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Information, Advice or Guidance

Client records can be kept in different ways, depending on your organisation. The
access which staff have to records will depend on their job role. For example, a
customer service advisor in a council may only have access to a caller’s name and
address and not to their financial records.

Most client records will be held electronically – for example, by a housing association
or council. Some records will be purely paper-based – for example, some careers
advisors or learning support workers may only create paper-based records.

The purpose of accurate record keeping to fulfil good
practice guidelines

Accurate record keeping helps with evaluating your service to clients and ensuring
you are providing a useful service – but there are a number of laws around holding
personal information securely and accurately.

There are a number of reasons to keep accurate records of your clients:
• Good record keeping helps you find and share the information you need,
whether it is for your internal use, or for when referring or signposting a
client to another organisation

• Good record keeping results in information that can be trusted. You can
be confident that information is up to date and correct. For example, if a
client’s telephone number or address is incorrect, how will you contact
them?

• Good record keeping protects you and your organisation from risk. Good
records can be your proof that you have made considered decisions and
taken appropriate actions. If questioned, you can point to your records for
support.

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