No current investigation says Women’s Aid Director

Ms Brown also refuted claims in another City newspaper that “there is no current investigation or probe as suggested by the newspaper’s headlines”.

The lapse occurred in January 2012, when a FWA worker accidentally left a file containing sensitive client information in a cafe.

Responding to the article in the newspaper earlier this week, Ms Brown said: “Foyle Women’s Aid believes that confidentiality is paramount in terms of keeping women and children safe and the highest priority is given to it. When this incident, the only one in our 40 years history, occurred, Foyle Women’s Aid acted quickly and decisively, investigated thoroughly and reported the matter onwards.”

She said Foyle Women’s Aid was an organisation comprised of committed staff, which operates a front line service to clients traumatised by violence.

“Our highly trained staff work to the highest standards, often in very stressful, demanding circumstances,” she said continuing: “It is unfortunate that one individual did not meet those standards or follow procedures but when the issue came to our attention, immediate action was taken. A disciplinary procedure was initiated in relation to the staff member involved. That person no longer works for us.”

She said the Information Commissioner’s Office stated in its report that the individual concerned ‘acted outside of the data controller’s (Foyle Women’s Aid) expectations and, in particular, failed to act in accordance with the data controllers (Foyle Womens Aid) previous instructions’.

“In relation to the incident itself,” she said, “I would like to add that it happened over two years ago in January 2012. The worker concerned was not based at our premises at the time of the incident and the file was stored elsewhere. All staff now operate from Foyle Women’s Aid premises and follow our data protection policies and procedures, which are reviewed regularly.

“In this case, the file was out of the workers possession for a very short time and the person who found it handed it in to us immediately stating that it had not been opened or read.

Ms Brown said she was contacted by the newspaper over the Bank Holiday: “I did not comment immediately because all investigations carried out by Foyle Womens Aid were completed two years ago. I was not aware of any new developments and wanted to check my facts before making any statement.

“The fact is that there is no current investigation or probe as suggested by the newspapers headlines,” she said, adding: “All the information in relation to this matter has been in the public domain for some time and is freely available on the Information Commissioners website which deemed the matter resolved as far back as August 2013.”

In the article the newspaper said that the charity which works with victims of domestic abuse had ‘been investigated after a folder containing sensitive client information was left in a cafe’.

It claimed: ‘An investigation was carried out under the Data Protection Act following the incident in June 2012 with follow up work by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) carried out late last 
year.’

The article said ‘the incident was contained as the cafe owner promptly returned the documentation’ adding ‘Official ICO documents related to the incident, and published online, noted ‘an apparent lack of effective controls and procedures for taking information out of the office was a contributor to the loss of highly sensitive personal data’.

The newspaper continued, saying ‘investigation went on to reveal that a worker “was transporting excessive information, as the lost folder contained personal data which was not relevant to the meetings the individual had scheduled that day. However, by having this information the worker acted outside the of the data controller’s expectations and in particular failed to act in accordance with the data controller’s previous instructions”.

‘In November 2013 as part of a follow-up check, the ICO states that lockable boxes have been introduced for the transportation of paper data outside the office.

‘It’s also understood that line managers are undertaking physical security spotchecks to ensure compliance with clear desk 
procedures.’

The article concluded by saying: ‘Foyle Women’s Aid have declined to comment’.