Introduction
Principle 5 governs the storage of personal information by the Community Probation Service and other agencies.
Principle 5: Storage and security
Principle 5 focuses on the way personal information is stored and kept secure.
For the Community Probation Service this means that reasonable safeguards must be in place to protect information from being lost, misused, accessed, used or disclosed to or by people who are not authorised or entitled to have access to it.
Practical steps to protect information include ensuring that:
- no information relating to offenders, victims or other persons is left lying around on desks, public areas, or in Court
- if multiple copies of reports have been prepared, these are tracked and copies no longer required are gathered up for secure destruction
- only authorised staff have access to work areas
- all meetings attended by visitors, offenders, victims and sponsors are held in meeting rooms
- if any personal offender information is to be provided to an authorised third person, such as a programme provider or sponsor, the rules of confidentiality and use of that information are fully explained and confirmed
- the office is securely locked and all windows secured when the last person leaves the building, and
- all staff are personally responsible for the safekeeping of all assigned offender records, keys, security cards and computer access.
