Our commitment to data protection and how we implement it

Our data protection policy sets out our commitment to protecting personal data and how we implement that commitment with regards to the collection and use of personal data.

We are committed to: 

• Ensuring that we comply with the GDPR and data protection principles, as listed below.
• Meeting our legal obligations as laid down by the Data Protection Act 1998 and GDPR rules and regulations.
• Ensuring that data is collected and used fairly and lawfully.
• Processing personal data only in order to meet our operational needs or fulfil legal requirements.
• Taking steps to ensure that personal data is up to date and accurate.
• Establishing appropriate retention periods for personal data.
• Ensuring that data subjects’ rights can be appropriately exercised.
• Providing adequate security measures to protect personal data.
• Ensuring that a nominated officer is responsible for data protection compliance and provides a point of contact for all data protection issues.
• Ensuring that all staff are made aware of good practice in data protection.
• Providing adequate training for all staff responsible for personal data.
• Ensuring that everyone handling personal data knows where to find further guidance.
• Ensuring that queries about data protection, internal and external to the organisation, is dealt with effectively and promptly.
• Regularly reviewing data protection procedures and guidelines within the organisation.

GDPR and data protection principles

1. Personal data shall be processed fairly and lawfully.
2. Personal data shall be obtained for one or more specified and lawful purposes, and shall not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes.
3. Personal data shall be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed.
4. Personal data shall be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.
5. Personal data processed for any purpose or purposes shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes.
6. Personal data shall be processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects under the Data Protection Act 1998 and relevant GDPR rules and regulations.
7. Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorised and unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.
8. Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.

This policy will be updated as necessary to reflect best practice in data management, security and control and to ensure compliance with any changes or amendments made to the Data Protection Act 1998 and GDPR rules and regulations.

You can download a copy of our policy here.

Cookies

Our website uses technology to collect information about its use, to distinguish between users, to help us provide you with a good experience and to allow us to improve the site and the service we offer. This means that when you visit our website, cookies or similar technologies will be placed on your computer or other device. Personal data means data which identifies or can be used to identify you as an individual, including online identifiers such as your IP address. It also includes pseudonymous identifiers (e.g. strings of numbers or letters) if it is possible for us to identify you from these.
We only use cookies that are essential for the operation of this site, however, some external links and media may place cookies on your computer which we have no control over.

Cookies help you get the most out of our website. You can however set up your browser to delete or refuse some or all of them, or to notify you when you are sent a cookie and therefore choose whether or not to accept it.  You may also delete or refuse, some or all of the cookies, on our website at anytime.

Please remember, if you do delete some or all your cookies, some features on our website, such as remembering your username, may not work and your experience on our website may be affected.  Unless you’ve adjusted your browser settings so that they’ll delete or refuse cookies, cookies will be issued or reissued when you log on to our website.  If you do decide to delete or refuse cookies but subsequently decide that you would in fact like to allow cookies, you should adjust your browser settings and continue using our website. Cookies will then be sent to and from our website.

If your computer is shared with others, you should either set your browser to refuse cookies before accessing our website or clear cookies stored by the browser every time you close your browser to avoid your email address or other details being displayed in the log on field to a subsequent user of our website.

For your convenience we’ve provided links to the cookie management page for the most popular web browsers:

• Chrome
• Internet Explorer
• Firefox
• Safari
• Opera

If you have any questions or concerns about our cookie or privacy policies or wish to know what information we hold on you, please contact us through our Contact Us form.