Privacy notice

Privacy Notice - South Kesteven District Council

Your privacy is important. We regard the lawful and correct treatment of personal data as vital to maintaining the confidence of the many people we deal with. We will treat personal data lawfully and correctly. Any personal information you give us will only be used in accordance with the principles found in the UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). More information on the UK GDPR can be found on the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) website. 

By law, we must register with the ICO as a 'data controller'. This can be viewed on the ICO Public Register. Our registration number is Z5722392.

The handling and use of personal data at South Kesteven District Council is monitored by the Data Protection Officer (DPO). You can contact them at DPO@southkesteven.gov.uk

About us

South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) is the 'controller' of the personal data that we collect about you. We process and hold your personal data in order to provide public services to the district.

Further information

If you wish to make a request regarding any of the above, or if you have a complaint about how we have handled your personal data, you can emails us at DPO@southkesteven.gov.uk or write to us at;

Data Protection Officer, 
Council Offices, 
The Picture House, 
St Catherines Road, 
Grantham,
Lincolnshire, 
NG31 6TT. 

How we manage personal information

The use of personal information is regulated by the UK GDPR. We need to handle personal information about you so that we can provide services for you.

When we ask you for personal information we promise to:
•    make sure you know why we need it
•    only ask for what we need and not collect too much
•    protect it, and make sure no unauthorised person has access to it
•    let you know if we share it with other organisations to provide you with better services and if you can refuse to it being shared
•    make sure we only keep it for as long as necessary

In dealing with your information, we will:
•    abide by the law in handling your personal information
•    consider the risks when we are planning to use or hold personal information in new ways
•    provide training to staff who handle personal information
•    respond appropriately if personal information is not used or protected properly

In return, we ask you to:
•    give us accurate information
•    tell us as soon as possible if there are any changes, such as a new address. This helps us to keep your information reliable and up to date

Why do we collect your personal information?

SKDC holds a wide variety of personal data which is used to deliver public services. We will process your personal data for the following purposes:

  • To provide the service you have requested, and to monitor and improve our performance in responding to your request.
  • To confirm your identity and update your customer record to provide services
  • To allow us to be able to communicate with you and provide services and benefits appropriate to your needs.
  • To understand what we can do for you and inform you of other relevant services and benefits
  • To get your opinion about our services
  • To ensure that we meet our legal obligations and to exercise our statutory powers in the public interest.
  • Where necessary, for law enforcement functions.
  • Where necessary, to prevent and detect fraud and corruption in the use of public funds
  • Where necessary, to protect individuals from harm or injury.
  • To allow the statistical analysis of data so we can plan the provision of services.

What personal data do we collect?

We will collect personal data about you to help us deliver the right service. This data may include:

  • Name, address and other contact details;
  • Financial details;
  • Family details;
  • Employment and education information;
  • Lifestyle and social circumstances;

We may also process other special categories of personal data, including:

  • Physical or mental health needs;
  • Racial or ethnic origin;
  • Sexual orientation;
  • Trade union membership;
  • Political affiliation or political opinions;
  • Details of criminal convictions;
  • Civil or criminal proceedings, and associated sentences
  • Religious or other similar beliefs.

How do we collect your personal data?

Personal data can be collected in many different ways, including in face to face meetings, over the telephone, via email or from enquiries submitted via our website.

Who do we collect your personal data from?

Personal data is collected in a number of different ways:

  • Taken directly from you when you access one of our services
  • Provided by other members of the public,
  • Provided to us by another professional organisation involved in the delivery or provision of a service
  • Provided by another professional organisation to allow the research and intelligence necessary to perform our statutory functions.

Professional organisations may include other public sector bodies, such as health care providers or the Police Service. Where necessary, we will share your personal data with the organisations that deliver services on behalf of the Council. We will only share your personal data where it is necessary to, and in accordance with the law.

Where necessary we may share your personal data with the following categories of recipients:

  • Healthcare, social and welfare organisations and professionals
  • Providers of goods and services
  • Financial organisations, including debt collection, tracing and credit referencing agencies
  • Elected Members
  • Local and central government
  • Ombudsman and regulatory authorities
  • Professional advisors and consultants
  • Police forces, other law enforcement and prosecuting authorities
  • Voluntary and charitable organisations
  • Disclosure and Barring Service
  • Courts and Tribunals
  • Utilities providers

How long do we keep your personal data for?

We are required to retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary, after which it will be securely destroyed in line with SKDCs retention schedule, or the specific requirements of the organisation who has shared personal data with us.

Retention periods can vary and will depend on various criteria including the purpose of processing, regulatory and legal requirements, and internal organisational need.

How do we keep your personal data safe?

We have an information security framework in place which ensures that appropriate technical and organisational measures are in place to help keep your personal data secure and to reduce the risk of loss and theft.

Access to personal data is strictly controlled based on the role and function of all staff.

All staff are required to undertake regular data protection training and must comply with a variety of policies designed to keep your information secure.

