This policy is also important in assisting HCPC to comply with its obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation 2016 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Data protection legislation requires that personal data must be:
- adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary;
- accurate and where necessary kept up to date; and
- not kept for longer than is necessary for its purpose.
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) provides rights of access to information held by public bodies and the link between the FOIA and effective records management will be immediately apparent. The quality of the records which the HCPC holds will affect its ability to respond to requests under the FOIA. If records are not created and managed effectively then they will not be found when needed.