Privacy notice – contacting a County Councillor
Overview
This privacy notice covers provision of personal data as part of communication with County councillors in relation to Council services.
East Sussex County Council takes data protection seriously. Please be assured that your information will be used appropriately in line with data protection legislation, will be stored securely and will not be processed unless the requirements for fair and lawful processing can be met.
What information is being used?
Information being used where councillors are contacted for advice, guidance and support in relation to provision of Council services will vary depending on the contact made and range from name, address or email address to ‘special category data’ including data concerning health, ethnicity, sexual orientation and religious or philosophical beliefs.
How will your information be used?
Personal data will only be used where it is required in order to process requests concerning delivery of Council services. Only the minimum personal information required to meet the purpose for which it has been provided, will be used.
We aim to maintain high standards, adopt best practice for our record keeping and regularly check and report on how we are doing. Your information is never sold for direct marketing purposes.
Our staff are trained to handle your information correctly and protect your confidentiality and privacy.
Your information is processed in the UK or in a country with an adequacy agreement with the UK.
What is the legal basis for processing your information?
The processing is necessary for the completion of a task in the public interest. This means that your personal data is needed for a councillor to deal with your enquiry as an elected member of East Sussex County Council.
The lawful basis for collecting and using your special categories of personal data for government purposes is substantial public interest or public task and facilitating an elected representative responding to requests. Where special category data is used under these terms, it will be managed in accordance with member policies and in line with the relevant service policy of any Council departments or other agencies assisting in responding to your enquiry.
The provision of additional special category demographic information (race, ethnic origin, politics, religion, trade union membership, genetics, biometrics, health, sex life, or sexual orientation) is not required from you unless it is relevant to your enquiry. If you feel it is relevant and have supplied it as part of your enquiry, the processing of this data will be used to investigate and address your enquiry.
How long will your information be kept for?
Information will be kept by the councillor for as long as required to discharge their duties as an elected representative. Where information is passed to a Council service to process, retention periods relevant to the service will apply – see the Council’s retention schedule.
Sharing your information
Any sharing of personal data is always made:
- on case-by-case basis
- using the minimum personal data necessary
- with the appropriate security controls in place
- in line with legislation
Information is only shared with those agencies and bodies who have a “need to know” or where you have consented to the sharing of your personal data to such persons.
We may use the information we hold about you to assist in the detection and prevention of crime or fraud. We may also share this information with other bodies that inspect and manage public funds.
Use of third party organisations
East Sussex County Council may share your information with trusted external organisations to process your data on our behalf.
Any organisation commissioned by the Council will be under contractual obligation to comply with data protection legislation.
Your rights
Under data protection legislation, you have the right:
- to be informed why, where and how we use your information
- to ask for access to your information
- to ask for your information to be corrected if it is inaccurate or incomplete
- to ask for your information to be deleted or removed where there is no need for us to continue processing it
- to ask us to restrict the use of your information
- to ask us to copy or transfer your information from one IT system to another in a safe and secure way, without impacting the quality of the information
- to object to how your information is used
- to challenge any decisions made without human intervention (automated decision making)
Please visit data subject rights for further details.
How to find out more or complain
Should you have any further queries on the uses of your information, please speak directly to our service:
Democratic Services Team
Email: Democratic Services
Tel: 01273 481583
Or write to us at:
Member Services Manager
East Sussex County Council
County Hall, St Anne’s Crescent
Lewes
East Sussex BN7 1UE
To complain about the use of your information, please contact our Customer Services Team or our Data Protection Officer.
Further information on making a complaint.
You can also contact the ICO for further information or to make a complaint:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Phone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate)
Email ICO
Report a concern on the ICO website