How will we share your information with others

We may need to pass your information to other people and organisations that process information or provide a service on our behalf. These providers are obliged to keep your details securely and use them only for the intended specific purpose. 

We may share your information with partners of the council where it helps to provide a public service. Partners will keep your details securely and use them only for the intended specific purpose.

We may disclose information within and to other partners of the council where it is necessary. This could be for the prevention or detection of crime, or because of legal matters. We do not need your consent to do this. 

We may disclose information when necessary to prevent risk of harm to an individual. 

If we need to disclose sensitive or confidential information, we will do so with your prior explicit consent or where we are legally required to. We shall inform you of any disclosure of information where possible.

Where your consent is required to use personal data

The information we hold about you has been collected for a specific purpose. Your consent may be needed when we want to use data for a different purpose. For example, we collect your name and address so we can send Council Tax bills. We would need your permission if we used this information to send you something else at another time. This is called opting in. 

If you give consent for this action or any other form of opt in consent, you have the right to ask for this consent to be withdrawn where relevant. However, your consent is not required when we are obliged under law to assist in the prevention and detection of crime (e.g the National Fraud initiative) or where the information is needed to carry out a legal function (e.g the collection of Council Tax). 

How you can see the personal information we hold about you

The GDPR provides a number of rights for individuals. You can ask us for access to the information we hold about you through a Subject Access Request (SAR)

Cookies

The cookies we use on our website do not contain any information that personally identifies you. They are used to gather information about general website usage and to provide you with a more personalised service. More information can be found in our Cookie Policy | South Kesteven District Council.

South Kesteven District Council Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement 2019/20

Introduction 

This statement sets out South Kesteven District Council's actions to understand all potential modern slavery risks related to its business and to put in place steps that are aimed at ensuring that there is no slavery or human trafficking in its own business and its supply chains. 

As part of Local Government, South Kesteven District Council recognises that it has a responsibility to take a robust approach to slavery and human trafficking. 

The Council is absolutely committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking in its corporate activities, and to ensuring that its supply chains are free from slavery and human trafficking. 

Organisational structure and supply chains 

This statement covers all activities of South Kesteven District Council in achieving its strategic objectives as determined by its organisational structure, its contract and procedure rules and its corporate plan. This statement applies to all employees, agency workers, services delivered on behalf of the Council by third party organisations and in the Council's supply chains: 

Countries of operation and supply 

South Kesteven District Council only operates within the United Kingdom. Whilst National Referral Mechanism statistics show a year on year increase in the number of referrals of potential victims of modern slavery the risk of slavery and human trafficking remains relatively low in the UK. This Council acknowledges, however, that these figures represent only a proportion of cases of exploitation and therefore remains vigilant and committed to preventing and taking action against identified slavery and human trafficking in its corporate activities, its supply chains and in the wider community. 

Responsibility 

Responsibility for the organisation's anti-slavery initiatives is as follows: 

  • Policies: Director of Finance/S151 Officer will be responsible for ensuring contract and procurement procedures are in place. Head of Human Resources will be responsible for ensuring recruitment and employment policies are in place. The Lead Safeguarding Officer will be responsible for ensuring safeguarding policies and procedures are in place. All will be reviewed on an appropriate basis to ensure they remain current and relevant. 
  • Risk assessments: Will be undertaken by the relevant service area where there is deemed to be a risk of modern slavery or human trafficking with the support of the Lead Safeguarding Officer or their deputy. The risk assessment will be signed off by the appropriate  director and held centrally. 
  • Investigations/due diligence: Any concerns regarding modern slavery or human trafficking should be raised with the Director of Finance/S151 Officer. 
  • Training:The Council has an induction programme and on-going training programme which is provided for to all staff, elected members and volunteers. All front-line personnel and elected members are required to undergo safeguarding training provided through our partnership with the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Children Partnership and the Lincolnshire Safeguarding Adults Board. Training available includes generic awareness of safeguarding issues through to specific topic-based training including Understanding Exploitation and Modern Slavery. All staff employed to procure goods and services on behalf of the Council will be required to undergo appropriate training. 

Relevant policies 

The organisation operates the following policies that describe its approach to the identification of modern slavery risks and steps to be taken to prevent slavery and human trafficking in its operations. 

Whistleblowing policy: The Council encourages all its workers, customers and other business partners to report any concerns related to the direct activities, or the supply chains of, the organisation. This includes any circumstances that may give rise to an enhanced risk of slavery or human trafficking. The organisation's whistleblowing procedure is designed to make it easy for workers and members of the public to make disclosures, without fear of retaliation. Employees, customers or others who have concerns can use our confidential helpline 0800 085376 or e mail whistleblowing@lincolnshire.gov.uk . For more information see South Kesteven District Council's Whistleblowing Policy. 

