Governance

Self Assessment

In 2007 The National Archives introduced a new self-assessment performance measurement programme for local authority archive services.
The assessment requires archive services to complete a comprehensive questionnaire relating to the following work areas:

• Governance and Staffing
• Documentation of Collections
• Access Services
• Preservation and Conservation
• Buildings, Security and Environment.

A percentage score is then awarded to each work area and an overall percentage score is then calculated. Scores are then performance banded and each authority receives a star rating within the range of 1 and 4.

In the most recent assessment (2008) our service received a 4* rating (awarded to the top 10% of services).

Further details about The National Archives’ self-assessment performance measurement programme can be found from the following link to The National Archives website:

www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives/self-assessment.htm

In 2018 Northumberland Archives at Woodhorn was awarded accredited status by our sectoral lead, The National Archives. The accreditation award is a badge of external recognition which demonstrates that our service is meeting a nationally recognised standard.

For more information about the accreditation scheme see https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/archive-service-accreditation/.


Statutory Functions

Much of the work that Northumberland Archives undertakes has a statutory basis. The following pieces of legislation direct our work:

•    The Public Records Acts of 1958 & 1967 empowered the Lord Chancellor to appoint local record offices as ‘places of deposit’ and Northumberland Record Office was first designated thus in 1960.

•    The Local Government (Records) Act of 1962 empowered local authorities to acquire records relating to the area they served by gift, purchase or deposit and to make arrangements for public access to these records.

•    The Local Government Act of 1972 required Local Authorities to make ‘proper arrangements’ for any documents that belong to them or are in their care. These ‘proper arrangements’ were defined in joint guidance issued by DETR & LGA in 1999. This confirmed that requirements to make ‘proper arrangements’ covered all records, not just those of the authority. The guidance also referred to the need to provide a suitable physical environment for the records (to the current BS EN 16893 standard), the need to work with schools and other educational establishments to realise the educational potential of archives and the need to provide adequate staffing.

•    The Parochial Registers and Records Measure of 1978 formalised arrangements to retain the older records of the Church of England. Our service was appointed Diocesan Record Office for the Diocese of Newcastle in 1966.

•    Northumberland County Council has adopted as policy the British Standard 5454 Recommendations For The Storage and Exhibition of Archival Documents (2000 revision). It has also adopted A Standard for Record Repositories issued by The Historical Manuscripts Commission in 1991 and updated in1997.

•    The Data Protection Act (1998), Environmental Information Regulations (2004) and Freedom of Information Act (2000) all impact upon the way that we deliver our service, particularly in relation to access to records.

•    The government policy Archives For The 21st Century (2009) set out a vision for archives. This and the updates version have informed our strategic direction over recent years. These documents can be accessed here: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/projects-and-programmes/government-policy-on-archives/

•    In 2017 Archives Unlocked and the accompanying Action Plan set out government’s vision for the archive sector. The documents inform our current strategic direction. These documents can be accessed here: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/projects-and-programmes/strategic-vision-for-archives/


Policies

Northumberland Archives is run in compliance with a range of policies and procedures, particularly relating to our duties as the Archive Service for Northumberland.

Our Privacy Notice can be found here.