St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church
Records Retention Policy
Many areas of church activity are subject to external regulation; for example in areas of child protection, finance, and the preservation and maintenance of our historic buildings; which makes it essential to maintain proper records. Good record keeping, particularly in these areas, demonstrates the Church’s wider accountability to Society in relation to its activities and reflect the true complexity and diversity of the Church’s activities. The Church also has theological reasons for managing its records as a testimony of its various activities as part of its continuing witness to Christians, those of other faiths and those of none.
This guidance about the retention or otherwise of records is based on ‘Keep or bin…? The care of your Parish Records’(https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2017-11/care_of_parish_records_keep_or_bin_-_2009_edition.pdf) and has been adapted for use by an LEP with reference to https://www.methodist.org.uk/media/21513/retention-schedules-12-april-2021-v4.pdf
For ease of reference records have been grouped into separate subject categories, and within each category the listed records are classed into one of three sections:
‘What we must keep’ This section contains the records which the church is legally required to maintain whilst the records are in use and then to transfer to the Local Authority Record Offices when the records have ceased to be of use in the church.
‘What we will keep’ This section contains records which may be of permanent interest.
‘What we should not keep’ This section relates to records which may be safely disposed of at the end of their administrative life.
Where records are stored electronically, including on portable devices such as USB sticks, these are backed up to the Church Office computer, which in turn is backed up to One Drive once a month.
- Church Services
We must keep
· Registers of baptisms - Permanent (deposit at the Local Authority Record Offices)
· Registers of banns, confirmations and services - Permanent (deposit at the Local Authority Record Offices)
We will keep
· An archive copy of any service sheets for special services or any surveys of church attendance.
· Photographs of special services, church events, clergy and congregation
We should not keep
· Baptism certificate counterfoils, marriage certificate counterfoils, copies of burial and cremation certificates, copies of banns certificates and applications for banns, baptisms and marriage services
Note – Marriage registers are no longer kept on the premises, since all administration for marriage services is done by the Register Office. Any enquiries about weddings held at St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church should be directed to the local Register Office.
2. Church Buildings and Property
We must keep
· Former terriers, inventories and logbooks - Permanent (deposit)
· TMCP permissions for alterations to the property, and accompanying papers, photographs, plans and drawings - Permanent (deposit)
· Plans, correspondence, accounts and photographs relating to major repairs or alterations - Permanent (deposit)
We will keep
· A record of church events – originally as hard copies, now on the church website
3. General Church Administration
The core documents are the minutes of the Ecumenical Church Council (ECC) and its committees.
We must keep
· The signed copies of the ECC minutes and its committees and any accompanying papers and reports - Permanent (deposit) Note: Accompanying papers have been stored electronically since September 2020
We will keep
· Letters and reports relating to major developments in the church if they contain important information
· An archive copy of questionnaire returns
· Any statement as to the conditions, needs and traditions of the parish (a ‘parish profile’) produced by the Ecumenical Church Council under the Patronage (Benefices) Measure 1986 on a vacancy in the benefice, as well as other documents held for or on behalf of the Ecumenical Church Council or churchwardens in relation to the vacancy and the appointment of a new Anglican incumbent
· Maps of the parish specially prepared for church purposes
· Church electoral rolls and church audits
· An archive copy of all printed items, such as booklets, produced by the church
· An archive set of all church magazines Note: These have been stored electronically since December 2019
· An archive set of the weekly notice sheets Note: These have been stored electronically since 2019
We should not keep
· Correspondence and other records relating to routine church administration
4. Church Finance
Most churches generate a considerable quantity of financial records, but not all of these need be kept permanently.
We must keep
· The annual accounts
We should not keep
· Other supporting documents, including cash books, bank statements, wages records, vouchers and routine correspondence (more than 7 years old)
· Planned giving and gift aid records (more than 7 years old). However, where Gift Aid Declarations are open-ended in the form ‘all my past and future donations’, these need to be kept for as long as they are still valid, plus 6 years. Her Majesty’s Revenues and Customs have the right to audit them whilst tax claims are still being made and for 6 years thereafter.
5. Pastoral Care, Safeguarding and Health and Safety
We must keep securely
· A file for each lay member of staff and volunteer
· Letters and other correspondence pertaining to Disclosures should be kept for as long as those volunteers and employees are in the particular role for which Disclosure was obtained. DBS certificates must never be duplicated and must be destroyed within 6 months of a recruitment decision being made.
· Any communication from third parties, e.g. complainants on any matter, the police or Social Services and a factual record of the actions taken.
6. Legal Documents Note: Many of these documents are held in the Circuit safe; a list of these is held by the Secretary of the ECC
We must keep
· Title Deeds
· Local Ecumenical Partnership Agreements
· Pastoral Schemes
· Charity Schemes
9. Publications
The service books used by a church form part of its liturgical history and consideration should be given to keeping a representative sample in the parish.
We will keep
· A copy of all printed service books, communion booklets, Bibles etc. as they are replaced by new versions
· Finely bound altar and desk editions of the Book of Common Prayer and of the Bible
· One copy of hymn and prayer books and psalters, service sheets and communion booklets (these are of value for the study of liturgy in the church)
· A copy of each edition of the church guide Note: These have been stored electronically since 2018
· One copy of a church history
Review
The Records Retention Policy will be reviewed annually. The next review is due in September 2025.
This version agreed and accepted by the Ecumenical Church Council, 19th September 2024.