BEECH PARISH COUNCIL

DATA PROTECTION POLICY

(January 2009)

Data Protection Policy

Beech Parish Council recognises its responsibility to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998. The act regulates the use of personal data. This does not have to be sensitive data, it can be as little as a name and address.

The Data Protection Act

The Data Protection Act 1998 sets out high standards for the handling of personal information and protecting individuals' rights for privacy. It also regulates how information can be collected, handled and used. The Data Protection Act applies to anyone holding information about people electronically or on paper.

As a local authority Beech Parish Council has a number of procedures in place to ensure that it complies with The Data Protection Act 1998 when holding personal information.

The Parish Council has also notified the Information Commissioner that it holds personal data about individuals.

When dealing with personal data, Beech Parish Council staff and Councillors must ensure that:

Data is processed fairly and lawfully

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

Data is processed for specified 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

Personal data should be accurate, if it is not it should be corrected.

Data is not kept longer than it is needed

Data is processed in accordance with the rights of individuals

This means that individuals must be informed, upon request, of all the information held about them.

Data is kept securely

This means that only staff and Councillors can access the data. It is stored securely so it cannot be accessed by members of the public.

Storing and accessing data

Beech Parish Council recognises its responsibility to be open with people when taking personal details from them. This means that staff must be honest about why they want a particular piece of information. If, for example, a member of the public gives their phone number to staff or a member of Beech Parish Council, this will only be used for the purpose it has been given and will not be disclosed to anyone else.

Beech Parish Council may hold information about individuals such as their addresses and telephone numbers. These will be kept in a secure location at the Parish Office and are not available for public access. All data stored on the Parish computer is password protected. Once data is not needed anymore, if it is out of date or has served its use, it will be shredded or deleted from the computer.

The Parish Council is aware that people have the right to access any information that is held about them. If a person requests to see any data that is being held about them

· They must be sent all of the information that is being held about them

· There must be explanation for why it has been stored

· There must be a list of who has seen it

· It must be sent within 40 days

A fee to cover photocopying and postage charges will be charged to the person requesting the information. This fee will be agreed by the Council and amended in line with inflation from time to time.

Disclosure of information

If an elected member of the council, for example a Councillor needs to access information to help carry out their duties, this is acceptable. They are only able to access as much information as necessary and it should only be used for that specific purpose. If, for instance, someone has made a complaint about over hanging bushes in a garden, a Councillor may access an address and telephone number of the person who has made the complaint so they can help with the enquiry. They can only do this providing they represent the area that the subject lives in. However, before they access any sensitive information about a person, they would need consent to do this from the Parish Clerk. Data should never be used for political reasons unless the data subjects have consented.

Confidentiality

Beech Parish Council 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.