Privacy Statement

This Privacy Notice sets out what you need to know about how Doncaster Council will use your information for the Doncaster Talks project.

The Council is committed to meeting its data protection obligations and handling your information securely. You should make sure you read and understand this notice before submitting your information to us.

What information about you do we collect?

For the processing to which this notice relates to be carried out we use the following information:

  • personal information:

    • home address

    • email

    • post code

    • age

    • contact details (if you choose to take part in a focus group)

  • special category personal information:

    • ethnicity

    • gender

    • disability

How do we collect information about you?

We collect your information from you directly by asking you to complete an online survey, which will be promoted via the Doncaster Council Website, Doncaster Council’s Newsletters and Doncaster Council social media outlets.

How will your information be used?

Your information might be used to inform development of the Borough Strategy, which is our longer term plan, as well as informing more specific plans around things like our environment or economy.

If you take part in focus groups the sessions will be recorded to allow for analysis of the information obtained and reporting of the sessions for use in development of various strategies. A report of the findings (anonymised) will be put on the website.

The Legal basis for using your information

The council collects and uses your information because to do so is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.

Who will your information be shared with?

We sometimes need to share your information within the Council or with other organisations. We will only share your information when necessary and when the law allows us to, and we will only share the minimum information we need to. For the Doncaster Talks project we may need to share your information with:

  • Project partners

In certain cases we may also share your information with other individuals and organisations. For example , if you make a complaint to your Councillor, or if the sharing would help with a safeguarding issue, or help prevent a crime. Sometimes, we might share your information without your knowledge.

If you choose to take part in focus groups the sessions are managed, analysed and reported on by the Consultation Institute.

The Council will never sell your information to anyone else.

Transfers to countries other than the UK and outside of the EU

In order to provide this service the Council will share your information with:

  • Square Space*, an organisation based outside the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU).  Square Space is based in the United States of America. 

  • We have installed a Facebook, an organisation based within the EU, 'tracking pixel' that works on all of our pages to help us learn more about Facebook users' interests in the site. This information is then used to create 'custom audiences' within Facebook to potentially allow us to create Facebook adverts targeted at members of these 'custom audiences'. The aim is to make sure that any advertising we create is as relevant as is reasonably possible to our audience and it’s cost effectiveness can be measured in order to provide value for money.

You can read more about the Facebook Pixel on their website   and you can opt in or out of receiving these targeted adverts by visiting the Your Online Choices website  or the Facebook advert preferences page .

*The U.S. Department of Commerce and the European Commission have initiated discussions to evaluate the potential for an enhanced EU-U.S. Privacy Shield framework to comply with the 16 July judgement of the Court of Justice of the European Union. This judgement declared that this framework is no longer a valid mechanism to transfer personal data from the European Union to the United States.

How long will we keep your information?

We will keep your information for different periods of time, depending on what we are using it for. We only keep your information for only so long as is necessary, the typical timescales for each activity is set out below:

  • Influencing COVID response - Information kept for 10 years

  • Influencing Borough Strategy - Information kept for 10 years

  • Influencing Environment and Sustainability Strategy - Information kept for 10 years

  • Influencing implementation of Climate and Biodiversity commission recommendations - Information kept for 10 years

  • Influencing Environment Services Improvement Plan - Information kept for 10 years

  • Influencing other strategies, plans and policies related to the Borough Strategy - Information kept for 10 years

Your rights

The law gives you specific rights over your information. These rights are:

  • to be informed of our use of information about you;

  • of access to information about you;

  • rectify information about you that is inaccurate;

  • to have your information erased (the ‘right to be forgotten’);

  • to restrict how we use information about you;

  • to move your information to a new service provider;

  • to object to how we use information about you;

  • not to have decisions made about you on the basis of automated decision making;

  • to object to direct marketing; and,

  • to complain about anything the Council does with your information (please see the ‘Complaints’ section below).

Some of the rights listed above apply only in certain situations, and some have a limited effect.  Your rights are explained further in the Individuals’ Rights Procedure on our website, as is how to make a request under one or more of them.

You can request information about yourself by making a subject access request on this page of the Council’s website.

Changes to this privacy notice

This notice is kept under regular review to make sure it is up to date and accurate.

Data Protection Officer (DPO)

The Council is required by law to have a DPO.  The DPO has a number of duties, including:

  • monitoring the Council’s compliance with data protection law;

  • providing expert advice and guidance on data protection;

  • acting as the point of contact for data subjects; and,

  • co-operating and consulting with the Information Commissioner’s Office (see ‘Complaints’ below).

The Council’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted by email at information.governance@doncaster.gov.uk

Complaints

If you are unhappy with the way in which your information has been handled you should contact the Council’s Data Protection Officer so that we can try and put things right.

Alternatively, and if we have been unable to resolve your complaint, you can also refer the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).  The ICO is the UK's independent body set up to uphold information rights, and they can investigate and adjudicate on any data protection related concerns you raise with them.  They can be contacted via the methods below:

 

Website:                     www.ico.org.uk

Telephone:                 0303 123 1113

Post:                            Information Commissioner’s Office

                                    Wycliffe House

                                    Water Lane

                                    Wilmslow

                                    Cheshire

                                    SK9 5AF