All elected Waverley councillors need to be registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a Data Controller of personal data. This helps them fulfil their role in helping people who contact them.
How councillors may use your information and with whom might that data be shared?
If you ask a councillor to pursue a matter on your behalf, your information will be used to investigate your concerns. Depending upon the nature of your enquiry, your councillor might need to share your personal and sensitive (special category) personal information with the appropriate party/parties such as other ward councillors, local authorities, government agencies, MPs, public bodies, health trusts and regulators.
If you disclose personal information about someone other than yourself, your councillor might need to check the facts with that other person. If you ask for action to be taken on behalf of a friend or relative, that person may need to be contacted in order to seek their permission for me to act on their behalf. If you feel it would not be appropriate for that person to be contacted, please discuss this with your councillor when you provide their information.
Ward news and events
Councillors might want to send you information about ward news and events, but they are not allowed to do this unless you have previously confirmed that you would like to be sent this information. If you have said that you would like this information, but later change your mind, you can say at any time say that you no longer wish to be sent this information. If you wish to receive or stop receiving this information, please let your councillor know.
What type of personal data might need processed?
- Names
- Addresses
- Email addresses
- Phone numbers
- Date of birth
- National Insurance number
- Details of your issue or complaint
What sensitive (special category) personal data might be processed?
- Ethnicity
- Religious belief
- Political opinions
- Physical and mental health information
- Sexual orientation
- Trade union membership
- Genetic or biometric data
- Criminal records
Lawful basis for processing personal data
The legal bases upon which your personal data might be processed (used) could be either be:
- Consent - you provide your information and explicitly request a Councillor to act on your behalf.
- Protect your vital interests - such as a life or death situation or to protect you from harm, or the vital interests of another person.
- A task in the public interest or where a Councillor is authorised to use your personal information.
- Legitimate interests – your information is processed for legitimate interests, or the legitimate interests of a third party.
Lawful basis for processing special category personal data
- Explicit consent – this will usually be in writing.
- Protect vital interests – when you are unable to give consent and you or someone else is at risk of harm.
- Establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or whenever courts are acting in their judicial capacity.
How long is data kept?
A councillor will process personal data until your enquiry has been resolved. Electronic data and paper records will be kept no longer than is necessary to deal with your enquiry and for no longer than the current term of the office as a Waverley councillor.
More information
For further details about your data rights, how to access your information, how to raise a concern, or how to contact the Council's Data Protection Officer or the Information Commissioner's Office, please refer to our main privacy notice.