Privacy Statement
Birmingham Peoples Centre
Privacy Statement
Birmingham Peoples Centre
Privacy Statement
The Birmingham Peoples Centre (BPC) is a not-for-profit organisation that provides employment advice to people experiencing work related problems. We assist people who are employed or if they have been dismissed. We only act for employees. The issues we advise on include; raising a grievance, preparing for a disciplinary hearing, discrimination in the work place, failure to pay wages, unfair dismissal, the potential value of an employment tribunal claim and settlement agreements. We can provide initial advice over the phone, by email or in person. The Centre undertakes casework on behalf of clients and provides representation at the Employment Tribunal. Our services are free but to help us meet our expenses we engage in fund raising activities including asking clients to make a donation.
When you request our service we will collect some personal information about you, including your contact information: your name, address, contact telephone numbers, your email address and also your gender and date of birth. We require this information for a number of different reasons including, communicating with you as we provide our service to you, communication on your behalf with third parties, reporting and research purposes and for marketing and funding raising activities.
In certain circumstances (for example in your legal matters) we will need to deal with what is known as ‘special category personal data’ about you. This is personal data revealing any of the following: racial or ethnic origin; political opinions; religious or philosophical beliefs; trade union membership; genetic or biometric data; information concerning health, sex life or sexual orientation. If we need to process this kind of data about you, we will ask for your consent.
The Birmingham Peoples Centre (BPC) has created this Privacy Statement under the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulations 2018. The statement is for your information and it covers how we collect, use, disclose, transfer and store your personal data.
Introduction and General Terms
The BPC is committed to protecting your personal information when you are using BPC services. We want our services to be safe, transparent, and reliable. For the purpose of the data protection legislation and this notice, we are the ‘data controller’. This means we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use personal data about you. This Privacy Statement relates to our use of any personal information we collect from you.
It also relates to our use of any personal information you provide to us by phone, SMS, email, in letters and other correspondence and in person.
To provide you with the full range of BPC services, we sometimes need to collect information about you.
This Privacy Statement explains the following:
- What information BPC may collect about you
- How BPC will use information we collect about you
- When BPC may use your details to contact you
- Whether BPC will disclose your details to anyone else
- Your choices regarding the personal information you provide to us
BPC is committed to safeguarding your personal information. Whenever you provide such information, we are legally obliged to use your information in line with all applicable laws concerning the protection of personal information, including the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulations 2018. If you have any concerns or complaints that your personal data held by BPC could have been compromised e.g. someone could have discovered your personal details held by us, please get in touch straight away.
What information will the BPC collect about me?
When you get in touch with us either via email, a telephone call or when you visit us at our office we will collect some personal information about you. This can consist of information such as your name, email address, postal address, telephone or mobile number, gender, date of birth, ethnicity as well as information collected about your employment and workplace related issue or problem.
If we need to process any ‘special category personal data’ about you we will ask for your consent.
How will the BPC use the information it collects about me?
BPC will use your personal information for a number of purposes including the following:
Ensuring that we have accurate information so that we may communicate with you and keep you updated of developments as we provide our service to you, to communicate on your behalf with third parties.
Ensuring that we have consent and that we hold accurate information so that we may contact you at a future date for the purposes of quality control, surveys or other research purposes and for fund raising and marketing
Ensuring that we have accurate information for internal reporting, for example, reporting to our Board of Trustees, or reporting to our funders or other interested stakeholders
To comply with legal or regulatory obligations
When will the BPC contact me?
The BPC may contact you:
In relation to any correspondence we receive from you or any other parties involved in your case, for example your employer or their legal representative, or about any comment or complaint you make about the services BPC provides
In relation to any financial contribution you have made to the BPC, e.g. if you have donated money to the BPC through our website or set up a standing order with us
To invite you to participate in surveys about the BPC service
For reporting, research and marketing purposes
Will I be contacted for marketing purposes?
The BPC will only send you marketing emails or contact you where you have agreed to this by giving us your consent. From time to time we may also contact you to ask your views about the service BPC has provided to you. We may personalise the message content based upon any information you have provided to us.
If you want to stop all personalised messages from the BPC, including targeted marketing messages you can contact us at any time (our contact details are set out below) and instruct us to stop. We will, of course, stop. You can also opt out of receiving promotional communications at any time by using the ‘unsuscribe’ link in emails.
Will the BPC share my personal information with anyone else?