Staff can also raise issues relating to the exploitation of children and young people can also be reported to the NSPCC on help@nspcc.org.uk 

  • Code of conduct for Council Staff:The organisation's code makes clear to employees the actions and behaviour expected of them when representing the organisation. This is supported by the Council's Values and Behaviours. 
  • Contract and Procurement Procedures:The Council is committed to ensuring that its contractors and suppliers adhere to the highest standards of ethics. Serious violations of the organisation's Contract and Procurement Procedures will lead to the termination of the business relationship. The Council expects through its partnership with Welland Procurement that its key contractors have safeguarding policies and procedures in place. 
  • Recruitment and Selection Policy and Procedures:The Council uses only specified, reputable external recruitment services and employment agencies to source labour and always verifies the practices of any new agency it is using before accepting workers from that agency. All successful applicants are subject to pre-employment checks which include verifying references, confirmation of the right to abode and, if required, disclosure and barring checks. 
  • Safeguarding Policy and Procedures:The Council outlines its commitment to the safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults from significant harm through its Safeguarding Policy. All staff and elected members are provided with a copy of the policy which they are required to read within an agreed timescale following publication. The policy contains a specific section which relates to modern slavery and human trafficking and the policy's associated procedures outline the action required should an officer or elected member suspect that an individual or group of people is being exploited through such practices. The policy is renewed on an annual basis to ensure it stays relevant and all reporting mechanisms are current. 

Councillor Privacy Notice

As an elected Councillor within South Kesteven District Council, I am the controller accountable for the processing of personal information in connection with requests received from ward constituents. 

In accordance with new data protection legislation this Privacy Notice provides guidance relating to how I process personal information for the purpose of responding to requests from constituents and provides information about the privacy rights of individuals. My contact details can be found in the 'Find your Councillor' page of the South Kesteven District Council website. 

If you would like more information about GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, this can be obtained from the Information Commissioner's Office through their website at https://ico.org.uk/ or their helpline on 0303 123 1113. 

Why I need your Information? 

When you ask for my help and assistance I will need to collect, use and store some information from you. I will make use of personal data provided by you and council officers to enable me to provide you with a detailed response to your complaint or enquiry. This will include personal information such as your name, address, contact number and email, together with the details of your query. 

The law treats some types of personal data as 'special category data' because, due to its sensitivity, the information requires more protection. This information consists of: 

  • race 
  • ethnic origin 
  • politics 
  • religion 
  • trade union membership 
  • genetics 
  • biometrics (where used for ID purposes) 
  • health 
  • sex life; or 
  • sexual orientation 

It will only be necessary to collect this type of data where it is of relevance to the request you are making. 

Who your information may be shared with? 

Personal information about you will only be disclosed on a 'need to know' basis, with a relevant organisation and/or individual who is able to provide information to help address or resolve your query. 

A relevant third party organisation and/or individual will be determined by the nature of the query you have raised and therefore will vary from case to case. 

Examples of third parties include: 

  • local and/or central government 
  • elected representatives and other holders of public office 
  • landlords 
  • statutory law enforcement agencies and investigating bodies 
  • healthcare, social and welfare advisers or practitioners 

The personal information you provide, and I may receive from organisations or individuals during my enquiries, will only be used to progress the query you have raised. Your personal data will not be used in a way that goes beyond your reasonable expectations. 

Any third parties with whom I may share your data are obliged to keep your details securely and to only use your data for purposes already communicated to you. I will try to respect any specific request that you make asking me not to disclose information identifying you to other third parties. However, it must be noted that it may not be possible to progress a matter for you on an anonymous basis. I will not pass personal details of constituents who contact me to anyone else, unless required to do so by law or where it is in connection to a criminal investigation. 

How long will your personal data be kept? 

Personal data held for the purposes of responding to queries that I receive from constituents and obtained in the course of my enquiries, will only be kept for as long as the law specifies. 

What is the legal basis for processing personal data? 

In accordance with the data protection laws, I require a 'lawful basis' for collecting and processing your data. The 'lawful basis' may be: 

  • Public Task - Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller. 
  • Consent - you provide your information and ask me to act on your behalf. 
  • Legitimate interests - Processing data for legitimate interests, where there is a reasonable expectation. 

For the processing of special category data, I rely on the following conditions: 

  • Explicit consent - this will typically be in writing. 
  • Protect vital interests - when you are unable to give consent and you or someone else is at risk of harm. 
  • Establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or where courts are acting in judicial capacity 

This means I may process your personal information to enable me to carry out casework on behalf of constituents. Where I intend to process your personal information purpose other than that for which the personal information was collected, I will provide you with details of the other purpose before doing so. 

How is your personal data safeguarded? 

Reasonable security measures are taken to ensure that personal information within my control is protected from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of or access to personal data, misuse or theft. 

As the Council provides support services for me as an elected member, communications addressed by post to myself at the Council or using my Council email address are held securely on a dedicated controlled area of the Council's secure network, with access restrictions. 

What are your rights? 

The new data protection legislation strengthens the rights of individuals. 

