About the Records Management Service

What is the Records Management Service?
Our Aims and Objectives
Why use the Records Management Service?

What is the Records Management Service?

The Records Management Service ensures there is effective control of Lancashire County Council's information resources whether they are administrative, fiscal or legal records. These records form part of our corporate memory and are seen as valuable information assets.

The Records Management Service is about providing the right information to the right person at the right time.

Within the Records Management Service we are moving towards the management of electronic and paper records in one hybrid system and therefore working towards reducing the duplication of information within Lancashire County Council.

Our Aims and Objectives

Aim

Under section 224 of the Local Government Act 1972, the Records Management Service aims to provide an efficient, effective and economical service for the care and administration of Lancashire County Council's records, regardless of medium, from creation until selection for destruction or permanent preservation. (Further guidance on the interpretation of 'proper arrangements' can be found on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website (External) http://www.odpm.gov.uk )

Objectives

Providing low-cost, high-density confidential storage for semi- and non-current records, thereby releasing high-cost office and storage accommodation.
Enabling easier, quicker and more accurate identification and retrieval of information, saving staff time and storage equipment costs, and allowing better decision-making based on higher quality and appropriate information.
Ensuring records (both paper and electronic) are destroyed at the earliest opportunity once they have no further legal, financial, administrative or archival function with resulting savings on accommodation costs.
Regularly reviewing assigned retention periods to ensure documents are not occupying valuable storage space longer than necessary.
Identifying records of historical or other importance at the earliest opportunity for permanent preservation in Lancashire County Council's own archive at the Lancashire Record Office, thus protecting Lancashire County Council's archives of the future.

Why use the Records Management Service?

Our service may be able to help you in many of the following ways:

providing you with a definition and explanation of records management
providing advice on record-keeping practices
providing you with secure confidential storage for semi-current records whilst freeing up valuable office space and equipment
retrieving records quickly and efficiently
ensuring the County Council is legally compliant with relevant legislation, such as Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Data Protection Act 1998
ensuring the correct retentions are in place to comply with legislation and good business practice
identifying records with archival relevance or safely destroying records no-longer legally required for business practice
helping you to achieve best practice standards set out in BS ISO 15489
ensuring audit trails are in place

LRO processes

Records Management equals:

Fewer records
Better records
More effective records
More efficient records and information

Good records management practices are crucial within any organisation. It ensures authentic and reliable evidence of business transactions; legal compliance; openness and accountability; effective e-government, decision making and planning processes. (For further details refer to Lancashire County Council's Corporate Records Management Policy Statement )

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