Records Retention & Disposal

Understanding legal obligations and best practice for managing records retention and secure disposal

Course Overview

This course provides learners with an understanding of records retention obligations and the requirements for secure disposal of information at the end of its retention period. Learners will explore legal retention periods, the development of retention schedules, records management systems, storage obligations and compliant disposal methods. The course supports compliance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and sector-specific records retention requirements.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the legal basis for records retention and disposal obligations
• Apply retention periods to common business record types
• Develop and maintain a records retention schedule
• Understand secure storage requirements for different record types
• Apply compliant disposal methods for physical and digital records
• Recognise the risks of premature destruction or excessive retention
• Support an effective information governance programme

Course Structure (3 topics, 9 lessons)