Policies and Procedures

The Data Protection Policy

Hemswell Parish Council (PC) recognises its responsibility to comply with Data Protection Regulations. The provisions of the EU GDPR have now been incorporated directly into UK law as the UK GDPR, which sits alongside the Data Protection Act 2018 and regulates the use of personal data in the UK. This does not have to be sensitive data; it can be as little as a name and address.

UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)

The UK GDPR sets out high standards for the handling of personal information and protecting individuals’ rights for privacy. It also regulates how personal information can be collected, handled and used. The UK GDPR applies to anyone holding personal information about people, electronically or on paper. 

When dealing with personal data, Hemswell Parish Council staff and members must ensure that:

• Data is processed fairly, lawfully and in a transparent manner

This means that personal information should only be collected from individuals if staff have been open and honest about why they want the personal information.

• Data is processed for specified purposes only

This means that data is collected for specific, explicit and legitimate purposes only. 

• Data is relevant to what it is needed for

Data will be monitored so that too much or too little is not kept; only data that is needed should be held.

• Data is accurate and kept up to date and is not kept longer than it is needed

Personal data should be accurate, if it is not it should be corrected.  Data no longer needed will be shredded or securely disposed of.

• Data is processed in accordance with the rights of individuals

Individuals must be informed, upon request, of all the personal information held about them.

• Data is kept securely

There should be protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage.

Storing and accessing data

Hemswell Parish Council recognises its responsibility to be open with people when collecting personal details from them. This means that staff must be honest about why they want a particular piece of personal information.

Hemswell Parish Council may hold personal information about individuals such as their names, addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers. These will be securely kept by Hemswell PC staff and are not available for public access. All data stored on computers or other devices are password protected. Once data is not needed anymore, is out of date or has served its use and falls outside the minimum retention time of the PC's Document Retention and Disposal Policy, it will be shredded or securely deleted from the computer.

Hemswell Parish Council is aware that people have the right to access any personal information that is held about them. Subject Access Requests (SARs) must be submitted in writing (this can be done in hard copy, email or social media).  If a person requests to see any data that is being held about them, the SAR response must detail:

• How and to what purpose personal data is processed,
• The period Hemswell Parish Council tends to process it for,
• Anyone who has access to the personal data.

The response must be sent within 30 days and should be free of charge.

If a SAR includes personal data of other individuals, Hemswell Parish Council must not disclose the personal information of the other individual.  That individual’s personal information may either be redacted, or the individual may be contacted to give permission for their information to be shared with the Subject. 

Individuals have the right to have their data rectified if it is incorrect, the right to request erasure of the data, the right to request restriction of processing of the data and the right to object to data processing, although rules do apply to those requests.

Confidentiality

Hemswell Parish Council members and staff must be aware that when complaints or queries are made, they must remain confidential unless the subject gives permission otherwise. When handling personal data, this must also remain confidential.