Your privacy

How we use information about you and how we protect your privacy

Why we use your personal information

We may need to use some information about you to:

  • deliver services and support to you
  • manage those services we provide to you
  • train and manage the employment of our workers who deliver those services
  • help investigate any worries or complaints you have about your services
  • keep track of spending on services
  • check the quality of services
  • to help with research and planning of new services
  • prevent and detect crime and fraud

We only use what we need

We only collect and use personal information if we need it to deliver a service or meet a requirement.

If we don’t need personal information we’ll either keep the information anonymous if we already have it for something else or we won’t ask you for it. For example in a survey we may not need your contact details.

If we use your personal information for research and analysis, we’ll always keep your information anonymous or use a different name unless you’ve agreed that your personal information can be used for that research.

We will not sell your personal information to anyone else.

How the law allows us to use your personal information

There are a number of legal reasons why we are allowed to collect and use your personal information. The reason why we are allowed to use the information is different for each council service.

The reasons we may use your personal information are set out below. You can also see the rights you have when we use your personal information.

Article 6. Schedule: personal information

Legal basis and applicable subject rights Inform Access Rectify Erase Restrict Object Automated Decisions /Profiling Portability
Consent Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Contract Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Vital Interests Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No No
Legal Obligation Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No
Public Task Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No
Legitimate Interests Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

Article 9. Schedule: special category (sensitive) personal information

Legal basis and applicable subject rights Inform Access Rectify Erase Restrict Object Automated Decisions /Profiling Portability
Explicit Consent Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Employment, Social Security/Social Protection Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No
Vital Interests Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No
Not for Profit Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Public Domain Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Legal Defence/Claims Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No
Substantial Public Interest Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No
Health and Social Care Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No
Public Interest in Public Health Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No
Scientific/historical Research, Statistics or Public Archiving Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No
Additional considerations None None None Will always apply to direct marketing None Will always apply to direct marketing Where it places a legal effect on an individual Only where use of data is solely by automated means

Legal condition explanations

More detail on when each legal basis may apply, please see below.

Personal information

This would apply when:

  • you, or your legal representative, have given consent for us to use your personal information. If you have agreed (given your consent) to us to use your personal information, you have the right to ask us to stop using it at any time. If you wish to withdraw your consent, please contact our data protection officer, and tell us which service you’re using so we can deal with your request.
  • we need the information because you have entered into a contract with us
  • we need to have the information to perform our legal obligations
  • we need to have the information to protect someone in an emergency (Vital Interests)
  • we are required by law to do something and we need information about you in order to do this (Public Task)
  • is necessary for us to have the information to conduct our legitimate business for non-statutory services (Legitimate Interests)

Special (sensitive) personal information

This would apply when:

  • it is necessary for employment purposes (Employment and Social Security)
  • it is necessary to have the information in order to deliver health or social care services
  • you have made your information publicly available (In the Public Domain)
  • it is necessary to have your information to defend or make legal claims
  • it is to the benefit of society as a whole (Substantial Public Interest)
  • it is necessary to protect public health in the public interest
  • it is necessary for archiving, research, or statistical purposes