if the business closes.
7. Supporting Guidance
7.1 This policy is informed by the NSPCC’s Child protection records retention and storage guidance, applicable recruitment recordkeeping requirements and DBS handling guidance.