Information about the role of a force records manager, including the role purpose, key responsibilities and the skills required.
About the role
A force records manager is a business services role within the business support sector of policing. It's a manager role in the policing professional profiles.
Role purpose
The force records manager leads the governance and lifecycle management of police records (physical and digital). They ensure secure creation, storage, retrieval, review, retention and disposal in compliance with relevant legislation and guidance, including:
- police information and records management: code of practice (PRIM)
- General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Data Protection Act (DPA)
- Freedom of Information (FOI)
- authorised professional practice (APP) standards
They advise on migration and legacy records management, champion data quality, provide expert advice and oversee preservation of archival material of public interest.
Key responsibilities
Key responsibility statements show the accountabilities for someone in this role. They focus on what is done, not how it is done.
- Developing and maintaining records management policies, processes and retention schedules (review, retention and disposal (RRD)), ensuring compliance with the PRIM code of practice and APP.
- Promoting data protection by design in records management to embed privacy, security and data protection measures into the entire lifecycle of records.
- Leading and managing teams across records management, RRD, archiving and digitisation and system audit. Managing their wellbeing, welfare and development and ensuring high levels of motivation to enable an effective records management service.
- Working with information technology to help oversee configuration of RRD within key systems (such as Niche records management system, Microsoft 365 (M365)) to design reports and coordinate upgrades.
- Delivering relevant training and awareness for staff and information asset owners (IAOs), developing guidance and e-learning to provide subject matter expertise on records management, data quality and information governance.
- Managing deletion, rectification or erasure requests and retention or disposal decisions for complex cases to ensure legal compliance with relevant legislation.
- Representing the force at regional and national forums to provide input on records management and communicating records management requirements, ensuring force engagement with regional and national decision-making.
- Overseeing records management risk to ensure appropriate issues are escalated through governance boards and managed effectively.
- Managing physical archives and third-party storage contracts. Leading digitisation and heritage strategies to ensure legal compliance and compliance with national and force guidelines.
- Indexing and cataloguing records to facilitate quick, accurate and consistent retrieval of information.
Competencies, values and core skills
The competency and values framework (CVF) provides clear expectations for everyone working in policing. It describes the behaviours required by police officers and staff to be effective in their roles and uphold the Code of Ethics for policing.
Competencies
The CVF has six competencies, which are split into levels. These levels can be used flexibly to allow for a better fit with frontline and non-frontline policing roles, and at different levels of seniority. This ensures that there is consistency throughout all the policing professional profiles. Some roles may contain different CVF levels due to the specialist nature of the role. Those working at higher levels should also fulfil the requirements of the lower levels.
This role should be operating at or working towards the following competencies.
- We are emotionally aware – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We take ownership – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We collaborate – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We support and inspire – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We analyse critically – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
- We are innovative and open-minded – Level 2: supervisor or middle manager
Values
The CVF has three values that apply to everyone in policing, regardless of their role or seniority.
Core skills
All roles in policing have nine core skills in common. These are split into levels that represent the different levels of policing. This role should be operating at or working towards the following core skills.
- Communicating and influencing – Level 3
- Problem solving – Level 3
- Performance management – Level 3
- Relationship management – Level 3
- Change management – Level 3
- Managing people – Level 3
- Managing resources – Level 3
- Planning – Level 3
- Use of IT – Level 3
Education, qualifications and experience
To achieve effective performance in the role, the following standards, training, learning and qualifications should be met.
Previous education, qualifications and experience
- Professional qualification in records or information management or significant experience.
- Extensive experience of writing detailed reports, including for senior management level.
In-role education, qualifications and experience
- Develop project or change management knowledge.
- Develop networks and working relationships with key stakeholders.
- Develop good team-building skills.
- Develop a detailed knowledge of the force infrastructure and data assets and their value and criticality.
- Develop knowledge of PRIM Code of Practice, Management of Police Information (MOPI), APP, UK GDPR and DPA, FOI Act and related legislation.
- Develop leadership and stakeholder influence skills and ability to secure compliance across all levels.
- Develop high IT literacy including M365 (SharePoint, Teams and retention policies) and reporting tools.
- Develop knowledge of data quality analytics and report design and ability to improve processes.
- Develop awareness of National Archives best practice.
Continuing professional development
Continuing professional development (CPD) enables everyone in policing to develop and gain recognition for their professional skills, knowledge and competence.
CPD ensures that we continue to provide high-quality policing to keep the public safe and help to drive career aspirations. Discussion of CPD is usually included as part of professional development review (PDR) conversations.
Learning and accreditation
- Complete all core training and learning as required by the force.
- Any exemptions to learning and accreditation requirements are at chief constable discretion, in line with the local force policy.
Professional development
CPD should be both aspirational and forward‑looking, enabling continuous professional growth in line with College of Policing CPD principles.
This role should consider the following CPD:
- maintaining up-to-date specialist knowledge of changes to relevant legislation
- proactively engaging with peers and regional groups and attending National Police Chief Council forums
- environmental scanning, including the review of professional journals and publications and guidance and decisions from the Information Commissioner
- maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of the technologies and systems operated within policing and the legal context
- maintaining knowledge and understanding of performance management processes and ensuring they are implemented effectively when managing teams
- keeping up to date with guidance and good practice on health, safety and welfare
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