Data Protection
Under the Data Protection Act, we have a legal
duty to protect any personal information we collect from you. We do
not pass on your details to any third party or government
department unless you give us permission to do so or the law
requires/permits it.
Worcestershire County Council uses and shares
your personal information in order to enable it to identify, plan,
deliver and monitor services that it provides to you and the
community as a whole.
The Council respects everyone's right to
privacy and it is fully committed to the principles of the Data
Protection Act 1998 (the Act).
The Act sets out a series of rules which the
Council must keep to when it uses personal
information. Personal information must:
- be fairly and lawfully
processed
- be processed for limited
purposes
- be adequate, relevant and
not excessive
- be accurate and up to
date
- not be kept longer than is
necessary
- be processed in line with
the individual's rights
- be kept secure
- not be transferred to other
countries without adequate protection
Your Rights
The Data Protection Act 1998 gives individuals
a number of rights, namely:-
- To find out what information
is held about them.
- To be informed what
information is held, what it is used for and to whom it may be
disclosed.
- To be given a copy of the
information.
- To be given an explanation
of any codes used or the logic involved in any automatic decision
making processes.
- To have inaccurate
information corrected or destroyed.
- To prevent further use of
personal information if it causes, or is likely to cause,
substantial damage or distress.
- To seek compensation for any
damage and distress caused by the use of inaccurate
information.
- To prevent use of their
personal data for direct marketing.
Accessing your information
The Data Protection Act 1998 (the Act) gives
individuals the right to request, and in most cases to be given, a
copy of the information which the Council holds about them. This is
called a subject access request.
Please note that the Act only entitles an
individual to see, or be given a copy of, their own information.
You are not entitled to see someone else's information unless they
have given their permission for you to do so. Likewise, someone
else cannot ask for your information unless you have given
permission for them to do so. This applies to spouses, relatives,
friends etc.
If you want to see, or be given, a copy of
information that the Council holds about you, you will need to make
your request in writing. Your request must include enough
information about yourself and the information that you are seeking
to enable the Council to identify you and your information.
A 'Subject Access Request Form' is available via:
Subject access requests should be addressed
to:
Information Access
Team
Corporate Information Management Unit
Worcestershire County Council
County Hall
Spetchley Road
Worcester
WR5 2NP
This page was last reviewed 6 March 2012 at 16:19.
The page is next due for review 2 September 2013.