Keep the record - destroy the rest
Managing information properly includes disposing of it properly. This is especially important if the information is classified as controlled or restricted, is commercially sensitive or relates to identifiable individuals. A risky approach to disposing of confidential information can cause trouble, ranging from mild embarrassment to serious harm.
To get it right, get to know the retention rules used by your department or service. This will help you work out whether the information you hold is part of a record. A record is stored in an established system or case file.
If the key information has been captured in the system, copies, notes, or drafts can go straight in the confidential waste.
Plan for the worst - aim for the best
Whether you're working at home or in a council building, you need to take responsibility for the information you handle. The Information Commissioner's Office websiteis full of cautionary tales about what happens to people and organisations that don't. It helps to be a pessimist, just for a minute. Imagine the worst thing that could happen with your confidential information, then plan accordingly.
If there's confidential information in your home, you should:
- choose a single storage space in your home and stick to it – think about the location and its security: a locked briefcase in your bedroom cupboard beats a carrier bag on the kitchen table
- divide the papers into those which you are still using and those which you are ready to destroy – store these with equal care and, when you get a chance, dispose of papers using the confidential waste bin in your office, never with your household waste
Your home working log
Following the Safe Haven guidance your manager is responsible for setting up a home working log for paper records. The log should say who took what and when. You are then responsible for looking after the records properly.
This is easier said than done. For instance, what if your home environment just isn't suitable for storing confidential waste? Perhaps you live in a busy or cramped household, without much space to store it securely - or no access to transport to a council office with a confidential waste bin.
There are too many potential problems and solutions to list. But if the system isn't working, don't just soldier on - talk to your manager and other colleagues. Work out a solution together.
Your working processes
The solution should ideally not involve your own printer, shredder or scanner. Instead, look at your working processes - why do you have paper confidential waste in the first place?
Go electronic if you can. For instance, do you need to make handwritten notes as you work, or could you make do with the notepad app on your computer? Do you need to print the agenda of an online meeting, or could you follow along on the screen? Could an online form cut out some of the hard copy paperwork?
If you switch to managing information electronically, it is just as important to work in approved systems, to know what you keep, where you keep it, and when you can dispose of it.