This includes the right to: 

  • be informed (which this notice fulfils) 
  • access (subject access request) 
  • rectification 
  • erasure 
  • restrict processing 
  • data portability 
  • object 
  • and rights related to automated decision making, including profiling 

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is responsible for upholding these rights in the UK. For a detailed explanation of all these rights and the circumstances in which they apply, please visit the ICO web site at: https://ico.org.uk/ 

Complaints, compliments and comments 

If you wish to make a complaint, compliment or comment, please go to the South Kesteven District Council website and use the online feedback form, https://www.southkesteven.gov.uk/ 

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner if after contacting me about a data protection concern, you are not satisfied with my response. 

Complaints may be submitted to the Information Commissioner at: 

Information Commissioner's Office 

Wycliffe House 

Water Lane 

Wilmslow 

Cheshire 

SK9 5AF 

or by completing the ICO on line form at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/handling/

CCTV

The councils nominated single point of contact (SPoC) for all South Kesteven District Council CCTV related matters is Kevin Taylor- CCTV Control Room Supervisor who can be contacted at Kevin.Taylor@southkesteven.gov.uk.  We own, maintain and monitor live CCTV cameras located within Grantham, Stamford, Bourne, Market Deeping and Deeping St. James.

The monitoring centre is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and has been in operation since June 1997. Privacy Notice [87kb]

Now recording

All cameras are recorded on to a digital recording system which is running 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.

All recorded images are retained for 30 days. This allows police officers  and other statutory agencies adequate time to view the images and, where necessary, request them to be prepared as evidence.

Live and recorded images can also be relayed to the police communications centre at Lincoln and to various police stations throughout the district. This allows senior police officers to assess incidents, ensuring that adequate resources are dispatched.

Radio communications

The monitoring centre also acts as the controlling station for a number of radio communication systems which link to shops and licensed premises in Grantham, Bourne and Stamford who sign up to the 'Pub Watch' or 'Shop Watch' radio scheme. The base stations  are located at the monitoring centre and at various retail outlets and public houses. Police community support officers, neighbourhoods officers and the police carry handheld radios. Information can be passed between all those involved in relation to situations ranging from missing children to major public order incidents. A dedicated telephone and radio link has been established with the police communications centre to allow incidents to be reported quickly and efficiently.

Your protection

At South Kesteven District Council we have a team of highly skilled and experienced CCTV Operators. Our operators are trained not to observe private areas and are totally accountable for their actions. If you have particular concerns on this matter please contact us.

Access to the CCTV control room is by authorised personnel only as required by the Data Protection Act of 2018. In addition to this, authorised agencies are allowed access to CCTV images. If footage is required by members of the public/solicitors/insurance companies etc. then appropriate forms must be completed.

When requesting CCTV footage, you must consider what information you are asking for. If you want copies of CCTV which relates solely to you and contains no one else and no other personal information, then you must submit a subject access request. 

If you require information that includes other people, then you are not able to access the information. The police, insurers and other legal professionals are able to submit 'Request for CCTV images (legal professions)' form within 30 days to request a copy of the required footage, a legal reason/purpose must be submitted with this request.

 

Incident zone reports

Code of practice

Performance

Should you have a complaint relating to the CCTV service then please follow this link

CCTV Annual Report 2022 - 2023

Revenues & Benefits Privacy Notice

Privacy Notice
South Kesteven District Council
Revenues & Benefits

Who we are

South Kesteven District Council is the Data Controller responsible for the personal information you may provide in relation to administering Revenues & Benefits services. We process your information in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018, for further information please visit https://ico.org.uk/. Our Data Protection Officer, can be contacted via email DPO@southkesteven.gov.uk.

 

How we use your data

South Kesteven District Council has a duty to protect the public funds it administers. This means that we may use your information for lawful purposes, including, but not limited to:

•         prevention and detection of fraud,

•         matching data with electoral registration records and

•         protecting public funds in investigating misuse of public money.

The Council will use your data to carry out the following tasks:

  • Share your data with the Office of National Statistics, the data will be used for statistical purposes

  • Participate in National Fraud Initiative (NFI) a data matching exercises and will be used for cross-system and cross-authority comparison for the prevention and detection of fraud

  • Share with other bodies responsible for detecting and preventing fraud or auditing and administering public funds as required by law, including test and trace applications applicants where the information will be checked with education and care settings

  • Calculate any entitlement/support you are entitled to

  • Your information will be used during procedure reviews to continue efficient working of the service and to ensure you will still receive the correct entitlement/support

  • Pass your information to other agencies or organisations such as HM Revenues and Customs, and debt enforcement agencies

  • Revenue data is collected for the purpose of maintaining council tax and business rates records. The data held by South Kesteven District Council is used for the collection of the government council tax and business rates

  • Share your information with other departments within the council, such as planning enforcement and electoral registration

  • We may check the information you have provided or information about you that someone else has provided, with other data sources to ensure accuracy. Sources of information may include but are not limited to, landlords, estate agents, medical professionals and other Councils

  • We may get information about you from third parties to prevent/detect crime and protect public funds. This includes but is not limited to, HMRC, Credit Reference Agencies, Police, Land Registry and electoral registration

  • Where you have consented we may share information with organisations such as Citizens Advice, where it is in your interest

We will not disclose your personal information to third parties for marketing or sales purposes or for any commercial use, and we will not use your personal data in a way which may cause you harm.

