Data Protection Policy

Policy Statement

Everyone has rights about how their personal information is handled. During our activities we will collect, store and process personal information about individuals we work with, their families and relevant others, and we recognise the need to treat it in an appropriate and lawful manner.

The information, which may be held on paper or on a computer or other media, is subject to certain legal safeguards specified in the Guide to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, 2018) (the Act) and other regulations. The Act imposes restrictions on how the Company may store and use that information.

Our Data Protection Principles

These provide that personal data must be:

• Processed fairly and lawfully.

• Processed for limited purposes and in an appropriate way.

• Adequate, relevant and not excessive for the purpose.

• Accurate.

• Not kept longer than necessary for the purpose.

• Processed in line with data subjects' rights.

• Secure.

• Not transferred to people or organisations situated in countries without adequate protection.

Fair and Lawful Processing

The Act is intended not to prevent the processing of personal data, but to ensure that it is done fairly and without adversely affecting the rights of the data subject. The data subject must be told what data is being kept, the purpose for which the data is to be processed by us, and the identities of anyone to whom the data may be disclosed or transferred.

For personal data to be processed lawfully, certain conditions must be met. These may include, among other things, requirements that the data subject has consented to the processing, or that the processing is necessary for the legitimate interest of the G-map or the party to whom the data is disclosed.

G-map has many safeguarding responsibilities and much of our work is about protecting vulnerable people from harm, by putting public and individual safety and well-being at the heart of decision-making. The Government has yet to issue specific directions regarding the keeping of safeguarding related information, but G-map will ensure that we comply with all available requirements. In the meantime, we will continue to process personal data that in our professional judgments is necessary for safeguarding purposes, without consent where appropriate.

Processing for Limited Purposes

Personal data will only be processed for the specific purposes notified to the data subject when the data was first collected or for Safeguarding and any other purposes specifically permitted by the Act.

Adequate, Relevant and Non-Excessive Processing

Personal data will only be collected to the extent that it is required for the specific purpose notified to the data subject or for Safeguarding and any other purposes specifically permitted by the Act.

Accurate

Personal data will be accurate and kept up to date. Information which is incorrect or misleading is not accurate and steps will therefore be taken to check the accuracy of any personal data at the point of collection and at regular intervals afterwards. Inaccurate or out-of-date data will be destroyed.

Timely Processing

Personal data will not be kept longer than is necessary for the purpose. This means that data will be destroyed or erased from our systems when it is no longer required for our purposes or for legal or Safeguarding reasons.

Data Security

The Act requires us to put in place procedures and technologies to maintain the security of all personal data from the point of collection to the point of destruction. Personal data will only be transferred to a third-party data processor if he agrees to comply with those procedures and policies, or if he puts in place adequate measures himself.

Maintaining data security means guaranteeing the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the personal data, defined as follows:

• Confidentiality means that only people who are authorised to use the data can access it.
• Integrity means that personal data should be accurate and suitable for the purpose for which it is processed.
• Availability means that authorised users should be able to access the data if they need it for authorised purposes. Personal data will therefore be stored on our central computer system instead of individual PCs.

G-map premises security procedures include:

• Entry controls. Access to our premises is electronically controlled.
• All files are kept in secure lockable desks and cupboards.
• Methods of disposal. Paper documents are shredded. Digital data is electronically deleted or physically destroyed when no longer required.
• Equipment. Data users ensure that individual monitors do not show confidential information to passers-by and that they log off from their PC when it is left unattended.

Providing Information over the Telephone

Staff dealing with telephone enquiries are careful about disclosing any personal information held by the Company. They:

• Check the caller's identity to make sure that information is only given to a person who is entitled to it.
• Suggest that the caller put their request in writing if they are not sure about the caller's identity and where their identity cannot be checked.