Deleting journal notes

In a written answer last week Will Quince said -

Journal entries can be deleted in specific circumstances, including where messages are addressed to the wrong claimant, personal or sensitive information has been added, or an incorrect letter has been uploaded. However, as stated in my response to Question 134451, claimants should receive an explanation to explain any changes to their journal messages. There are exceptions to providing explanation of amendments which can apply if it would be inappropriate to do so due to a claimant’s personal circumstances.

Questioned further as to what those exceptions might be, Mr Quince gave a supplementary written answer yesterday saying -

... where a journal entry is modified or removed, an explanation should also be supplied through the journal. As claimant circumstances can be varied and complex, Work Coaches and Case Managers, using their knowledge of an individual claimant’s needs, are also able to use their discretion to communicate through an alternative channel, such as telephone or SMS, where this better suits the needs of the claimant, or where actions on the journal need additional clarification.

In a Spotlight on Journal Messaging, included in a recent FOI response, work coaches are advised not to inform claimants when journal entries have been deleted and replaced -

Best practice when deleting journal entries.
The following is good practice to avoid causing the claimant confusion:
- if journal entries are deleted and replaced with a corrected version, the box to notify the claimant of the new journal entry by text or email must be unchecked - the claimant then receives just one text or e-mail informing them of a journal entry (provided the mistake is rectified quickly, this reduces the risk of the claimant noticing a change in their journal entries);
- where journal entries are deleted and not replaced, a note for the claimant explaining the deletion could avoid confusion.