Privacy notice and data protection

This Privacy Notice tells you about what information we collect about you, how we use that information and who we share it with. 

Our core data protection obligations and commitments are set out in the council's privacy notice.

This notice provides additional privacy information for the Channel Panel. 

Who we are and what we do 

The Council has statutory duties under section 36 to 41 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to provide support for people vulnerable to radicalisation. Channel is a programme which focuses on providing support at an early stage to people who are identified as being vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. The programme uses a multi-agency safeguarding approach to protect vulnerable people by: 

• identifying individuals at risk
• assessing the nature and extent of that risk
• developing the most appropriate support plan for the individuals concerned. 

The Council collects, uses and is responsible for certain personal information about you to enable it to carry out its statutory functions as part of Channel. 

What type of personal information do we collect and how do we collect it? 

In the course of delivering our responsibilities under the Channel programme, we collect the following personal information about you, either when you provide it to us or from another member of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Channel Panel: 

• name
• address
• date of birth
• contact details
• relevant family member and associate details
• gender
• first language
• criminal records and conviction data
• lifestyle and social circumstances
• employment and education details
• housing needs (if applicable) 

We also collect the following special category personal data: 

• relevant medical information (if applicable)
• religious beliefs (if applicable)
• relevant Social Care information
• ethnicity
• physical or mental health needs 

We recognise that personal information concerning criminal convictions and offences is not special category personal data but is a very sensitive type of personal information which can only be shared in narrow circumstances. 

What is our lawful basis to obtain and use your personal information? 

It is necessary to process this data both for reasons of substantial public interest and for the discharge of a statutory function which is set out in the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.

The lawful basis for processing your personal information is provided under the UK GDPR Article 6 

1 (e) processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller 

The lawful basis for processing special category data and is provided under Article 9 

2 (g) processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest on the basis of Union or Member State law which shall be proportionate to the aim pursued, respect the essence of the right to data protection and provide for suitable and specific measures to safeguard the fundamental rights and the interests of the data subject 

We process special category and criminal conviction data under the Data Protection Act Schedule 1 part 2 para 6 for reasons of substantial public interest. 

What is your personal information used for? 

We use your personal information to provide tailored support at an early stage to you, with the aim of preventing those vulnerable to radicalisation from being drawn into terrorism or extremism. 

The processing of special category and criminal conviction data plays an important role in putting appropriate support packages in place for individuals potentially vulnerable to the risk of radicalisation. 

Will your personal information be shared? 

As part of the Channel process, personal information is shared in a proportionate way. Relevant information will be sought from other agencies as appropriate to inform our assessment of threat and risk, adopting a safeguarding approach. You will be asked to agree to take part in the Channel process and to any support interventions provided to you. The information will only be shared with relevant agencies. This may include: police, health agencies, Home Office, immigration, probation, prison, armed forces, school, college, or other relevant agencies. 

We will share personal information with law enforcement or other authorities if required to do so by applicable law. 

How do we keep your information secure? 

The security of your personal information is important to us. The records we keep about you are secure and are confidential within the Council. The Council has a range of procedures, policies and systems to ensure that access to your records are controlled appropriately. 

Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to only use the information for the purposes agreed and keep the information secure and confidential. 

How long will we keep your personal information? 

Your data will be stored for 6 years from the date your case is no longer on the programme. Following the closure of your case, all Channel cases are reviewed at 6 months and 12 months. You are no longer on the programme once the 12 month review is complete. Your data will be deleted 6 years from the date of the 12 month review. 

Personal information processed outside of the European Union (EU)? 

We do not process your personal data outside of the EU 

Marketing 

At no time will your information be used or passed to others for marketing or sales purposes, or for any commercial use without your express consent. 

What are your information rights? 

Your Information Rights are set out in the law. Subject to some legal exceptions, you have the right to: 

• request a copy of the personal information the council holds about you
• have any inaccuracies corrected;
• have your personal data erased;
• place a restriction on our processing of your data;
• object to processing.

Please contact us if you have any questions about our privacy policy or information we hold about you. You can contact us via email dpo@kingston.gov.uk or write to us at Data Protection Officer, ​Digital and IT, Royal Borough of Kingston, High Street, KT1 1EU.

You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office about the way we are handling your personal information. Details on how you can do this can be found on the ICO website.