Social worker lost children’s info at airport

A SOCIAL worker lost sensitive information about two children at Heathrow Airport after giving its security ‘no real thought’, a probe has found.

Buckinghamshire County Council was today criticised for the loss of the information, which breached the Data Protection Act.

It had been stored in hand luggage and included information about the children’s physical or mental health.

Chief executive Chris Williams has had to sign an undertaking to ensure a similar incident does not happen again.

The Information Commissioner’s Office said today: “The documents were in a plastic wallet belonging to a council social work employee who was travelling to another UK city in connection with the children’s social care case.

“After further analysis by the ICO, it was apparent that no real thought had been given to the security of this personal data during travel.

“It was also revealed that some of the council’s policies needed revision and that staff training in data protection was insufficient.”

It had been stored in the employee’s hand luggage along with travel information and was lost before the flight.

‘Strenuous’ efforts had been made to find it, the undertaking states, which admits ‘insufficient thought’ had been given to its security.

The ICO demanded new procedures around removal from offices of sensitive information and for staff to be aware of national data policies.

Sally-Anne Poole, ICO enforcement group manager, said BCC had shown a ‘poor regard for the importance of protecting children’s personal information’.

She said: “It is essential that councils ensure the correct preventative safeguards are in place when storing and transferring personal information, especially when it concerns sensitive information relating to children.”

Mr Williams said: “I welcome every opportunity to improve standards, and have taken on board the observations made by the commissioner.

“Measures outlined in the undertaking were being addressed prior to this incident, including policy reviews, enhanced staff training and a new records management system.

“We have an excellent record on maintaining the security of sensitive data and take the issue very seriously. Any breach of data security is therefore regrettable.

“Lessons have to be learned from these experiences and I am satisfied that the incident has been contained so that the undertaking I have signed now draws a line under the matter.”