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Recover deleted work and understand retention

Restore a removed write-up within thirty days, know when a purge is permanent and see how long records are kept.

Checked against the screens:

Every organisation can choose its own words for the people and roles it works with. When you are signed in, this guide uses your organisation’s words. Otherwise it uses the product’s own.

For admins. A removed write-up can be brought back for thirty days. A purge cannot be undone.

Steps

  1. Open Admin, then Recovery. You may be asked to confirm it is you.
  2. Read the list of removed write-ups. Each row shows the person, date, outcome, status and when it was removed.
  3. If the page is limited to one person, Show every removed session instead widens it.
  4. Check the row is the one you want. Look at the date and the reference.
  5. Press Restore. The write-up returns to the person's timeline.
  6. Only if it must go for good, type PURGE in the box on its row and press Purge.
  7. To read the rules on how long things are kept, open Retention.

If it goes wrong

  • If the list is empty, nothing was removed in the last thirty days.
  • If Purge is refused, you may need a fresh sign-in. Confirm it is you and try again.
  • If a write-up was already signed off, only an administrator can restore or purge it.

Removing is not destroying

When a write-up is removed, it is hidden, not erased. For thirty days it can be restored by an administrator.

After that it falls to the clear-out, which runs for all organisations together.

Restore or purge

Restore clears the removal. The write-up is back as it was.

Purge is a permanent delete. You must type the word PURGE to confirm, and be freshly signed in.

What retention means

Retention is how long records are kept before a clear-out. The page shows the policy for your organisation, read-only.

The clear-out of removed records runs across every organisation at once. Only the platform team can start it. Ask them if one is needed.

A child's own record

A child's own record is never part of that clear-out. It is kept until they turn twenty-five, not on a short timer.

Specific categories of safeguarding record can set their own retention. See the guide on categories.

How it links together

A restored write-up reappears on the person's timeline, in reports and in the planner link to it. A removed one stops counting toward figures until it returns.

Recovery and purge actions are written to the audit log. See the guides on the audit log, on exports and on deletion requests.

The life of a removed write-upIt is hidden, can be restored for thirty days, and only then can it go for good.
  1. RemovedHidden, not erased
  2. RestorableRestore within thirty days
  3. ClearedBy the platform team's clear-out
  4. PurgedOnly on purpose, with Purge

Questions people ask

How long can I restore something?

For thirty days after it was removed.

Can I restore a child's whole record?

No. This page restores removed write-ups only.

Who can purge?

Only admins, after a fresh sign-in and typing PURGE.

Why can't I start the retention clear-out?

It runs across every organisation, so only the platform team can start it.

How long is a child's record kept?

Until they turn twenty-five.