The Guideline on creating and keeping records for the proactive protection of vulnerable persons was originally developed in response to Recommendation 8.1, in Volume 8: Recordkeeping and Information Sharing of the Final Report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
However, it was also intended to provide practical coverage for Recommendations 8.2-8.5.
# | Recommendation |
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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.
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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. |
Watch 'What is RCIRCSA?' or 'Recordkeeping and Vulnerable Persons: an overview' for a quick overview.
The guideline was expanded to also cover records that may be relevant to: