storage, retention and destruction of information

When managing information, we need to ensure we’re transparent, accountable and meet our legal obligations in the maintenance and destruction of young people's information.

managing information

While a young person is assigned to your service, you do not need to hold a hard copy of their forms and supporting documents.

Once you have scanned and uploaded the documentation into ART:

  • hand the documents back to the young person to keep for their own records (preferred method), or
  • dispose of the information using a secure destruction management system.

All critical documents should be scanned and uploaded into ART so that you and others have easy access and visibility of the young person's information.

Learn more

digitisation standard | Youth Service providers

security of information | Youth Service providers

 

disposing of information

Your organisation is responsible for managing the disposal of information using a secure destruction management system, (like a secure destruction bin). If you do not have a secure destruction bin, you must dispose of the information in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.

In retaining and disposing of your own client information you must adhere to the Privacy Act 2020 and Public Records Act 2005. For more information, refer to the links below.

Privacy Act 2020

Public Records Act 2005

original documents

If you have exhausted all avenues to contact the young person to return their original documents, the original documents must be kept in a safe and secure location for at least two years. After which, it should be destroyed after two years in a secure destruction bin.

keeping an electronic copy of information

You must not save a young person’s information to a shared or separate drive or cloud storage system. Once scanned and uploaded into ART, you must return the document to the young person or dispose of the information using a secure destruction management system, and delete the electronic copy from your computer.