 

The legal basis for using your information

The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, states we must have a reason to collect and use your information.

GDPR, Article 6, section 1

(c) processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.

(e) processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

This arises from various Local Government Finance and Council Tax legislation. Data is also processed in accordance with the Environment Protection Act 1990 and Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 and Local Government Finance Act 1992.

 

Accessing the information, we hold about you

You have the right to request, in writing, details of your information that we store about you, this is called a subject access request. You must submit a subject access request to dpo@southkesteven.gov.uk

 

How long we keep information about you

Your information is retained in line with SKDC retention schedule.

 

Complaints, compliments and comments

If you wish to make a complaint, compliment or comment, please click here.

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner if after contacting SKDC about a data protection concern, you are not satisfied with the response.

Complaints may be submitted to the Information Commissioner at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

or by completing the ICO on line form at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/handling/

Electoral Services Privacy Notice

This privacy notice explains how the Electoral Registration Officer / Returning Officer for South Kesteven District Council collects and uses personal information about you to deliver the statutory elections and electoral registration service. 

The Electoral Registration Officer/Returning Officer is a ‘controller’ of the personal data that we collect about you. 

We will use information we collect from you for the lawful purpose of maintaining the register of electors and administering elections and referendums.   

What personal data do we collect? 

We keep records about potential and registered electors, voters and their proxies, people who hand deliver postal votes, candidates and their agents, details of those that have subscribed nomination forms or requested an election, staff employed at an election and the people responsible for venues we hire. 

These records may include: 

  • Your name, address, nationality, date of birth, national insurance number, any previous name(s), telephone numbers and email addresses 

  • Scanned application forms and signatures 

  • proof of identification and residency documents 

  • Notes about any relevant circumstances you have told us  

  • Your previous, redirected, or correspondence address 

  • Other occupants in your home 

  • If you are over 76 or aged 16/17 

  • Whether you have chosen to opt out of the open version of the electoral register.

  • Bank details for staff we employ at elections and premises we hire as polling stations

  • Elector number

  • Your photograph

  • Additional information you have supplied to us if we have to make additional identity checks e.g. birth certificate, marriage certificate, driving licence, financial statements such as bank statements or credit card statements, utility bills, P45, P60)

What is the information used for? 

We will only use the information you give us for electoral purposes, including matching it against other sources of data to support electoral register and postal and proxy applications.  We will look after personal information securely and we will follow the data protection legislation.  We will not give personal information about you, or any personal information you may provide on other people, to a third party unless we have to by law.  Please see ‘who your information may be shared with’ for further details. 

The information contained on the electoral register is used to conduct an annual canvass of households to ensure the register is kept up to date in accordance with the Representation of the People Regulations 2001, the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 and the Representation of the People (Annual Canvass) (Amendment) Regulations 2019.   

We will also use personal data contained on the electoral register and absent vote lists to issue poll cards and postal votes to electors at elections and referendums. 

We will also use your data to process applications for a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) where necessary. This includes:

  • Establishing the identity of people who apply for a VAC

  • Dealing with complaints about applications for a VAC

  • Responding to appeals about refusals to issue a VAC

From 2024, we will collect the details of people delivering completed postal votes by hand to our offices and to polling stations. This is a new requirement introduced by the Elections Act 2022.

What is the legal basis for the use of personal information?

We will process your personal information in accordance with our obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018. In particular, we will use your personal information:

  • Consent to use your email and/or telephone number

  • For the performance of a public interest task which has a clear basis in law (see annex 1) or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Data Controller

  • To comply with the ERO/RO’s legal obligation(s); for examples please see the annex 2 to this privacy notice

Reasons for processing - some of the information that is collected and shared is classified as:

  • special category personal data;
  • criminal convictions and offences (including alleged offences).

This is processed for reasons of substantial public interest under the laws that apply to the ERO/RO where this helps to meet the broader social obligations such as where it is necessary to fulfil legal obligations and regulatory requirements.

Who your information may be shared with? 

  • To verify your identity when registering to vote, applying to vote by post or proxy or applying for a voter authority certificate the data you provide will be processed by the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service managed by the Cabinet Office.  As part of this process your data will be shared with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Cabinet Office suppliers that are data processors for the Individual Electoral Registration Service. You can find more information about this here: https://www.registertovote.service.gov.uk/register-to-vote/privacy;

  • Before conducting the annual canvass to update the electoral register, the Electoral Registration Officer must disclose data to the Cabinet Office as part of a national data match process. The national data match process involves the checking of information already held on the electoral register against data held by the DWP. 

  • Information provided for the issuing of VAC’s and applying for a postal or proxy vote is managed and stored on the ERO Portal hosted by the DLUHC.

