Paperowrk Storage

[Keyup]

Hi I don't know if anyone can help ive looked on PLA and actually asked the PLA but........I own a preschool, it was a previous preschool but it is now a new company etc etc so effectively brand new. However I have all of the pwork form the old preschool @40 yrs worth! That preschool doesn't exist anymore so if I hadn't taken it over and then effectively closed it what would happen to the pwork?

I have stacks of it! If I hadn't re-opened etc etc what would have happened to it all? I really don't want it all as I have funds to buy new equipment and this is taking up storage space.

The PLA suggests that I keep as it is the old Preschools pwork, not really an answer in my book, what If it has just closed what then?

many thanks for any enlightenment!x

[Panders]

Oh dear, what would happen if it all just went up in smoke one day?

[Foreveryoung]

It was like that in the cupboard when I took over, I went through it all painstakinly and inline with guidelines shredded most of it, managed to get it down to a couple of box files which I've dated on them 'destroy ../../.. It was a nightmare going through it all. From my previous business I have a tin in loft with papers in.... This job is really never ending lol

[Mouseketeer]

I wouldn't be keeping it if you are a 'new business' rather than the new owner of a going concern, I think the only thing needed for that long anyway is insurance docs, and as a new business they'd have no relevance to you anyway surely....I'm liking panders train if thought ......we generate enough of our own c***, without inheriting someone else's

[finleysmaid]

to my mind the owner of the previous setting is responsible for keeping this (so chair of trustees etc) but it must be kept even though the organisation no longer exists

[SueJ]

Our "project" this year was to shred as much paperwork as we could and it was a mammoth effort - we keep sooo much stuff e.g, "evidence" for QA schemes and Ofsted, records etc.

So following a blitz we now keep

children's admission stuff e.g., contract and absence records - 3 years

accident records - 3 years

signing in/out sheets for the previous half term

staff records - have to keep them 6 years

financial records - have to keep them 5 years

insurance certificates - some ludicrous amount of time - it was at some point 75 years!!!

following LA advise we must now transfer all child protection and sen records to follow on setting/school (with parental permission) and get them signed for

if parental permission not given then have to involve LA

for historical records that have not been transferred then keep until the child would have reached 25 years of age!

We have a suitably robust shredder and now use it frequently

In respect of your query about transferring stuff - as finleysmaid says the previous "owner" should hold the records that need to be kept.

[Mouseketeer]

Not a lot of confidentiality going on when it's just left for someone else to deal with as another business....could contact ICO ....maybe they'd like to store it ;-p

[blondie]

i would ask the previous owners/committee to take it - although i doubt they will want it - it is the property of the previous owners not yours.

did you keep any staff on - you would probably need to keep any paperwork relevant to them though - any appraisals, 1;1 etc

suej could you please bring yourself and your shredder to mine as we have a cupboard full of c*** that needs sorting please

[Beau]

I thought accident records needed to be kept until the child is 21. The 3 years refers to adults but this doesn't come into effect for children until they reach 18.

[SueJ]

I thought accident records needed to be kept until the child is 21. The 3 years refers to adults but this doesn't come into effect for children until they reach 18.

According to the PSLA we should keep records for a "reasonable time",

http://file:///C:/Users/Sue%20Pink%20Toshiba/Downloads/Retention%20Periods%20for%20Records%20Aug%2013%20(2).pdf

The ICO are somewhat vague

http://ico.org.uk/for_organisations/data_protection/the_guide/information_standards/principle_5

With minor accidents like grazed knees etc. I have decided to go with the ICO principle

"It is good practice to regularly review the personal data you hold, and delete anything you no longer need."