What personal information do we hold?
If you apply to work or volunteer with the OPCC, we ask you to fill in an application form.
The application includes an equal opportunities monitoring form. In addition to forms, the OPCC may also conduct more informal application processes. This may include candidates providing a short personal statement.
As a result, we may collect following:
- Identity data: name;
- Contact details: address, email, telephone number;
- Medical data: sickness absence, disabilities or any reasonable adjustments needed to do the job;
- Equal opportunities information: racial or ethnic origin, mental and physical health, political and religious beliefs, trade union membership, genetic data and information about your sex/orientation. (This information is not required and will not affect your application. The information will not be made available to anyone outside the recruitment team in a way which will identify you. Any information provided will only be used to produce equal opportunities statistics for monitoring purposes.)
- Criminal offence data: details of convictions, arrests and cautions.
The OPCC requires all staff to be vetted by police if they receive a conditional job offer. The vetting form has a separate Privacy Notice. This explains how personal data is processed.
How do we collect personal information?
We collect data from your application form or personal statement sent via email.
Why do we use your personal data?
The OPCC processes your information to assess your suitability for a role.
Why do we use your personal information?
As a prospective staff member, the OPCC needs to process your information to allow us to enter into a contract with you. This applies to all posts apart from the role of Chief Constable. If you are applying to volunteer, we will process your information as part of a legitimate interest.
If you are applying to be Chief Constable, we process your information as part of our official authority and in the public interest. The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 contains the PCC’s specific duty about this.
Why do we use special category data?
The OPCC sometimes processes data about you which is sensitive. This is known as special category data.
As a result, special category data requires higher levels of protection and we must have further justification for collecting, keeping and using it.
We rely on article 9(2)(b) of the GDPR to process special category data, such as health, religious or ethnic information, which form part of your application. This clause relates to our obligations with regard employment as well as safeguarding your fundamental rights. In addition, we rely on article 9(2)(h) to assess your capacity for work as an employee.
Schedule 1 part 1(1) and (2)(a) and (b) of the DPA 2018 relates to processing data for the purposes of employment, assessment of your capacity to work and consideration of any preventative or occupational medicine.
Why do we use information about criminal convictions?
Information about criminal convictions requires higher levels of protection. Therefore, the OPCC needs to have further reasons for collecting, storing and using it.
We only process this data when assessing your application. This is because if we make an offer of employment, successful police vetting is required. Vetting is needed to allow staff to access to police information, equipment, infrastructure and personnel.
The OPCC processes information about criminal convictions because it relates to employment and assessing your capacity for work. Justification of this can be found in Schedule 1 part 1 (1) of the DPA 2018
How do we handle your personal information?
The OPCC handles your personal information according to Part 2 of the UK Data Protection Act 2018. This applies the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) standards for processing ‘general data’.
We store your data securely on our computer and in physical files. Our staff, partners, contractors and volunteers access data when required for a lawful purpose.
The OPCC commits to ensuring personal and sensitive information is accurate, up to date, used only for the purpose intended and protected from inappropriate access.
We regularly review your personal information and assess whether it is lawful for us to continue to keep it. When your information is no longer required for any purpose listed in this notice and there is no longer a lawful reason for processing it, we destroy it safely.
The OPCC is committed to making sure you can find out about your personal information. We want you to be able to access your data and have the right to challenge its accuracy.
Who do we share your personal information with?
We may share your personal information with:
- Cleveland Police HR team (because the OPCC uses its HR department to process applications).
- Cleveland Police Vetting Unit (because it processes police vetting forms).
In addition, we may also share your personal information with other organisations if you are applying for senior OPCC roles or the job of Chief Constable. Those organisations are:
- The Home Secretary (Chief Constable only).
- Cleveland Police and Crime Panel (as they must review all senior appointments).
- The College of Policing (if we use their services to assist in the recruitment process).
- Independent interview panel members (as notified to you in advance).
How do we keep your personal information safe?
The OPCC takes the security of your personal information very seriously.
We use a variety of security measures. They include encryption and access controls. They help us to protect the security, integrity and availability of information. We work hard to maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect information in line with the Act.
Areas, where we store personal information, are restricted to our own and partners’ staff and are only accessible by staff with appropriate identification.
How long will you keep my personal information?
We manage personal information records in accordance with the OPCC’s Retention Schedule.