Managing your data
How we use your data
We may use the information you supply to us in many ways. We collect information about you to:
- deliver public services
- understand your needs to provide the service to you and to provide support to you
- process and make decisions on applications you have sent us
- help investigate complaints or concerns you have raised about the service provided
- process financial transactions including grants
- process financial transactions including payments for goods and services supplied to us
- help detect and prevent fraud and corruption in the use of public funds and where necessary for law enforcement functions
- maintain our own accounts and records
- help us build up a picture of how we are performing
- provide statistical analysis
- send you communications which you have asked for and consented to that may be of interest to you
Our processing may also include the use of CCTV systems for the prevention and prosecution of crime.
The lawful basis for processing your data
We may need to process your personal data for legal reasons or to perform a contract or service.
In most cases, we need personal information to carry out a public task such as bin collections.
Sometimes we need your consent to use your personal data. We will ask for this through a clear opt-in method. We will also give you details of how you can opt-out.
Sharing your data
So we can deliver our services we sometimes share your personal data with:
- other departments within the council
- other local authorities
- our suppliers or contractors
- voluntary organisations or not for profit organisations
The data we share and who we share it with depends on the purpose we collected the information from you in the first place.
Sometimes we use companies and partners to either store or manage personal information on our behalf.
Where we have these arrangements, we put controls in place to make sure the company or partner complies with data protection law. We manage our arrangements through:
- a contract
- a memorandum of understanding
- an information sharing protocol
Where we have arrangements involving sensitive personal data, we assess these in more detail for their compliance with the law.
Sometimes we have a legal duty to disclose your information to other organisations or make it available in a public way. This is often because it forms part of an application, legislation requires it or where court orders are in place. In these situations, we do not have an option but will be clear about how we use your information.
In most other cases we will not disclose personal data without consent. However, there are situations where we do not need consent such as when we feel there is a good reason that is more important than protecting your confidentiality. This does not happen often, but we may share your information:
- for the detection and prevention of crime and fraudulent activity
- if there are serious risks to the public, our staff, or to other professionals
- to protect a child
- to protect adults who may be at risk, for example, if they are frail, confused, or cannot understand what is happening to them
- where there is a risk to you and the risk is serious enough that the need to disclose your information is more important than protecting your confidentiality
Sometimes we carry out research into matters of interest. When we use personal data for research, we will anonymize the data to avoid identifying individuals unless we have collected consent to use it.
We do not sell personal information to any other organisation for the purposes of direct marketing.
