Data Protection Policy

Councillors Privacy Notice

Who we are: An elected Councillor may use your personal data to help you with ward-related matters, or for undertaking any casework about which you have contacted them.

Our statutory Data Protection Officer is the Council’s Information Governance Manager who can be contacted at Swindon Borough Council Civic Offices, Euclid Street, Swindon SN1 2JH. They can also be emailed at dataprotection@swindon.gov.uk

Why we process your data: The Council’s elected Councillors can process your personal data under the Local Government Act 1972 and the Localism Act 2011, and under the Data Protection Act 2018 Schedule 1, Part 2, 18-19 (Elected Representatives responding to requests and Disclosure to Elected Representatives).

If you are making a request about a relative or third party, I may ask for confirmation from them that you have permission to share their personal information.

Councillors may process your data for the following purposes: To allow them to answer your enquiries and for the purpose of resolving issues that you have asked them to look into on your behalf.

Who we share your data with - They may share the information:

• with ward colleagues,

• Cabinet Members or Committee Chairs,

• Council Officers, and/or

• the local Member of Parliament.

This would be solely for the lawful purpose of resolving any issues that you have raised.

They may also sometimes share your data with the following organisations:

• Other public authorities and public partnerships (e.g. councils, schools, NHS providers, Police, government departments etc.) when there is a legitimate reason for doing so.

How we keep your data secure - The data is stored on an email system that is password protected.  Access is through a laptop/tablet/phone that is also appropriately secure. 

As soon as practicable, your information is passed to the relevant council officer, so that your data is protected within the Council’s secure IT infrastructure.

For paper records, these are appropriately secured in a locked case when not in use.

The Council’s elected Councillors do not transfer your data to third parties in other countries outside of the European Economic Area.

How long we keep your data for - The Council’s elected Councillors can keep your data for up to 7 years after your issue has been resolved, or until they cease to be a Councillor, if this is a shorter period of time.

Your rights - You have the following rights:

• To ask for a copy of the data that Councillors hold on you

• To ask them to delete data on you that is no longer needed

• To ask them to correct data about you that is wrong

• To ask them to stop processing your data temporarily if you think it is wrong until they work out what is correct

• To ask them to let you take a copy of your data in a portable format to another organisation

If you only gave your Councillor your data with consent, you also have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Please just get in touch with us.

How to complain

You can complain to the Council in relation to elected Councillors. If you are not happy with the Council’s response, you can request a review, and if, after that, you are still unsatisfied, you can then take the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office