We will keep your information within BPC except where disclosure is required or permitted by law (for example to government bodies and law enforcement agencies) or where you have consented to us sharing your information with other parties involved in your case, including, for example, your employer or their legal representative, ACAS and the Employment Tribunal Service
Generally, we will use your information within BPC and will only share it outside BPC where you have requested it via a data portability request, or given your consent. The BPC requires all third parties to comply strictly with its instructions and BPC requires that they do not use your personal information for their own business purposes and only use your information for reasons associated with your case.
We may also have to share your data with suppliers who support our IT. We only allow our service providers to handle your personal data if we are satisfied that they take appropriate measures to protect your personal data.
How long will BPC keep my information?
We will hold your personal information on our systems for as long as is necessary for the purpose of your case and for any legal requirements. It is anticipated that we will hold your personal information for a period of 7 years, this is a legal requirement which we have to meet.
Can I delete my data?
You can always ask for your information to be deleted by BPC by contacting us using the contact details below. However, please bear in mind that we are required to hold your information for a minimum period of 7 years for legal reasons.
Deleting the information BPC holds about you will erase any personal information we have about you and it will mean any data we hold about how you have used the BPC will be made anonymous.
Can I find out what personal information the BPC holds about me?
Under the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulations 2018 you have the right to request a copy of the personal information BPC holds about you and to have any inaccuracies corrected. (We require you to prove your identity with 2 pieces of approved identification). We will use reasonable efforts consistent with our legal duty to supply, correct or delete personal information about you on our files. Please address requests and questions about this or any other question about this Privacy Statement to the Data Protection Officer, Birmingham Peoples Centre, Room 118, Gazette Buildings, 168 Corporation Street, Birmingham B4 6TF or e-mail us on; trevor@bhampc.co.uk
We will need two copies of forms of identification, which can be:
- Passport
- Driving licence
- Birth certificate
- Utility bill (from last 3 months)
- Current vehicle registration document
- Bank statement (from last 3 months) 7
Web browser cookies
- a) What is a Cookie?
A cookie is a small amount of data, which often includes a unique identifier that is sent to your computer, tablet or mobile phone (all referred to here as a "device") web browser from a website's computer and is stored on your device's hard drive. Each website can send its own cookie to your web browser if your browser's preferences allow it. Many websites do this whenever a user visits their website in order to track online traffic flows. Similar technologies are also often used within emails to understand whether the email has been read or if any links have been clicked.
The BPC does not use cookies or other unique identifiers when you visit the BPC website.
- b) Other information collected from web browsers
Your web browser may also provide the information about your device, such as an IP address and details about the browser that you are using.
The BPC does collect information such as you’re the device you are using, your IP address or the browser you are using.
Do Not Track (DNT) browser setting
DNT is a feature offered by some browsers which, when enabled, sends a signal to websites to request that your browsing is not tracked, such as by third party ad networks, social networks and analytic companies.
The BPC website does not respond to DNT requests.
Changes to the BPC Privacy Statement
This Privacy Statement may be updated from time to time so you may wish to check it each time you submit personal information to the BPC. If you do not agree to any changes, please do not continue to use the BPC website or submit personal information to BPC. You can also delete your personal data that BPC holds at any time – (Subject to any legal reasons we may have to keep some of the data we hold about you). If material changes are made to the Privacy Statement, for instance affecting how we would like to use your personal information, we will provide a more prominent notice (including, for certain services, email notification of Privacy Statement changes).
Sharing of your data with others
As part of the service that we provide it may be necessary to share information we hold about you we third parties, for example, your employer, or their legal representative, ACAS and the Employment Tribunal Service. Before we share any information we hold about you with any third party we will gain consent off you. If you do not want us to share your personal information with any third party please let us know immediately.
You also have the right to ask us to share your personal data with anyone you wish. To exercise this right to data portability please write to us, giving full details, using the details provided at section 14 of this statement.
Contacting the BPC about this Privacy Statement
If you any questions or comments about the BPC Privacy Statement please contact:
The Data Protection Officer
Room 118
The Gazette Buildings
168 Corporation Street
Birmingham, B4 6TF
Tel: 0121 633 1224
Email: trevor@bhampc.co.uk
Making a complaint
We hope that we can resolve any query or concerns you may have and want to raise with us using the contact details above. If you are not satisfied with how we handle any query or concern that you raised with us, you may lodge a complaint with the ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office). The ICO can be contacted by the following means:
Website: https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Postal address: ICO, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.
Updated January 2021