Protecting your privacy

Urban Challenge Ltd (trading as Voluntary Centre Services)

 

Introduction

This privacy notice explains the types of personal information we may collect about you when you interact with us. It also explains how we’ll store and handle that information, and keep it safe.

We know there’s a lot of detail here, but we want to make sure you are fully informed about your rights, and how Voluntary Centre Services uses your personal information (data) across all of our services.

We hope the following sections will answer any questions you have, but if not please do get in touch with us.

We will need to update this privacy notice from time to time. We will notify regular customers of any significant changes, but you’re welcome to check it whenever you wish.

 

Who we are

Helping everyone to make a difference

Voluntary Centre Services is the trading name for Urban Challenge Ltd, a registered charity that promotes community development, volunteering and social action.  The charity offers a range of services including:

  • Volunteer Centres that promote local voluntary and community opportunities
  • Information, guidance and skills development for community and voluntary groups
  • Training workshops, networking and other learning opportunities
  • Special projects linked to our core purpose – such as supporting people to develop workplace skills through volunteering or connecting people with community groups to boost wellbeing and health.

For more about our values and what we do, see the ‘About us’ section of our website.

To keep things simple in this notice, ‘we’ and ‘us’ means Voluntary Centre Services and its various projects/services.

 

Why we hold your data 

The law on data protection sets out a number of different reasons for which an organisation may collect and process your personal data.  These are called ‘lawful bases’. 

The lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract

In certain circumstances, we need your personal data to comply with contractual obligations.

For example if you are applying for a paid job or are employed by us.

Public task

In certain circumstances we need to process your personal data to perform a task carried out in the public interest, or on behalf of a public authority.

For example, if you are a participant in a project funded through a government department (such as European Social Fund programmes managed by the Department for Work and Pensions).

Legal obligation

Where the law requires us to, we need to collect and process your data.  

For example, as an employer we have a legal obligation to disclose employee salary details to HMRC.

Legitimate interests

In certain situations, we need your data to deliver our services in a way which might reasonably be expected and which takes into consideration your rights and interests.

For this basis, we need to tell you about the purposes that are part of our ‘legitimate interests’. These purposes include:

  • Providing high quality information, advice, guidance and learning services
  • Ensuring our services and support are tailored to your needs
  • Sharing your data with third parties as appropriate (for example to connect you with volunteering opportunities in another organisation)
  • Involving volunteers in our work
  • Being accountable to third parties such as our funders, donors, supporters and regulatory bodies
  • Fulfilling our charitable purposes and benefiting wider society
  • Monitoring and evaluating the impact of what we do
  • Marketing and public relations
  • Managing risks and protecting the wellbeing and safety of everyone who comes into contact with us
  • Ensuring the efficient administration and operation of our services, including keeping information accurate and up to date

 

What type of data do we collect?

 Personal data means any information relating to an identifiable person.  The following table outlines the kind of personal data we may collect in the course of our services. 

Items in bold are ‘special category data’ or criminal conviction data – we will need your explicit consent to collect and process this information unless another condition* for processing applies. In some cases this information may be required as

 

 

All enquirers, staff, volunteers, customers, partner organisations and other service users

 

  

Name and contact details (usually email address and telephone numbers, and a postal address where necessary)

 
In addition to the above:
 

Staff and volunteers working for us

  

Work  history, skills and experience, criminal record check – only for specific roles, training records, availability, emergency contact details, relevant health information, equality monitoring data such as ethnicity, gender, age, performance and (for staff) payroll information.

 
Customers using the Volunteer Centre to find local information/opportunities Required: Skills, interests and experience, availability.

 

Optional: equality monitoring data such as ethnicity, gender, age.

You may choose to give us other information such as health conditions or criminal convictions in the course of an appointment. We will only share this information with another organisation if you give your explicit consent or another condition* applies.

 
People booking on to training/events Dietary needs, access needs/adaptations, payment information where necessary

 
Participants supported by specific projects

 

 Depending on the nature of the project, data required may include:

NHS/National Insurance (NI) numbers, date of birth, health, wellbeing and social care information, criminal record information, family and lifestyle information, carer / support worker contact details, work, learning and volunteering history, support services used, welfare benefits, equality monitoring data, personal achievements / challenges
 

DBS check service users

 

  

Full names, previous names, address history, identification documentation, place of birth, date of birth, NI number, gender

 

*There are specific conditions for processing special category data and criminal offence data defined in UK law.

 

When do we collect your personal data?

  • When you enquire about any of our services, for example by phone, email, in person, at an event, via social media/direct message or online registration. Online registration could be via an approved third party or other processor, such as Do-it.org, Eventbrite or SimplyBook.me.
  • When you visit the Volunteer Centre to find out about local volunteering opportunities.
  • When you apply to work for us, either paid or as a volunteer
  • When you fill in forms (paper or online) to register for a project, service or event.
  • When you use our information services, for example registering to receive our newsletters, attending a networking event or meeting with our advisors.
  • When you choose to tell us about personal information specific to you which helps us tailor our services to meet your needs.
  • When you provide us with information that enables us to work with your organisation
  • When you take part in research, evaluation or surveys in connection with our services.
  • When you have been referred to us by another organisation, for example the Do-it.org website, local Job Centre, charity/community group, health or social services. In this case we will contact you directly as soon as possible and explain who we are and what we do. We will also explain how we will use your information if you choose to use our services.
  • Our website uses cookies to track visitor progress through the site. This is to assist your navigation of our website whilst you are using it, and does not store any identifiable data about you personally.

