Communities Team - Privacy notice

What personal information is being processed and what for

Personal data including:

names, titles and aliases, date of birth, photographs
address and contact details such as telephone or mobile numbers, email addresses

Where they are relevant to services we provide, or where you provide them to us, we may process information such as nationality, language(s) spoken, gender, age, academic or professional qualifications, education or work history, hobbies and interests

Information will be used for some or all of the following purposes:

to enable us to meet all legal and statutory functions
to understand your needs in order to provide the services you require
to inform you of other relevant services or planned events and activities
to contact you by post, email, telephone or by using social media (e.g. Facebook, Twitter)
to carry out necessary safeguarding procedures in order to protect vulnerable adults and children from harm or injury
to seek your views and opinions, and allow analysis of data so we can plan better services
to notify you of any changes to our services and staff
to send you communications that you have requested and that may be of interest to you such as campaigns and new projects or initiatives
we may process personal data if it is necessary to take steps to enter into an agreement or contract with you, such as the hire of a community hall or venue under our control

Examples of where personal data may be processed include:

community cohesion activities such as meetings, activities and events, projects and to manage volunteers.
participatory budgeting projects
community Right to Bid nomination assessments
allocation of grant funding
neighbourhood partnership meetings
community network activities
community consultations

Why we are allowed to use your information

To carry out Public Authority tasks that are in the public interest. Most personal data is processed for compliance with a legal obligation which includes the discharge of our statutory functions and powers, for example ensuring that our obligations under Community Right to Bid processes and procedures meet the Localism Act 2011.

Sometimes the use of your personal data requires your consent and we will always obtain your consent first to that use, for example your image in photographs that are then published.

Who we will share your information with

We may share personal data with third parties. These third parties have an obligation to put in place the appropriate security measures and to ensure that they protect your personal data.

Your information may be shared, but only where necessary, when we hold meetings with the following people:

ward members (councillors)
internally with colleagues from other Cheshire East departments
education and school staff
Cheshire Police or Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
voluntary, community or faith groups
Town and parish councils
members of statutory health services

Information may also be shared, with your consent, within group emails - for example to arrange meetings or activities for small community task groups.

Where we get your information from

Information can be obtained from letters, application or nomination forms, publicly accessible sources such as websites, leaflets or posters, or through third parties (such as those above) who may pass on your contact details so you can be informed about activities that may be of interest to you. Personal data may be directly supplied by the individual concerned.

How long we will keep your personal information

We may have legal obligations to retain some data in connection with our statutory obligations as a public authority.

However we will endeavour to keep information only for as long as it is needed. In general we will aim keep your information for one year and will then review if we need to keep it for longer. Information that is no longer relevant will be deleted or destroyed.

Some records will need to be kept for longer periods according to the function they relate to, and so that queries or claims can be investigated and resolved.

Any financial records will be kept for 7 years. These are kept off site securely in deep store after 2 years.

How your information is stored

Information in electronic format is stored securely on council servers, accessed via encrypted systems through user access codes and password protection. This information will be held on files within folders that have shared access by members of the Communities Team only.

Paper information is filed in locked cupboards in secure council offices

What happens if you don’t provide us with your information

If you do not provide information then we may be unable to proceed with applications or nominations, or be able to invite you to meetings or activities.

Will your information be used to make automated decisions

Will this information be transferred abroad

Personal data will not be transferred. However, the Cheshire East website can be accessed from across the world so on occasion some personal data – for example in a Connected Communities newsletter – may be accessed from overseas.

Your rights

You have a number of rights regarding your personal data, including withdrawing your consent where we have asked for it.

You can also ask for a copy of the information we hold about you and ask us to correct anything that is wrong. For detailed information about your rights please see our privacy notice.

Page last reviewed: 16 May 2018