1.0       Rights and Equality West Midlands will fulfil its obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 by registering with the Data Protection Registrar. 

2.0              In the course of its work, Rights and Equality West Midlands is likely to hold personal data, being information about living or identifiable individuals (such as, people’s names and addresses), which are processed by computer or other technology.

3.0              In the terms of the Act, if Rights and Equality West Midlands holds such data, then it is a data user, controlling the contents and use of a collection of personal data.

4.0              Rights and Equality West Midlands understands that data users who should register, but do not, are committing a criminal offence, as are those operating outside the descriptions contained in their register entry.

5.0              Rights and Equality West Midlands will ensure that the personal data that it holds are:

5.1              obtained and processed fairly and lawfully.

5.2              held for the lawful purposes described in the data user’s register entry.

5.3              used for those purposes only and disclosed only to those people, described in the register entry.

5.4              adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purposes for which they are held.

5.5              accurate and, where necessary, kept up-to-date.

5.6              held no longer than is necessary for their registered purposes.

5.7              accessible to the individual concerned who, where appropriate, has the right to have information about her/himself corrected or erased.

5.8              kept secure.

6.0              Rights and Equality West Midlands will register:

6.1              its name and address.

6.2              details of those about whom it holds personal data.

6.3              the purpose for which it uses the data.

6.4              the sources from which it obtained the information.

6.5              the types of organisation to whom it will disclose information.

7.0              In the knowledge of the context of its work in the field of race relations, it will maintain adequate security arrangements to prevent information falling into the wrong hands.

8.0              Rights and Equality West Midlands will allow any member, staff, volunteer or user of its services on whom it holds information to have access to that individual’s personal information, in accordance both with the right of subject access afforded by the Data Protection Act and with Rights and Equality West Midlands’ commitment to openness, extending this right to correct or delete information, where appropriate.

9.0              Persons on whom information is kept (‘data subjects’) will, on enquiry, be shown a copy of the information that Rights and Equality West Midlands holds on them and may formally request a computer printout in a letter, or on a form, of that information, which should be sent to them within 40 days of the request.

10.0          Users of Rights and Equality West Midlands’ complainant aid and other similar services have the right to expect that their records will be held securely and that officers dealing with their case will maintain professional confidentiality.   All referrals will be made with the permission of the client.  The normal requirements of the tribunal or court for proceedings to be held in public will be fully explained.

11.0          Staff and volunteers have the right to expect that information kept on them by Rights and Equality West Midlands will be kept securely and confidentially and that it will only be used by authorised officers in pursuance of Rights and Equality West Midlands’ business.

12.0          Members of Rights and Equality West Midlands have the right to expect that information kept on them will be kept securely and confidentially and will only be used by the honorary officers and staff to assist in the effective running of the organisation.  Personal information will not normally be released to parties, other than the CRE, except with the member’s permission.

13.0          Normally managers will only have sight of the personal records of staff whom they manage, and will treat that information with the utmost discretion, imparting it to others only when it is essential to do so.

14.0          Administrative staff will safeguard the confidentiality of all personal records, only releasing information when instructed to do so by honorary officers or authorised staff.

15.0          Commissioned reports and commissioned work notes on, for example, policy or community development will be considered confidential to, and held confidentially for, the party or parties that commissioned the work unless it or they agree to its publication.