Security Protocol for Angel Tree Coordinators

Angel Tree is a Prison Fellowship programme that is delivered by volunteers groups around the country, and allows prisoners the opportunity to have a Christmas gift sent to their children on their behalf. Angel Tree operations necessitate the handing of personal information pertaining to individual prisoners and their families.

When dealing with potentially sensitive information, Prison Fellowship has a responsibility to ensure that such information is treated in an appropriate way and dealt with by appropriate persons. This document outlines the basic procedures expected of Prison Fellowship and its Volunteer Angel Tree Coordinators.

1. All Prison Fellowship Angel Tree Coordinators will be vetted and approved Prison Fellowship. No person who is not a PF member will be permitted to coordinate the  Angel Tree programme on behalf of Prison Fellowship.
N.B. Some establishments may request additional security

2. Only Angel Tree Coordinators will be permitted to handle the addresses of children and families of prisoners. In the event that Angel Tree Coordinators hold a ‘wrapping event’ prior to distribution of Christmas gifts and cards, they have a duty to ensure no persons not registered and vetted by Prison Fellowship come into contact with the addresses of prisoners’ children and families.

3. Angel Tree application forms which contain the names and addresses of children and their primary carer and will be confidentially shredded once the Christmas programme has ended, but no sooner than the end of February, to allow undelivered present to be resent.

4. It is permitted to transfer such information to an electronic file on a personal device for the purpose of printing address labels, these electronic files:

• Must not be saved onto a portable storage device such as a USB memory stick.
• Must not be saved onto a PC connected to a public network i.e. retail and in-store Wi-Fi e.g. Costa coffee Wi-Fi or Asda Wi-Fi etc. Your home Wi-Fi is acceptable but it must be password protected.
• Must not be distributed or shared by way of electronic mail unless you have permission of PF’s Operations Manager or CEO.
• Must not be distributed to nor allowed to be viewed by persons not having undertaken the Prison Fellowship Volunteer Application process as detailed above.
• Must be deleted upon completion of the Angel Tree programme, but no sooner than the end of February.
• Must be password protected.

5. An evidence log declaring that all relevant information pertaining to the personal details of prisoners, prisoner’s children and their families either in electronic or hard copy format, has been destroyed, will be completed and returned to Prison Fellowship and will be available for prison staff upon request.

Please complete the following declaration: