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Privacy Policy

The Council recognises that this information is important to citizens and that it is responsible to the citizens for the information it holds about them. As such, it takes seriously its responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998 to ensure that any personal information it collects and uses is done so proportionately, correctly and safely.

For information about what is personal data please see the Information Commissioner's at: www.ico.org.uk

The Council collects, holds and uses personal data to allow it to provide services on behalf of the citizens of the City of Nottingham. These services include, amongst others, providing schools and educational facilities within the city; providing care and support for children and vulnerable individuals and their families; maintaining and improving the environment of the city and protecting the citizens generally.

Emails

Emails and any attachments are confidential and may contain personal views which are not the views of Nottingham City Council unless specifically stated.

If you have received an email in error, please delete it from your system, do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on it and notify the sender immediately.

Please note that Nottingham City Council monitors emails sent or received for the purposes of ensuring compliance with its policies and procedures. Further communication will signify your consent to this.

The contents of emails sent or received may have to be disclosed if a relevant request is made under current legislation, such as, but not limited to, the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Email messages are  scanned for Viruses and Content and cleared by Sophos

 

Changes to this Website Privacy Notice

Nottingham City Council will continually review and update this privacy notice to reflect changes in our services and feedback from service users, as well as to comply with changes in the law. When such changes occur, we will revise the "last updated" date at the top of this notice. If there are substantial changes to this statement or in how Nottingham City Council will use your personal information, we will advertise the updated notice both on the front page of the Nottingham City Council web site and in Council offices.

Nottingham City Council encourages you to periodically visit the Council's web site to review this notice and to be informed of how Nottingham City Council is protecting your information

At all times Nottingham City Council will comply with the legal requirements set out by the Data Protection Act 1998 in relation to the collection, holding and processing of your personal data.

If you would like to know more or have any concerns about how your information is being processed please contact Information Management Services.

If you require general information about the data protection act, information is available on the Information Commissioners website at: www.ico.org.uk

Detecting and Preventing Criminal offences and Fraud

Nottingham City Council is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. We process and share the information provided to us for the following purposes:

  • Council Employee Payroll
  • Council Employee Pensions
  • Electoral Register
  • Student Loans
  • Housing
  • Supported Care (Home Residents and Care Home Residents)
  • Transport passes, including residents' parking blue badges
  • Insurance Claimants
  • Housing and Council Tax Benefits
  • Licenses, e.g. market trader/ operator, taxi driver and personal licenses to supply alcohol
  • Council Tax
  • Leisure
  • Property (Planning, Business Rates)
  • Libraries
  • Information provided by external bodies, e.g. Utility Companies, Credit Reference agencies and Service Providers, including Registered Social Landlords

To prevent and/or detect potential fraud and crime, by both conducting our own Data Matching as well as sharing this information with other public bodies, such as; the Audit Commission, the Department for Work and Pensions, other Local Authorities, HM Revenues and Customs, the Police, as well as utility companies, credit reference agencies and service providers/ contractors and/or partner bodies, where the disclosure of such information is either:

  1. a) necessary for the purposes of the prevention and/or detection of crime; and/or,
    b) is otherwise necessary to comply with any other legal obligation.

The Audit Commission appoints an auditor to audit the accounts of Nottingham City Council, and also conducts its own data matching exercise.

Computerised data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims, transactions, applications and payments to be identified. Where a match is found and two or more records have contradictory or conflicting information, the inconsistency will require further investigation. No assumption can be made as to whether there is fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out. Regardless, the data matching process is a proven way of helping to ensure that records are up to date and accurate.

The Audit Commission currently requires local authorities to participate in a data matching exercise to assist in the prevention and/or detection of fraud. We are legally required to provide particular sets of Data to the Audit Commission for matching for each exercise, and these are set out in the Audit Commission's guidance.

The use of data by the Audit Commission in a data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority under its powers in Part 2A of the Audit Commission Act 1998. It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 1998.

Data Matching by the Audit Commission is subject to a Code of Practice.

For further information on the Audit Commission's legal powers and the reasons why it matches particular information, refer to the Audit Commission'sfair processing notice.

For further information about data matching at Nottingham City Council, please contact: Information Management Services on 0115 876 3855 or e-mailinformation.governance@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Data Matching

Data Matching involves comparing computer records held by one body against other computer records held by the same or another body to see how far they match. This is usually personal information.

