A4. Institutional Memory and Record Retention

Purpose
To ensure key organisational information is captured, stored and retained so that RCHM can maintain continuity, meet legal requirements and support future staff.

Scope
This SOP covers operational records managed by the Operations and Systems Manager, excluding clinical records held by individual practitioners.

Responsible Role
Operations and Systems Manager

Procedure

1. Identify Key Records
   • Maintain a list of core record types: membership, finance, governance, HR, events, policies and SOPs.
   • Refer to the Data Retention and Information Security policies for retention periods.

2. Standard Storage Locations
   • Store current operational records on the intranet in clearly labelled folders.
   • Ensure restricted documents (e.g. HR) are kept in access-controlled locations.

3. Capture Institutional Knowledge
   • Where processes rely on tacit knowledge, create short notes or SOPs.
   • Encourage brief written summaries after major events, projects or transitions.

4. Apply Retention Periods
   • Follow agreed retention timelines for each category of record.
   • At review points, archive or securely delete records as required.

5. Handover Preparation
   • Maintain up-to-date records so that another staff member could pick up key processes in the event of absence or role change.

Linked Templates
• Record Retention Summary Table (to be added)

Version Control
Version: 1.0
Author: Malika Meddings
Date Created: 1 November 2025

Review Date
1 November 2026