The DfE generate a lot of information every year in the shape of, for example, policy documents, HR files and campaign communications. As a ministerial department theyare ever mindful of adhering strictly to legislative requirements and statutory objectives whilst achieving value for money for the public purse. This can be a big ask when reviewing thousands of records each year for transfer to The National Archives for permanent preservation, or when HR files must be retained for 100 years from an individual’s date of birth.

Like many government departments they are aiming to be ‘digital by default’, eradicating paper by 2025. Of course this does not mean immediately destroying all existing paper records they we need to have accurate data about what was contained in files and archive boxes in order to make accurate decisions about retention and disposal.

Their previous contract came to an end and provided the ideal opportunity to put  requirements out to tender via CCS-approved suppliers, which included Restore Records Management. They wanted a supplier that could meet a comprehensive spec that encompassed secure modern storage and systems, personalised customer service and account management, with a flexible business approach and willingness to innovate and improve throughout the lifetime of the working relationship.

In the specification the DfE were open to opportunities on how our storage requirements could be met. Restore Records Management proposed a solution to uplift all our thousands of files and boxes from various storage and office locations to just one storage facility in Coventry,  cutting total transfer time by up to four months. This offered a simple and effective solution for the Department.

Some of the older archive boxes were discovered to be the wrong size to fit into modern racking. Pragmatists, the Coventry depot team re-jigged the way the racking was arranged and we were back on track, losing just one day from the transfer process. Upon arrival, all the files were scanned and then cross-indexed to create a wholly accurate database of assets. Any half-filled boxes were accounted for, then filled, and empty archive boxes were destroyed, resulting in a significant reduction physical storage costs.

We liked this flexible and thoughtful approach. I was further impressed by the account manager, who managed the whole transfer process, including when there was a slight hiccup in proceedings. Our experience with Restore has been positive since day one. Our initial project was completed in eight months and, throughout that time and ever since, we have benefited from Restore Records Management proactive approach and suggestions for budget management, and regular face to face meetings with her. And there’s more. We now have a full helpdesk facility and are grateful for the team , who have helped us with training and explaining processes such as RS web, cleaned our data so there are no longer any duplicate entries and enabled very specific data searches such as by National Insurance number. Claire Jurczuk, Head of Records Management, Department of Education.

Our current and ongoing indexing work is especially helpful for keeping us compliant with legislation and helping us make decisions about how we manage our paper records.
The cataloguing and prep work carried out by the Restore team helps us keep on track with The National Archives’ 20-year rule – vital where we are currently working with documents from the late 1990s, a period of particularly high rates of policy-making.

• Started their digital journey
• Full site of inventory
• Reduced costs
• Taken out duplicate data