Nottingham City Council undertakes Data Matching to ensure data quality and integrity and to comply with legal requirements placed upon the Council.

These include to:

  • Detect and prevent crime/fraud
  • Assist in Emergency response management

Emergency Response Management

Data Matching may also be used to assist the Council in responding to emergencies or major accidents, by allowing the Council, in conjunction with the emergency services, to identify individuals who may need additional support in the event of e.g. an emergency evacuation.

Single Customer Record

Nottingham City Council is working on improving how it provides services to the citizens of Nottingham.

In order to assist the Council in providing relevant services more quickly when required, and in an effective and efficient manner, it is creating an information hub.

The information hub will contain a single customer record, comprising of your name, address, date of birth and gender, together with some information which can be used to confirm your identity. It is envisaged that the single customer record will record a brief summary of your contact with the Council, e.g. that you called the Council about a missed bin collection.

The Single Customer Record will not contain extensive details of the services you have received. However, the single customer record will also act as an index to other council databases, but will be able to feed information into a number of council systems, including:

  • Libraries
  • Waste Management
  • Leisure services
  • Trading Standards
  • Adult Social Care
  • Corporate Finance
  • Benefits Council Tax

To do this, the Information hub will take your name, address, date of birth and gender from the above council systems to create the single customer record.

This list is continuously being updated, and an up-to-date list is available on Nottingham City Council's web site.

This will allow you to notify the Council once and have that information feed into a number of Council systems, e.g. where you change your address, so that rather than you having to notify each individual Council department of the change of address, by reporting the change of address to one Council department, a number of Council departments will be notified. However, this will only be done with your express consent.

The Single Customer Record will also allow the council to respond to any queries you may have in respect of the provision of services more quickly and efficiently. By linking into a number of Council systems, any query or issue can be investigated more quickly. However, any access to such Council systems will only take place in response to any query or instruction received by yourself, and only where such access is necessary to answer or respond to the query or issue raised by yourself.

Nottingham City Council will not normally create or hold Single Customer Records in relation to children (individuals under the age of 18) without the consent of the child's parent/guardian. However, there may be limited circumstances where a child's data will be held in a Single Customer Record, such as.

  • Where the child is a designated carer or has been appointed as being able to act on behalf of a named adult
  • Where a child receives services as if he/she was an adult, e.g. where a 16 or 17 year old applied for Council Housing
  • Where dealing with urgent matters where it is impossible to obtain the prior consent of the parent, e.g. where the child has reported an incident requiring urgent action

There may also be certain other situations, where Nottingham City Council will hold children's information in a Single Customer Record. In these situations, this record will be treated as being sensitive and access to such records will be restricted on a "need to know" basis.

How Will the Council use the Information they Collect About Me?

Nottingham City Council will use your personal data for a limited number of purposes, and at all times within the rules set out in the Data Protection Act 1998.

We will process personal data for the following purposes:

  • For the purpose for which you provided the information. e.g. processing information given on a benefit claim form for the purpose of processing your benefit claim, and to monitor the Council's performance in responding to your request
  • To allow the Council to be able to communicate and provide services appropriate to your needs, e.g. to be able to arrange suitable access arrangements where the citizen has mobility difficulties
  • To ensure that the council meets its legal requirements, including obligations imposed under the Race Relations Act and Health and Safety Acts
  • Where necessary for the Council's Law Enforcement functions, e.g. licensing, planning enforcement, trading standards, food safety, etc, where Nottingham City Council is legally obliged to undertake such processing
  • Where the processing is necessary for Nottingham City Council to comply with its legal obligations, e.g. the prevention and/or detection of crime
  • To process financial transactions including grants, payments and benefits involving Nottingham City Council, or where Nottingham City Council is acting on behalf of other government bodies, e.g. Department for Works and Pensions
  • Where you have consented to the processing
  • Where necessary to protect individuals from harm or injury or
  • Where otherwise permitted under the Data Protection Act 1998, e.g. disclosure to comply with legal obligations
  • For businesses located in Business Improvement Districts ("BiDs"), Nottingham City Council will share details of payments and/or non payments of BiD contributions, together with information about any associated recovery actions to the respective BiD Company
  • Nottingham City Council may also use your personal data, after it has been anonymised, to allow the statistical analysis of data to allow the Council to effective target and plan the provision of services

Equalities Information

Nottingham City Council may use information about your ethnic background, first language, gender, sexual orientation and age ("equalities data") for the purposes of compiling statistical data about the population of the city at large and the take up council services by various groups, both to assist in complying with the race relations act and other equality legislation and to assist the council in the effective planning and provision of future services.

