Data Retention Policy

Belong OT is a private occupational therapy service based in Ardnacrusha, Co. Clare, Ireland.

Owner and Data Controller at launch: Déarbhla O’Reilly Malone trading as Belong OT.

Déarbhla O’Reilly Malone is a CORU-registered Occupational Therapist.

• Email: [insert business email]
• Phone: [insert business phone]
• Website: www.belongot.ie

Belong OT keeps records to support safe, clear and appropriate occupational therapy practice.

Records help Belong OT provide support that reflects the person’s needs, priorities, consent and agreed next steps. They also help Belong OT meet professional, legal, insurance, safeguarding, data protection and administrative responsibilities.

Records may include information needed to provide, manage and document occupational therapy services.

• enquiry information
• intake forms and consent forms
• assessment forms, screening information and results
• clinical notes
• reports, recommendations and written summaries
• home, school, college or workplace programmes
• relevant emails and correspondence
• invoices and payment records
• safeguarding records, including adult safeguarding records, child safeguarding records, retrospective disclosure records and records of advice, decisions or reports made, where relevant
• scanned paper documents

Belong OT aims to store clinical records electronically through Cliniko, a secure healthcare practice management system.

Cliniko may be used for booking, consent forms, intake forms, telehealth, clinical notes, reports, client documents, invoicing and secure document storage.

Access to records is limited to Belong OT and any authorised person who needs access for service, legal, professional, insurance, safeguarding or administrative reasons.

Belong OT aims to minimise paper records wherever possible.

Where paper records are received or created, they may be scanned into the secure clinical record in Cliniko. Once the electronic copy has been checked for accuracy, the paper copy may be confidentially shredded unless Belong OT needs to retain the original for legal, professional, regulatory, safeguarding, insurance or assessment publisher reasons.

Any paper records waiting to be scanned, reviewed or retained will be kept in locked storage.

Adult clinical records are normally kept for 8 years after last contact.

Records may be kept for longer where needed for safeguarding, legal, professional, insurance, complaint, claim-related or ongoing service reasons.

Clinical records for children and young people are normally kept until at least the young person’s 25th birthday.

If the young person was 17 when the service ended, records are normally kept until at least their 26th birthday.

Records may be kept for longer where needed for safeguarding, legal, professional, insurance, complaint, claim-related or ongoing service reasons.

Enquiries that do not proceed to an occupational therapy service are usually kept for up to 12 months.

This allows Belong OT to respond to follow-up queries, check previous contact and manage service administration. Enquiry information may be deleted sooner where it is no longer needed.

Financial and invoice records are usually kept for 6 years, subject to accountant and tax advice.

These records may include invoices, payment records, receipts, tax-related records and financial correspondence linked to the service provided.

Safeguarding records, including adult safeguarding records, child safeguarding records and retrospective disclosure records, are usually retained for at least the same period as the relevant clinical record.

They may be kept for longer where needed for safeguarding, legal, professional, insurance, complaint or claim-related reasons.

Adult safeguarding records may include the concern raised, relevant consent or information-sharing considerations, advice sought, actions taken, referrals or reports made, and the reason for decisions.

These records are stored securely. Access is limited to those who need access for service, safeguarding, legal, professional or insurance reasons.

Child safeguarding records may include concerns about a child or young person, advice sought, actions taken, reports made and the reason for decisions.

Where an adult discloses childhood abuse, Belong OT may need to consider whether there is a current or future risk to any child. Records of this decision-making may need to be kept securely as safeguarding records.

Records linked to complaints, legal issues, insurance queries or possible claims may be kept for as long as needed to manage the matter and meet legal, professional or insurance responsibilities.

This may mean some records are kept for longer than the usual clinical retention period.

If Belong OT uses newsletter, website form or email sign-up records, these records are kept only for as long as needed for the purpose collected.

Newsletter or mailing list information is kept until the person unsubscribes or withdraws consent, unless another lawful reason applies.

Belong OT may use anonymised supervision or professional consultation to support safe practice.

If any identifiable information needs to be recorded as part of a client’s care, safeguarding, complaint, legal or professional decision-making, it will be stored securely as part of the relevant record.

Access to records is limited to Belong OT and any authorised person who needs access for service, administrative, professional, safeguarding, legal or insurance reasons.

Where external systems or professional services are used, Belong OT aims to use appropriate security, confidentiality and data protection arrangements.

Clients and parents or carers may ask for access to personal information held by Belong OT.

Access requests will be managed in line with GDPR, data protection law and the Belong OT Privacy Policy.

Some information may need to be reviewed before release, especially where records include information about another person, safeguarding concerns, third-party information or clinical judgement.

A parent or guardian may ask to access records relating to a child or young person.

Belong OT may need to consider the child or young person’s age, understanding, consent, best interests, confidentiality, safeguarding needs and any third-party information before releasing records.

Clients and parents or carers may ask for information to be corrected or deleted.

Some records may need to be kept even where a deletion request is made. This may apply where records are needed for legal, professional, safeguarding, insurance or clinical reasons.

Clinical opinions or notes may not always be changed simply because a person disagrees with them. Where appropriate, Belong OT may add a note to the record showing that the person disagrees with part of the record.

Belong OT respects confidentiality. Information is not shared without a clear reason.

Information may need to be shared where required for safeguarding, legal, professional, insurance or service reasons. More information is available in the Consent and Information Sharing policy and the Privacy Policy.

When records no longer need to be kept, Belong OT will dispose of them securely.

This may include confidential shredding of paper records, secure deletion of electronic files, or deletion or archiving within secure systems where appropriate.

If Belong OT changes business structure, for example from sole trader to limited company, records will continue to be managed securely.

If Belong OT closes, records will be retained, transferred or securely disposed of in line with legal, professional, insurance and data protection requirements. Clients will be informed where appropriate.