Data Protection Policy

Penyffordd Community Council recognises its responsibility to comply with the DataProtection Act 1998. The act regulates the use of personal data. This does not have to besensitive 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 personalinformation and protecting individuals’ rights for privacy. It also regulates how personalinformation can be collected, handled and used. The Data Protection Act applies to anyoneholding personal information about people electronically or on paper.

As a local authority Penyffordd Community Council has a number of procedures in place to ensure that it complies with The Data Protection Act 1998 when holding personalinformation. The Community Council has also notified the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) that it holds personal data about individuals.

The Council’s Registration Number is ZA078148 and Certificate of Registration can be viewed on the Councils website.
When dealing with personal data, Penyffordd Community Council staff and Councillors mustensure that:

• Data is processed fairly and lawfully. This means that personal information should only be collected from individuals if staff and Councillors have been open and honest about why they want the personal 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 isneeded 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 personalinformation held about them.
• Data is kept securely.

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

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

Penyffordd Community Council may hold personal information about individuals such astheir addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers. These will be kept in a secure location at the office of the Community Clerk and are not available for public access. All such data stored on the Clerk’s computer is password protected. Once personal data is not needed anymore, if it is out of date or has served its use, it will be shredded or deleted fromthe computer. Except in exceptional circumstances and as agreed by the Council personaldata will be kept for no longer than three years.

The Community Council is aware that people have the right to access any personalinformation 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 personal 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 personal information. This fee will be agreed by the Council and amended in line withinflation from time to time. Currently this fee must not exceed £10.

Disclosure of personal information
If an elected member of the council, for example a Councillor needs to access personal information to help carry out their duties, this is acceptable. They are only able to access asmuch personal 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, aCouncillor 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 representthe area that the subject lives in. However, before they access any sensitive personal information about a person, they would need consent to do this from the Community Council Clerk.

Data should never be used for political reasons unless the data subjects have consented.

Confidentiality
Penyffordd Community Council councillors and staff must be aware that when complaints orqueries are made, they must remain confidential unless the subject gives permission otherwise. When handling personal data, this must also remain confidential.

This Policy will be reviewed on an annual basis or earlier if so required by legislation.

This Procedure was reviewed and approved by the Council at its Meeting held on 10th May 2017