Such statistical data or statistical analysis will not allow the identification of any specific individual nor will it have any impact on any individual's entitlement to council services and facilities.

Such equalities data may also be used to allow the council to provide sufficient assistance where required, e.g. to provide translation services or access facilities, e.g. induction hearing loop, where appropriate.

Using Your Personal Data

In deciding what personal data to collect, hold and use, the Council is committed to ensuring that it will:-

  • Recognise that any personal data handled by Nottingham City Council is held on behalf of that person and that we ensure we respect that responsibility
  • Adopt and maintain high standards in respect of the handling and use of that personal data
  • Only collect, hold and use personal data where it is necessary and proportionate to do so
  • Securely delete any personal data when no longer needed
  • Keep your personal data secure and safe
  • Not unnecessarily and without good reason, infringe the privacy of the citizens of Nottingham
  • Consider and address the privacy risks first when planning to use or hold personal information in new ways, such as when introducing new systems
  • Be open with individuals about how we use their information and who we give it to
  • Make it easy for individuals to access and correct their personal information
  • Ensure that there is effective safeguards and systems in place to make sure personal information is kept securely and does not fall into the wrong hands
  • Provide training to staff who handle personal information and treat it as a disciplinary matter if they misuse or don't look after personal information properly
  • Put appropriate financial and human resources into looking after personal information to make sure we can live up to our promises
  • Regularly check that we are living up to our promises and report on how we are doing

The Council may disclose personal data to third parties, but only where it is necessary, either to comply with a legal obligation, or where permitted under the Data Protection Act, e.g. where the disclosure is necessary for the purposes of the prevention and/or detection of crime, or where it is necessary to allow a third party working for or on behalf of the Council.

The Council will strive to ensure that any personal data in its care will be kept safe and that where your information is disclosed to a third party,Nottingham City Council will seek to ensure that the third party has sufficient systems and procedures in place to prevent the loss of personal data.

Where the Council seeks to disclose sensitive personal data, such as medical details, to third parties, we will do so only with your prior express consent or where we are legally required to do.

Your Rights

You have the right to request that Nottingham City Council cease processing your personal data in relation to any Council service, including the Single Customer Record. Where possible, Nottingham City Council will seek to comply with your request but there may be some situations where it will not be able to do this, e.g. where Nottingham City Council is required to hold or process information to comply with a legal requirement, or where deletion of this information may cause delays or hinder the Council's ability to provide services to you.

You are also legally entitled to request access to any records held by Nottingham City Council about yourself, including the Single Customer Record. Again, Nottingham City Council will seek to comply with your request but there may be some situations where it will not be able to do this in full, e.g. where information held was given in confidence. For further information about either requesting access to your personal data or to cease processing personal data please contact the Council's Information Management Services.

Whilst Nottingham City Council tries to ensure that any personal data it holds about you is correct, there may be situations where the information it holds is no longer accurate. If this is the case, please contact the department holding the information or the so that any errors can be investigated and corrected.

Nottingham City Council will not use your personal data for third party marketing purposes without your prior express consent.It will not pass any personal data on to third parties, other than those who either process information on our behalf or because of a legal requirement, and it will only do so, where possible, after Nottingham City Council has ensured that sufficient steps have been taken to protect the personal data by the recipient".

External Website

Nottingham City Council is in no way responsible for the content of external websites and news feeds and does not make recommendations or suggestions on which site to use. Some of this content is delivered via feeds (such as RSS) that third-parties provide, and this content is the same for everyone who receives it.

Nottingham City Council does not endorse any external links or the products/services advertised by external partners and organisations on this site and is not responsible for any content hosted by these organisations on their web pages. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. 

The information in this web site is intended for your general information. It is a guide only. Before relying on any matter discussed in this site, you should seek professional advice on any proposed action.

The Council have used all reasonable endeavours to ensure the accuracy and completeness of this web site. However, the Council gives no representations, assurances, undertakings or warranties about the accuracy, correctness or fitness for purpose regarding the site or any web site referred to by them ("third party site") .The Council accept no responsibility whatsoever for any reliance placed upon the contents of this site.

The Council does not approve or endorse the information in any third party site. The Council accept no responsibility for, and therefore will have no liability in connection with any third party site that might be used to create your own My Nottingham homepage.