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Non-Government Organisation (NGO) Service Providers Recordkeeping Procedure

It is in the interest of former children-in-care that their records be secure and accessible throughout the course of their life. A procedure has been established to retrieve closed records of former children-in-care from NGOs to ensure records are secure and accessible.

The benefits of this process are that:

• former children-in-care are confident in the knowledge that their records are safe and secure for the duration of their lifetime and accessible at anytime, free of charge, through freedom of information processes
• NGO needs are met through secure storage and accessibility of records for the long term - important as the lifetime of NGOs is undetermined
• the process we use to retrieve closed records from NGOs ensures we (and ultimately the state) can meet recordkeeping obligations as required under the Public Records Act 2002 and that the state can be accountable to the child.

About the NGO recordkeeping procedure

The Department of Communities (Child Safety Services), Records Management Services (RMS), has initiated a recordkeeping procedure to manage closed NGO client records in a way that meets the requirements of the Public Records Act 2002 and Information Standard 40 - Recordkeeping (IS40), the Queensland Government's mandated recordkeeping standard.

The objective of IS40 is to establish recordkeeping as a systematic part of business activities so that records are made, identified, captured and retained in an accessible and useable format that preserves the integrity of those records as evidence for as long as they are required.

The procedure has been initiated to transfer closed client files from NGO service providers.

The relevant forms and guidelines are:

1. Information for non-government service providers - transferring client related files to the Department of Communities (Child Safety Services) (PDF 56 KB)
2. Backlogs of Closed Client Files survey (PDF 64 KB)
3. How to transfer paper based files to the department (PDF 55 KB)
4. Records Transfer form (PDF 36 KB)

NGO service providers are required to fax or email the backlogs of closed client files survey to RMS (see details below).

Once the surveys have been received, RMS will use the survey details to directly contact NGOs to discuss arrangements for the delivery of boxes and pickup dates. Please include the Records Transfer form with the boxed records transferred to the department. The two guidelines, (Information for non-government service providers - transferring client related files to the Department of Communities (Child Safety Services) and How to transfer paper based files to the department) will assist you with this process.

The department will meet all costs associated with the delivery of these boxes to RMS.

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Last updated

6 May 2009