Privacy

Personal information

What is personal information?

Personal information can be anything that identifies and relates to a living person. This can include information that when put together with other information can then identify a person. For example, this could be your name and contact details. 

What is special (sensitive) information?

Some information is ‘special’ and needs more protection due to its sensitivity. It’s often information you would not want widely known and is very personal to you. This is likely to include anything that can reveal your:

  • sexuality and sexual health
  • religious or philosophical beliefs
  • ethnicity
  • physical or mental health
  • trade union membership
  • political opinion
  • genetic/biometric data
  • criminal history

Why does the Council need your personal information?

We may need to use some information about you to:

  • deliver services and support to you;
  • manage those services we provide to you;
  • train and manage the employment of our workers who deliver those services;
  • help investigate any worries or complaints you have about your services;
  • keep track of spending on services;
  • check the quality of services; and
  • to help with research and planning of new services.

How the law allows us to use your personal information.

There are a number of legal reasons why we need to collect and use your personal information. Generally we collect and use personal information in the circumstances where:-

  • you, or your legal representative, have given consent
  • you have entered into a contract with us
  • it is necessary to perform our statutory duties
  • it is necessary to protect someone in an emergency
  • it is required by law
  • it is necessary for employment purposes
  • it is necessary to deliver health or social care services 
  • you have made your information publicly available
  • it is necessary for legal cases
  • it is for the benefit of society as a whole
  • it is necessary to protect public health
  • it is necessary for archiving, research, or statistical purposes

If we have consent to use your personal information, you have the right to remove it at any time. If you want to remove your consent, please contact either FOI@harborough.gov.uk or complaints@harborough.gov.uk and tell us which service you’re using so we can deal with your request.