  • Software providers, contracted printers and suppliers who will use the information only on our instructions (e.g. annual canvass, poll cards, postal votes). They won’t use it for any other reasons and they have to look after it in the same way we would. 

  • Other departments in the Council for the purpose of collecting debt, preventing fraud, identifying the misuse of public funds and any legal and statutory requirements 

The information you provide is used to produce and maintain the full electoral register and the open (edited) register, which include name and address details. 

We are required to provide copies of the full electoral register to certain individuals and organisations in accordance with the Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001.   These organisations and individuals are: 

  • Credit reference agencies, the British Library, the Office of National Statistics, the Electoral Commission and the Boundary Commissions and other statutory recipients of the Electoral Register. 

  • Jury Summoning Bureau – indicating those persons who are aged 76 or over who are no longer eligible for jury service 

  • Electoral Registration Officers and Returning Officers 

  • Registered political parties and local constituency parties, elected representatives, town and parish councils, candidates at elections and other permitted participants who are able to use it for electoral purposes only

  • Crime prevention or the detection of fraud as part of the National Fraud Initiative Police Forces and other agencies for the prevention or detection of crime

We are also required to supply to political parties and candidates with copies of the lists of absent voters who are able to use it for electoral purposes only.

Anyone who receives information from us has a legal duty to keep it confidential. It is a crime for anyone who has a copy of the full register to pass information from this register to others, if they do not have a lawful reason.  The full list of people entitled to be supplied with the electoral register can be viewed on the Electoral Commission’s website: 

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/sites/default/files/2020-
12/list%20of%20people%20entitled%20to%20be%20supplied%20with%20the%20electoral%20regist er_0.pdf    

The full electoral register is a public document and can be viewed under supervision of our staff.  Anyone inspecting the register can only take extracts by handwritten notes.  The information must not be used for direct marketing purposes unless it has been published in the open (edited) register.   

The open (edited) register is an extract of the full register.  If your details are included in the open register, your name and address can be sold to third parties who may use it for any purpose.  You can choose when you register whether you would like to be excluded from the open register.  You can also opt out of the open register at any time by contacting electoral services.  Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for it to be removed.   

How long we hold your information 

The Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer is obliged to process your personal data in relation to preparing for and conducting elections and referendums.  Your details will be kept and updated in accordance with our legal obligations and in line with statutory retention periods.   

Your rights 

You have a number of rights which relate to your personal data. 

You are entitled to request access to any personal data we hold about you and ask for a copy of it. We try to ensure that any information we hold about you is accurate. You have the right to ask us to correct this if it is found to be incorrect.  

You have a right to request that we stop, or restrict the processing of your personal data, in certain circumstances.  Where possible we will seek to comply with your request, but we may be required to continue to hold and process information to comply with a legal requirement. 

If you have any concerns about how we process your personal data you should write to the  Data Protection Officer, Council Offices, The Picture House, St Catherine’s Road, Grantham, NG31 6TT or email  dpo@southkesteven.gov.uk or call us on 01476 40 60 80. 

Alternatively you may wish to complain directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office: 

Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK8 5AF, telephone 0303 123 1113, www.ico.org.uk/concerns     

 

Annex 1

The ERO has a statutory duty to;

  • Maintain a list of UK Parliamentary and local government electors for the area for which they act;

  • The requirement to take reasonable steps to obtain information for that purpose and to ensure as far as practicable that persons who are entitled to be registered (and no others) are. This includes collecting nationality data to determine eligibility;

  • The requirement to conduct an annual canvass and to send Canvass Forms throughout the year (This will result in the householder disclosing to the Electoral Services Team personal information about other members of the household);

  • The requirement to give persons invitations to register;

  • The requirement to take steps to encourage participation by electors in the electoral process;

  • To meet such standards of performance as set by the Electoral Commission.

 

Annex 2

  • Representation of the People Act 1983

  • Representation of the People Act 1985

  • Representation of the People Act 2000 (Schedule 4)

  • The Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 (as amended)

  • European Parliamentary Elections (Franchise of Relevant Citizens of the Union) Regulations 2001

  • Electoral Administration Act 2006

  • The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013

  • The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (Transitional Provisions) Order 2013

  • The Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment and Description of Electoral Registers)

  • Regulations 2013

  • The Representation of the People (Appointment of Proxies) Regulations 2013

  • The Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 and The Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment No.2) Regulations 2014

  • The Representation of the People (Supply of Information) Regulations 2014

  • Electoral Registration Pilot Scheme Order 2014

  • The Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 

  • The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 (Transitional Provisions) Order 2015

  • The Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2015

  • The Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2016

  • The Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2018

  • Parliamentary Election Rules

  • Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000

  • The Local Elections (Principal Areas) (England & Wales) Rules 2006

  • The Local Elections (Parishes & Communities) (England & Wales) Rules 2006

  • Police & Crime Commissioner Rules 2012

  • European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002

  • Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (England) Regulations 2012

  • Neighbourhood Planning (Referendums) Regulations 2013

  • Elections Act 2022

Election Candidates and Agents Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice provides advice relating to the processing of election candidates, agents and subscribers' data. This notice should be read in conjunction with the Electoral Services Privacy Notice available at www.southkesteven.gov.uk/electoralregister

Information we collect and what we use it for

The Electoral Registration Officer/Returning Officer is a data controller.  Returning Officers have a statutory duty to process certain personal data for the purpose of administering elections and referendums. 

