We’ve updated the Employment, policy, career and wellbeing and Human resources sections. We’ve changed titles and moved some content to make it easier for you to find.
Vulnerable persons records management toolkit
Information, data and records which may provide evidence of incidents, allegations, disclosures and investigations of abuse of vulnerable persons must be managed in your workplace.
A toolkit is available below to guide your agency in meeting its records management responsibilities.
Your agency should already have a risk management framework in place. This toolkit aims to support your existing framework in the context of interactions with vulnerable persons.
This toolkit will support Queensland government and non-government agencies, including non-state schools.
However, it was also intended to provide practical coverage for Recommendations 8.2-8.5.
#
Recommendation
8.1
To allow for delayed disclosure of abuse by victims and take account of limitation periods for civil actions for child sexual abuse, institutions that engage in child-related work should retain for at least 45 years, records relating to child sexual abuse that has occurred or is alleged to have occurred.
8.2
The National Archives of Australia and state and territory public records authorities should ensure that records disposal schedules require that records relating to child sexual abuse that has occurred or is alleged to have occurred be retained for at least 45 years.
8.3
The National Archives of Australia and state and territory public records authorities should provide guidance to government and non-government institutions on identifying records which, it is reasonable to expect, may become relevant to an actual or alleged incident of child sexual abuse, and on the retention and disposal of such records.
8.4
All institutions that engage in child-related work should implement the following principles for records and recordkeeping, to a level that response to the risk of child sexual abuse occurring within the institution.
Principle 1: Creating and keeping full and accurate records relevant to child safety and wellbeing, including child sexual abuse, is in the best interests of children and should be an integral part of institutional leadership, governance and culture
Principle 2: Full and accurate records should be created about all incidents, responses and decision affecting child safety welling including child sexual abuse
Principle 3: Records relevant to child safety and wellbeing, including child sexual , should be maintained appropriately
Principle 4: Records relevant to child safety and wellbeing, including child sexual abuse, should only be disposed of in accordance with law or policy
Principle 5: Individuals’ existing rights to access, amend or annotate records about themselves should be recognised to the fullest extent
8.5
State and territory governments should ensure that non-government schools operating in the state or territory are required to comply, at a minimum, with standards applicable to government schools in relation to the creation, maintenance, and disposal of records relevant to child safety and wellbeing, including child sexual abuse.
You must create complete and reliable records relating to interactions with vulnerable persons to ensure records are available to support legal claims and redress applications.
It is important that public authorities take a whole-of-organisation approach to consider how your agency proactively protects vulnerable persons as well as to identify what records may be required to document any incidents, allegations, disclosures and investigations of abuse.
It should complement your agency's existing governance practices, including risk and records management.
This advice applies to paid staff, volunteers, visitors, contractors and outsourcing arrangements. The advice is also applicable to public authorities that infrequently interact with vulnerable persons.
The guideline provides:
advice on the creation and management of reliable and accurate records in relation to:
the proactive protection of vulnerable persons, including records of interactions between vulnerable persons and your agency or staff
an incident, allegation or disclosure of abuse.
guidance on identifying records that may provide corroborating evidence of contact with vulnerable persons in support of an incident, allegation, disclosure and investigation of abuse
definitions of who is considered a vulnerable person and the forms of abuse covered by the guideline and relevant disposal authorisations
advice on identifying, assessing and mitigating risks relating to interactions with vulnerable persons in order to support their proactive protection
sentencing and implementation advice to determine how long to keep relevant records
guidance on implementing broader whole-of-government initiatives related to the protection of vulnerable persons.
Incidents, allegations, disclosures and investigations of abuse - vulnerable persons
Records relating to the proactive protection of vulnerable person including:
Allegations of abuse
Disclosure of abuse
Incidents of abuse
Investigations of abuse
Includes records that may not document a criminal offence but may require further investigation to ensure inappropriate behaviour towards vulnerable persons is not occurring.
Keep for 100 years after the creation of record
1559
Evidence of interactions and contact with vulnerable persons
Records providing evidence of interactions and contact with vulnerable persons identified following the implementation of the Guideline. Includes records documenting the processes followed to identify corroborating evidence or records relevant to future incidents, allegations, disclosures or investigations of abuse.
Retain until 31 December 2028
1560
Governance practices for proactive protection of vulnerable persons
Records relating to the development and implementation of a public authorities' policies, plans, strategies, training material and other guidance that sets out requirements for the proactive protection of vulnerable persons.
Records may include, but are not limited to:
policies and procedures relating to the handling of incidents, allegations, disclosures and investigations of abuse
standards related to the proactive protection of vulnerable persons
codes of conduct related to proactive protection of vulnerable persons
training material related to the handling of incidents, allegations, disclosure and investigations of abuse of vulnerable persons
training material related to expected conduct of paid staff, contractors, visitors, volunteers and outsourcing arrangements
major drafts of governance documents.
Keep permanently
If your agency's core retention and disposal schedule contains disposal authorisations that also apply to records of vulnerable persons, you should always apply the longest retention period.
SSO is an authentication process that allows you to access multiple services and applications with one username and password.
Most Queensland Government agencies use SSO. If your agency doesn't use SSO, contact your agency IT service desk and let them know you would like to use it.
Most government-owned corporates, non-government organisations, and statutory authorities do not currently use SSO. If your organisation doesn't use SSO, contact your IT service desk and let them know you would like to use it.