Introduction

St John’s Buildings has telephone systems that are capable of recording conversations and the volume and length of calls taken and made by each member of staff. The method for monitoring calls varies from site to site. Call monitoring can be used by Chambers in order to monitor:

  • Service quality
  • Respectful conduct
  • Appropriate use
  • Call volume, and
  • For security purposes.

Calls made and received through Chambers’ telephone network will either be recorded automatically or on request from a member of the Senior Management Team and these recordings will only be used for the purposes specified in this policy.

St John’s Buildings has introduced this policy to ensure that these recordings and call records are fair and to ensure we comply with the requirements of relevant legislation:

  • The Regulation of Investigatory Power Act
  • The Telecommunications (Interception of Communications) Regulations
  • The Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations
  • The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
  • The Human Rights Act.

Call monitoring & storage

All calls made and received through Manchester Chambers’ telephone network are automatically recorded and securely stored for one week. Calls on other sites can be recorded as required. Call recordings are only accessible by a senior member of our management team and will be treated in strictest confidence and in accordance with GDPR principles.

The calls may be accessed for the following reasons:

  • Where it is necessary to investigate a complaint
  • Where it is necessary to resolve a dispute
  • Where there is concern about a staff member’s handling of a call (or calls)
  • Where there is a threat to the health and safety of staff or visitors
  • Where it necessary for the prevention or detection of a crime.

We may also carry out spot-checking of calls in order to use them for training and service/quality. This may include standard checks for members of staff whose roles involve handling high volumes of client telephone calls.

In the circumstances above, calls relevant to the matter in hand may be stored for a longer period, but for no longer than is necessary to deal with the matter and anything that may arise from it. The continued storage and use of such call records will remain in keeping with the principles of the GDPR and respect the confidentiality of the caller.

This policy will be made available to our employees, those working for or on behalf of St John’s Buildings and provided on request to any other interested parties. The policy will be reviewed annually, subject to changes in Company procedure or legislation.