Privacy Policy

Please contact the Data Protection Team if you need help in understanding this information,

telephone number: 01872 326424
email: dataprotection@cornwall.gov.uk

The information you provide to Cornwall Council is controlled by Cornwall Council, New County Hall, Treyew Road, Truro TR1 3AY. Data Protection Registration Number: Z1745294

How we use your information

We collect, use, and share personal information in many ways. We collect information online, on paper, by email, telephone, CCTV or in person in different departments across the Council.

We collect, use, hold and share where necessary, information for the following purposes:

to deliver the service that you requested.
to communicate with you about the service you requested.
to provide services appropriate to your needs.
to track our performance in responding to your request.
to ensure we meet our legal obligations.
to prevent and detect fraud or crime.
for law enforcement functions, like trading standards, planning enforcement, licensing, and other enforcement.
to manage financial payments, grants, benefits, and invoices, for the council or when we are acting for other government bodies.
to conduct research and surveys and to analyse statistical data so we can plan the provision of services.
where necessary to protect individuals from harm or injury.
to fulfil our duty to improve the health of the population of Cornwall. We use data and information from a range of sources including birth or death registrations.
where you have consented to the processing.
where otherwise permitted under Data Protection legislation.

Lawful basis for processing

There are several lawful bases we rely upon to process data for the above purposes. They include:

Article 6(1)(a) consent – where you have consented to the processing.
Article 6(1)(b) contract – where there is a contract to process your personal data.
Article 6(1)(c) legal obligation – where we must comply with legislation.
Article 6(1)(d) vital interests – where it is necessary to protect individuals from harm or injury.
Article 6(1)(e) public task – where it is necessary for us to perform a task in the public interest or for or official functions.

These apply to information we collect about:

Service provision
Visitors to our websites
Providing information to individual services online
Use of cookies
Use of the council website’s search engine
Security of information
People who contact us via social media
People who call our helpline
People who email us
People who use our LiveChat service
Your rights
Complaints and queries
Access to personal information
Disclosure of personal information

For more information, please see each service’s specific privacy policies which apply to our different business areas.

How long we store your personal data

Each service stores personal data in line with the Council’s retention and disposal schedule. Specific information relating to retention periods are detailed in each services’ privacy policies.

Information we collect about visitors to our websites

We use Google Analytics to collect internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify anyone. We do not make, and do not allow Google to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website. If we do want to collect personally identifiable information through our website, we will be clear about this. We will make it clear when we collect personal information and will explain what we intend to do with it.

Information individual services collect online

We will always provide you with a detailed privacy notice when you provide information to request a service. Please make sure that you read the information so you are aware of how we will process your information.

How we use cookies

You can read more about how we use cookies on our Cookies page.

Information collected by our search engine

We log queries and results anonymously to help us improve our website and search functionality. We do not collect user-specific data and neither do any third parties.

Information about people who contact us via social media

We use a third-party provider, Hootsuite to manage our social media interactions. If you send us a private or direct message via social media, the message is stored by Hootsuite for three months. It will not be shared with any other organisations.

Information about people who contact our Contact Centre via telephone using a mobile telephone

We store mobile telephone numbers for up to 7 days so that we can send you text message providing a link to an online customer satisfaction survey. You can opt out of receiving these text messages. If you choose to opt out we will hold your number for the duration that your opt out is in place, this is to ensure that we uphold your wishes.

Information about people who contact us via Textphone/minicom

If you are a textphone (minicom) user, please contact us using Text Relay by dialling 18001 before the number you are calling.

Text Relay assisted calls are charged at your telecommunication provider’s normal rates.

Please dial 0800 500 888 from a textphone for help or visit https://www.relayuk.bt.com/.

Call and Screen Recording Policy

We use our telephone system to log the telephone number of incoming and outgoing calls unless the number is withheld by the caller. We process this information in statistical form as performance data in order shape and improve our service to the public. We store this information for two years to protect the Council and members of the public in the event of a complaint or criminal activity .

Please read our Call and Screen Recording Policy for more information about this.

Web chat bot

Our virtual agent is available on some pages across the Cornwall Council website to provide support to our customers with signposting.

Please do not enter any personal data with the chatbot.

The chatbot is designed to provide answers based on your replies to certain topics which are pre-set.

Our virtual agent is provided by Microsoft and is hosted by Microsoft Azure within our secure servers.

Our chat bot will capture the content of this conversation and this information is used to improve the service in the future

The council will hold the data from each conversation for six months.

Your rights

Your personal information belongs to you and you have the right to:

be informed of how we will process it
request a copy of the information we hold about you. You can ask to receive it in an electronic format if you wish. If you provided this to us electronically for automated processing, we will return it in the same way.
have it amended if it is incorrect or incomplete
have it deleted (where we do not have a legal requirement to retain it)
withdraw your consent if you no longer wish us to process (if applicable)
restrict how we process it
object to us using it for marketing or research purposes
object to us using it in relation to a legal task or in the exercise of an official authority
request that a person reviews an automated decision where it has had an adverse effect on you

Please read the Data Protection pages for more information about your data rights. Information is also available about the National Data Opt Out. Please contact the Council’s Data Protection Officer if you have any questions about how we process your information. Please email: dataprotection@cornwall.gov.uk.

How you can exercise your rights

Please contact Data Protection Officer Cornwall Council County Hall Truro TR1 3AY Tel: 01872 326424 Email: dpo@cornwall.gov.uk

to request copy of the information we hold about you, or
to tell us any concerns you have about the way we have processed your information

What to do if you don’t agree with something

We would prefer any complaints to be made to us initially so that we can see if we can put things right.

Please contact the Information Commissioner’s Office Tel No. 0303 123 1113 https://ico.org.uk/concerns/ if you are unhappy with the way we have processed your information.