In addition to the information provided to the Electoral Registration Officer for the purpose of registering to vote and applying to vote by post or by proxy, the Returning Officer will use and process information relating to :

·         Candidates

·         Candidate's agents

·         Individuals subscribing nomination papers

Candidates:  we collect basic information, such as name, address, qualification to stand for election, date of birth, signature, party affiliation and details of candidate spending.  We also collect additional optional information, such as telephone number and email address. 

Agents: we collect basic information, such as name, home and office address, signature and party affiliation.  We also collect additional optional information, such as telephone number and email address.

Subscribers (electors who sign a candidate's nomination paper) : we collect basic information, such as name, electoral number and signature.

The Returning Officer is legally obliged to collect this data as part of the processes for the nomination of candidates and appointment of agents.  The data is published on statutory notices and included on ballot papers.  Candidates at local government, parish council and Parliamentary elections can select to withhold their home address from statutory notices and ballot papers.  A home address form is used in these cases. Nomination papers are available for public inspection from the close of nominations until the day before the poll. The home address form can only be inspected certain people as specified in the regulations.

Election spending returns are also required by law to be made available for public inspection.

Where contact details are provided, such as telephone numbers and email addresses, these are only used by the Returning Officer and his staff for communicating with you about the election.

Legal basis for processing this data

The collection and processing of this information is required in performance of a task carried out in the public interest and in the exercise of our official duty under the Representation of the People Act 1983 and associated legislation and regulations.  

Who we will share your information with

The Returning Officer may share this data with staff within the Council who support the delivery of elections, with the Electoral Commission and with contractors, such as the print company contracted to produce ballot papers and postal vote packs.

How long we hold your information

The Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer is obliged to process your personal data in relation to preparing for and conducting elections and referendums.  Your details will be kept and updated in accordance with our legal obligations and in line with statutory retention periods as detailed below:

Data held Retention period
Nomination papers 1 year after  the election
Home address form at Parliamentary elections 21 calendar days after return of the writ
Home address form at Local Government elections 35 working days after the declaration of the result
Spending returns 2 years from receipt (1 year for parish/town council elections)

Electoral Services Temporary Staff Privacy Notice

The purpose of this privacy notice is to tell you about what information we collect about you when you use our service, how we use that information and who we may share it with.

The contact details of the data controller are Electoral Registration Officer/Returning Officer, South Kesteven District Council, Council Offices, The Picture House, St Catherines Road, Grantham, NG31 6TT. Email : electionstaff@southkesteven.gov.uk

What data we need to collect and the legal basis for processing it:

To provide this service, we will process information about temporary staff employed at an election or the annual voter registration canvass and the people we need to pay. These records may include:-

·           Basic details about you, for example, name, address, date of birth and nationality

·           Unique identifiers such as your NI number

·           Contact details that you have provided to us

·           Bank details and other data to enable the payment of fees

·           Scanned copy of driving licence and details of vehicle registration

·           Scanned application forms and dates of any letters of correspondence

·           Notes about any relevant circumstances that you have told us

·           Details and records about your past and current employment with Electoral Services

·           Right to Work and employment details

·           Training requests and attendance

We are collecting and processing this data in order to adequately staff events such as elections and the annual canvass. Paid employment for these events places a statutory duty on the data controller to collect information in order to meet legal obligations such as Right to Work, taxation, PAYE and the EU Working Time Directive.

How long we will keep your data for:

We will hold this information for up to 6 years after your last employment. The period of time that we will hold this data for will depend on our legal obligations which set statutory retention periods. After this, your information will be deleted or archived.

Why we need to collect your data:

We will use this information for maintaining a list of potential temporary staff at elections and the annual canvass; employing and paying staff at current and future elections and canvasses; and meeting our statutory legal duties regarding all current and future legislation.

Who we share your data with and why:

·           South Kesteven District Council (payroll) for the payment of staff;

·           Central Government departments (HMRC) for purposes such as taxation and PAYE;

·           South Kesteven District Council, the Police and Security Services for crime prevention or the detection of fraud;

·           South Kesteven District Council (ICT) for computer systems, software and electronic device access;

·           Colleagues of polling station staff so you can communicate with each other to make arrangements;

·           Count supervising staff and polling station inspectors if you are employed at a polling station or the counting of votes;

·           Third party organisations contracted to undertake the collection or processing of the data, such as training software providers, or to ensure compliance with statutory obligations.

Your rights as a data subject:

You have the right to have your details removed from the database of potential employees held by Electoral Services.

