Making Better Decisions Focus Groups Privacy Notice

1. Introduction

This notice provides additional privacy information regarding the Making Better Decisions Focus Groups.

This Notice was last reviewed in March 2025.

2. Who we are

For the purposes of Data Protection legislation, South Tyneside Council is the Data Controller / Data Processor.

3. What type of personal information do we collect?

We may collect the following types of personal information:

Name
Email address

4. How do we collect personal information?

We may collect your personal information in a number of ways, for example:

Online forms

5. Why do we collect your personal information?

The Knowledge and Intelligence / Policy and Insight team(s) may use your contact details to invite you to a focus group to discuss research, evidence, and impact.

6. Who might we share your personal information with?

We will not share your personal information with any other third parties unless you have specifically asked us to, or if we have a legal obligation to do so.

7. How long will we keep your personal information?

We will hold your personal information for 3 years. At the end of this period, it will be deleted unless there is any special reason for keeping it.

8. What is our legal basis for using your personal information?

To use your personal information there must be a lawful basis to do this, such as, through a contract, performing a public task or where there is a legal obligation.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are:

(a) Your consent. You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting researchqueries@southtyneside.gov.uk.

9. How do we keep your personal information secure?

Information provided via this form is held securely on our network.

Only officers working within the Policy and Insight Team, Public Health Knowledge and Intelligence Team, and system administrators have access to these records.

10. Is your personal information used overseas?

We will not process your personal information outside of the European Economic Area (EEA).

11. What are your rights?

Your individual rights are set out in law. Subject to some legal exemptions, you have the following rights:

Right to be informed
Right of access
Right to rectification
Right to erasure
Right to restrict processing
Right to data portability
Right to object
Rights in relating to automated decision making and profiling

12. Contact us

If you would like to exercise your rights in relation to your personal information, or you feel that something has gone wrong with your personal information, you can contact us in either of the following ways:

By email: data.protection@southtyneside.gov.uk

By telephone: 0191 424 6539

In writing: South Tyneside Council, Information Governance, Town Hall and Civic Offices, South Shields, NE33 2RL

If you feel that the Council has not handled your information correctly you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO is the Government's Independent Body responsible for overseeing data protection. In most cases the ICO will only review cases that have exhausted the Council's internal procedures.

The ICO's contact details are as follows: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF. More information can be found on the ICO's website at www.ico.org.uk.