                                                                                                                                               

How your data is used/stored

Your data is used to provide you with services that you have requested. It helps us to respond to your queries and communicate with you more effectively. 

It is sometimes necessary for your data to be shared with third parties as part of providing you with an efficient, high quality service, or for external monitoring of our services. Some examples of where your data will be shared with other organisations include:

  • When you apply for volunteering opportunities online we will pass your details directly to the organisations you are interested in
  • When you come to us to find out about local volunteering opportunities, learning or community groups, we can pass your details directly to the organisations you are interested in if you would like us to.
  • When you ask us to help you find community activities or support services through our supported volunteering or social prescribing schemes.
  • When you register for certain services, your data may be processed by an approved third party service or app, for example:
    • Booking an appointment online uses a third party service (simplybook.me)
    • Registering for our events via a third party booking service (Eventbrite)
    • Signing up to receive one of our newsletters, which are created and distributed using Mailchimp.
  • When we are required to share information with project funders, partners or evaluators to ensure we are properly monitored and our services are meeting expected standards.

We take steps to ensure that any digital service providers we use are secure, GDPR compliant and operating in line with UK data protection laws.

We will never sell your data to anyone.

Your data will be stored on secure, password protected databases and may also be kept in paper or electronic filing systems. 

Paper-based filing systems are kept in locked cabinets in secure buildings with restricted access to offices.  Electronic filing systems are kept on a secure server, password-protected and only accessed by authorised personnel in line with their duties and responsibilities.

Databases may be ‘cloud-based’ and managed by third party processors. We take steps to ensure that any providers of such services that we use are appropriately secure, encrypted and compliant with GDPR and UK data protection laws.

 

How long will we keep your personal data?

 We will only keep your personal data for as long as necessary – the length of time will vary depending on the reason you gave us your data in the first place.  Some examples are given in the table below.

We have archiving systems appropriate to each project or service to ensure any data kept is the minimum required to fulfil contractual, legal or safeguarding obligations.  We have regular systems in place for deletion of electronic data and shredding of paper records.

 

Purpose Length of time kept
Using the Volunteer Centre to find out about volunteering opportunities Personal data is kept for no more than 2 years after the last contact we had with you
Newsletters/bulletin mailing lists For as long as you want to receive the bulletins.

You can unsubscribe or change your details at any time by clicking on the link in each bulletin

 

Purpose Length of time kept
Specific projects, such as those funded by Big Lottery, EU or government funding, or charitable trusts Personal data will be kept for the minimum length of time specified by the funding body, except:

·         Where there is no specified time period, personal data within project records will be kept for no more than 5 years after the end of the project.

·         Where projects are working with adults at risk or children/young people. Keeping detailed records is fundamental to good safeguarding practice, so in these cases, project data will be securely archived for the lifetime of project participants.
Using our advice and information services for community organisations Personal data will be kept for no more than 5 years after the last contact we had with you. 
Using the DBS checking service We do not keep a copy of your DBS application form. Your name and the DBS reference number is recorded for invoicing purposes, and securely stored with other financial records for 7 years
Staff and volunteer personnel records We keep a list of names and dates of service as part of our organisational archive.  All other data as part of personnel records will be deleted/shredded within 5 years of your leaving date, except:

·         Financial records are kept for 7 years 

·         References we provide for you are kept for 10 years from your leaving date.

 

Your rights

 

Right to be informed

 This privacy notice informs you about how Voluntary Centre Services will use, store and handle your personal information. We will review it regularly.

Please contact any of our offices via the website, email, phone or in person to make a request in accordance with your rights as explained below.  We may ask you to verify your identity, to ensure that no unauthorised person can access or alter your data.

Contact details for all our offices are on our website at www.voluntarycentreservices.org.uk or phone:

Lincoln – 01522 551683

Sleaford – 01529 308450

Gainsborough – 01427 61347

We will deal with all requests in line with guidance supplied by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Right of access

You can ask to see the personal data we hold about you. 

Right to rectification

You have the right to have inaccurate personal data changed, or completed if it is incomplete.

Right to erasure

You have the right to have your personal data erased in certain circumstances. This right may not apply if there is a legitimate overriding reason why the data should be kept.

Right to restrict processing

You have the right to limit the way we use your personal data if you have a particular reason for wanting the restriction. This will usually be for a limited period of time whilst any issues are resolved.

Right to data portability

This right applies only to personal data provided in specific circumstances and relates mainly to automated processing where you have given your data to a company, for example as a customer of an online banking service

Right to object

You have the right to object to

  • Processing based on legitimate interests or the performance of a task in the public interest
  • Direct marketing
  • Processing for the purpose of scientific/historical research and statistics

You must have an objection on grounds relating to your particular situation, ie not just a general objection.  We will stop processing your data unless there are compelling legitimate grounds which override individual rights/interests or if the processing is for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

Rights relating to automated decision making / profiling

At present, our data processing does not involve automated decision-making or automated profiling.  We will update our privacy information and notify people affected if this changes.

 

 Questions about this privacy information

 If you have any questions about this privacy notice, please contact the Chief Executive in writing or by e-mail.                                        

For more information about your rights, or if you believe that we are processing your personal data in any way that is inconsistent with the law or are not satisfied with responses to any query you raise with us, you may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) telephone helpline on 0303 123 1113 or via the ICO website at https://ico.org.uk/

May 2018