You are legally entitled to request access to any information we hold about you, and a copy of it. We try to ensure that any information we hold about you is accurate. You have the right to ask us to correct this if it is found to be incorrect.

You have a right to request that we stop, or restrict the processing of your personal data, in certain circumstances.  Where possible we will seek to comply with your request, but we may be required to continue to hold and process information to comply with a legal requirement.

If you have any concerns about how we process your personal data you should write to the Data Protection Officer, Council Offices, St Peter's Hill, Grantham, NG31 6PZ or email dpo@southkesteven.gov.uk or call us on 01476 40 60 80.

Alternatively you may wish to complain directly to the Information Commissioner's Office:

Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK8 5AF, telephone 0303 123 1113, www.ico.org.uk/concerns 

Contact us

You can contact the Electoral Services Manager using the details below:

Electoral Services

South Kesteven District Council

Council Offices

St Peter's Hill

Grantham

NG31 6PZ

Telephone: 01476 406080

Email : electionstaff@southkesteven.gov.uk

Job Applicant Privacy Notice

As part of any recruitment process, SKDC collects and processes personal information, or personal data, relating to job applicants. This personal information may be held by SKDC on paper or in electronic format.

SKDC is committed to being transparent about how it handles your personal information, to protect the privacy and security of your personal information and to meet its data protection obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and the Data Protection Act 2018. The purpose of this privacy notice is to make you aware of how and why we will collect and use your personal information during the recruitment process. We are required under GDPR to notify you of the information contained in this privacy notice.

This privacy notice applies to all job applicants, whether you apply for a role directly or indirectly through an employment agency. It is non-contractual.

What information does SKDC collect about you?

SKDC collects and processes a range of information during a recruitment process including;

  • Your name, address and contact details, including email address and telephone number

  • details of your qualifications, skills, employment history and experience

  • information about your current remuneration

  • whether or not you have a disability for which the organisation needs to make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process

  • information about your entitlement to work in the UK and

  • Equal Opportunities monitoring form, including information about your ethnic origin, sexual orientation, health, age and religion or belief

How is information collected?

SKDC collects information in a variety of ways.  For example, data might be contained in application forms, CV’s, obtained from your passport or other identity documents or collected through interviews or other formal assessment.  SKDC may collect personal data about you from third parties, such as references, information from employment background check providers and information from criminal records checks.  SKDC will only seek information from third parties once a job offer to you has been made.

What we use your personal information for:

SKDC will use the personal information you provide to process your application. The information you provide on an application/CV makes it easier for us to assess your skills and knowledge against another applicant's in a fair and consistent way.

SKDC may also process information about whether or not applicants are disabled to make reasonable adjustments for candidates who have a disability in order to carry out its obligations and exercise specific rights in relation to employment practices. 

Where SKDC processes other special categories of data, such as ethnic origin, sexual orientation, health, age or religion or belief as part of its recruitment practices, this is for equal opportunities monitoring purposes. 

You are under no statutory or contractual obligation to provide personal information to SKDC during the recruitment process.

Your personal information may be stored in different places, including on your application record, in the organisation’s HR management system and in other IT systems, such as the e-mail system.

Who we may share your information with:

We may need to share the information you have provided with:

-           Third Party Organisations (for the purpose of seeking references)
-           Disclosure and Barring Service
-           Occupational Health Provider
-           Other Government Agencies, HMRC, CSA

We are also permitted by law to protect public funds. To this end, we may share information that you provided for the prevention and detection of fraud.

We are also required to check individual's immigration status (as applicable) with Government Agencies.

How long we keep your personal information for

If you are successful in your application, the information you provide will become part of your employment file and some will be retained until your termination of employment with SKDC and for 6 years after this time.  If you are unsuccessful in the recruitment and selection process, your application will be kept for a further twelve months.  At the end of that period, unless you otherwise withdraw your consent at an earlier stage, your data is deleted or destroyed.  We will not keep information for any longer than is necessary to meet the purposes for which it was collected.

Your rights:

As a data subject, you have a number of rights including;

  • obtaining a copy or access to your data on request

  • requiring the organisation to change incorrect or incomplete data

  • requesting that data be deleted or processing of your data be ceased, for example where the data is no longer necessary for the purposes of processing and

  • objecting to the processing of your data where the organisation is relying on its legitimate interests as the legal grounds for processing

If you would like to exercise any of these rights or have any questions please contact the HR Team. 

How we protect your data:

SKDC takes the security of data seriously.  The organisation has internal policies and controls in place to try to ensure, as far as practicable, that your data is not lost, accidentally destroyed, misused or disclosed and is not accessed except by its employees in the performance of their duties. 
 

If you think we have incorrectly processed your personal information:

If you think that we may have breached the Data Protection Act by incorrectly processing your personal information and you wish to submit a formal complaint you should contact HR.

Where to find out more:

The Information Commissioner's website also has a lot of useful information for the public about the Act at: www.ico.gov.uk

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