Who we are

Our website address is www.staffordshirecommunitylearning.org.uk, and this website and course directory is run and managed by Staffordshire County Council’s Adult Community Learning service

We are fully committed to complying with Data Protection Act 2018 legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which regulates how we process personal information.

This section explains how we collect and use personal data, tells you about your rights and gives contact details for help and advice. In addition, you can view our service area privacy notices for details on how each area collects, stores and processes your data for the unique services it delivers.

The personal data we collect

Your data

Your right to privacy is very important to us and we recognise that, when we collect, use, or store your personal data, you should be able to trust us to act in a responsible manner. This privacy notice tells you what you can expect when we process your data, and what your rights are.

Why we collect data

We primarily provide services for local communities and the people who live in them. We also collect data about people world-wide who contact us requesting information about Staffordshire and Staffordshire County Council.　

In order to provide these services we must collect and use data about the people we provide services to. Data is also collected and used where we have a statutory duty to do so.

How we collect data

Your data may be collected in various ways, including:

• Verbally
• Paper
• Telephone
• Email
• Online forms
• Website cookies
• CCTV
• Other forms of image and voice recording

Data may be collected directly from you or data about you may be gathered from other sources, and we may need to ask other agencies or organisations for relevant data about you to fulfil our legal responsibilities or to provide services. 

Data we obtain will be captured and stored in our systems for the purpose(s) specified.

What we do with your data

Managing personal data

We are responsible for managing the information we hold and we recognise that this information is important to you. We take our responsibilities seriously and aim to use personal information fairly, correctly and safely in line with the legal requirements set out by the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to do the same and has a set of data protection clauses included in their contract. 

Any organisations that process personal information on or behalf Staffordshire County Council, or with whom we share information, also have the same legal obligation to comply with GDPR and will have a set of data protection clauses included in their contract or other form of agreement.

As we collect and process personal information we are registered as a ‘Data Controller’ with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Our registered address as Data Controller is:

Staffordshire County Council
County Buildings
Martin Street
Stafford
ST16 2DH

How we use your personal data

We will use your personal information for a limited number of purposes and always in line with our responsibilities, where there is a legal basis to do so, and in line with your rights under the GDPR. When we collect personal data from you, we will only use it to provide services you have requested or require. We will not collect any personal data from you that we do not need.

We will use the information you provide in order to:

• deliver services and understand your needs

• maintain and update your records or contact details

• contact you where necessary

• obtain your opinion and feedback about the services we provide

• ensure that we fulfil our legal obligations

• Inform and fulfil our audit requirements

If we wish to use or share your data for any purpose other than that for which is was originally collected, we will provide information on these purposes. We will strive to make sure that the third party has sufficiently robust systems and procedures in place to protect your personal information.

Sometimes we may not be able to provide a service if you do not provide the information we need in order to do so.

How we share your data

Where necessary, information may be shared with partners and other organisations that provide services on our behalf. In such cases, the information provided is only the minimum necessary to enable them to provide services to you. These organisations are required to retain your information in a secure manner and only use it to undertake the services they provide to you.

We are also required by law to protect the public funds we administer and may share information provided to us with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds in order to prevent and detect fraud. More information is available from the National Fraud Initiative web site.

If the information we intend to share is of a sensitive, personal nature we will only share it with partner organisations if we have obtained your consent or unless we are legally required, or enabled, to share it. We have an information sharing protocol with local partners under which our partners agree to similar commitments toward privacy, security and transparency.

Personal information about you may also be provided to other local authorities. For example, if you have moved from one local authority to another and the new authority requires confirmation of the services you were receiving.

At no time will your information be passed to organisations external to us or our partners for marketing or sales purposes or for any commercial use without your prior explicit consent.

How we look after your data

Under the general data protection regulations (GDPR) we have a legal duty to protect any information that we hold about you. We take measures to safeguard your data and implement security standards and controls to prevent any unauthorised access to it. Information which you have provided us will be stored securely. It will only be used for the purpose(s) stated when the information was collected.

The amount of time data is kept before being disposed of will vary depending on why it was collected, how it is used, and in line with any applicable UK laws. Our retention and disposal schedule give details about how long we keep data.

Use of personal information for marketing

We will only send you information about our services and/or products if you have agreed for us to do so. You can opt out of this at any time using the contact details below.

Use of CCTV

We have installed CCTV systems in some of our locations for the purposes of public safety and the prevention and detection of crime.

We will only disclose CCTV images to third parties for the purposes of public safety and the prevention and detection of crime. CCTV images will not be released to the media for entertainment purposes or placed on the internet.

You have the right to see CCTV images of yourself and be provided with a copy.

Covid-19 supplementary statement

This supplementary statement to the privacy notice describes how we may use your information to protect you and others during the Covid-19 outbreak. The health and social care system is currently facing significant pressures. Health and care information is essential to deliver care to individuals, to support health and social care services and to protect public health. Information will also be vital in researching, monitoring, tracking and managing the outbreak. In the current emergency it has become even more important to share health and care information across relevant organisations.

Existing law which allows confidential patient information to be used and shared appropriately and lawfully in a public health emergency is being used during this outbreak. Using this law the Secretary of State has required local authorities along with NHS organisations and GPs to share confidential patient information to respond to the Covid-19 outbreak. Any information used or shared during the Covid-19 outbreak will be limited to the period of the outbreak unless there is another legal basis to use the data.

During this period of emergency, opt-outs will not generally apply to the data used to support the Covid-19 outbreak, due to the public interest in sharing information.

Further information is available on the Gov.UK website.

Use of cookies

To make our website easier to use, we sometimes place small text files on your device (for example your iPad or laptop) called cookies. Our cookies aren’t used to identify you personally. They’re just here to make the site work better for you. For more information you should also refer to our policy on the use of website cookies.

By using our website, you agree that we can place these types of cookies on your device. You can stop cookies being downloaded on to your computer or other device by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. If you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of our website.

Your information rights

You have rights in relation to your personal data.  Our Information Governance Unit is responsible for co-ordinating requests made in relation to your rights.

Contact information

Send any request in relation to your privacy rights to:

Staffordshire County Council Information Governance Unit

Email: accessinformation@staffordshire.gov.uk 

Postal address:

Access Team
Information Governance Unit
Staffordshire County Council
1 Staffordshire Place
Stafford
ST16 2DH

If your request relates to children’s social care information, please contact Families First informationrequests@staffordshire.gov.uk.

Help and advice

Please contact us if you need advice about making your request in relation to your rights or if you need help to put your request in writing.

You can contact us using the above addresses or by phone on 01785 276682.

Further information about your rights is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Service level privacy notices

As part of Staffordshire County Council, we have several service level privacy notices available, and which you may be interested to learn about and use in conjunction with this privacy notice.

They can be accessed on our county council website here at www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Your-council-and-democracy/Privacy-notices/Service-level-privacy-notices.aspx

How to contact us about privacy 

Note:  If you wish to contact us about Community Learning, we have a dedicated contact us page here

However os you wish to contact us about our privacy notice.  Please contact us if you have any questions about our privacy policy, information we hold about you, or if you have a complaint about privacy or misuse of personal data.

Email: DPO@staffordshire.gov.uk

Post to:

Data Protection Officer
Information Governance Unit
Staffordshire County Council
1 Staffordshire Place
Stafford
ST16 2DH

If you are not satisfied with our response or believe we are not processing your personal data in accordance with the law you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).