How To Keep Good Records

Chapter I: Introduction
Chapter II: Information To Record
Chapter III: How Long To Keep Records
Chapter IV: Storing Data
Chapter V: Steps To Take When Something Happens In Class

Chapter I: Introduction

All businesses must keep records of their financial activities regardless of size. As a yoga teacher, you should also retain records of your students' basic details, class attendance records, health questionnaires, and disclaimers.

You will undoubtedly have heard the phrase, 'where there's blame, there's a claim'. You should keep information on file in case of an insurance claim!

Remember, your records are your first line of defence if a student makes a complaint or you receive an insurance claim against you. A claim may come in years down the line, and you must have records.

Class attendance records/register
You may need to prove that a student was present in your class at the time of an allegation.

Student Details
This includes their contact information, emergency contact details, previous experience and existing healthy conditions/injuries. Let students know their data will not be shared with anyone else.

Student Disclaimer Form
A series of statements to reject potential legal claims made by students

Incident Report
Any incident that happens, such as someone feeling ill or having an accident, should be noted.

If you are working for a studio, then we would advise that you check if they are collecting this information before you start teaching.

We would also recommend that you start all classes with a short introduction to check that all participants are fit and healthy. This way, anybody who is injured or unwell can be given different poses or adjustments.

The GDPR states that records should be kept for no longer than necessary (although they do not define how long that is). Complicated!

Look at Contract Law and our own insurance company, Balens Ltd. They recommend that records are kept for at least 7 years. In the case of children (minors under the age of 16), it is recommended that records are kept indefinitely.

The Statute of Limitation (UK Law) applies to late discovered situations which can lead to an allegation of negligence 3 or 6 years from the date the student discovers a problem. Now we do not want to scare you. We want to make sure you are aware that claims or complaints can arise at a much later date!

It will help if you inform students about your storage information procedures. If you are collecting information in a form, then it is essential to make people aware of the following:

Why you are collecting the information
How long you'll store the information
Your policy for destroying this information (within a period or once the student has left)

First of all, we hope this never happens. In our experience, it rarely does!

Should a student have an accident:

Do not panic, get defensive or show annoyance or anger  
Do not admit liability 
Show empathy  
Keep full notes of what happened, what was said and the student's reaction - Contact your insurance company ASAP, even if the student seemed happy.

If you have taken our insurance (from Balens Ltd) with your Yoga Alliance Professionals membership, you can access their Claims Team. They will be able to advise you on how to deal with any accidents/incidents and hopefully prevent a claim from being made. Their contact details are claims@balens.co.uk or 01684 580798. 

Keeping Good Records As A Small Business

Introduction

Information To Record

How Long To Keep Records

Storing Data

Steps To Take When Something Happens In Class

Written By:

Clare Campbell