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Allowing Access to Personal Data

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The Data Protection Act 1998 gives individuals the right to request access to whatever personal data you might hold on file about them.  Your community group or organisation may be holding personal data as part of a membership database for example or as part of your records on volunteers and/or paid staff.

Personal data is any information which identifies an individual including names, addresses, email addresses and phone numbers. Sensitive personal data includes information about a person’s health, religious beliefs, political opinions, racial or ethnic origins,sexual life or offences/alleged offences.

The individual whose personal details you may hold is the ‘data subject’ and under Data Protection legislation, every data subject has the right to access their data.

Handling requests for Subject Access 

• a request for subject access must be made in writing – your group may choose to respond to a verbal request but you are not obliged to. 
• your group may decide to make a charge (up to £10.00) for access and in this case a request would not be valid until the fee is paid
• you must check the identity of the person requesting access to ensure you only give details to the data subject themselves or a legal representative
• the request must be dealt with promptly and within 40 days maximum

It is helpful to draw up a subject access form including the name of the data subject, the address for reply, any information you need to help you verify their identity or to help you find the record, your fee and a signature. A person can only act on behalf of another if they have the legal power to do so.

Contact the Community Toolkit Editor

Conditions of Use
Last Updated 26/10/2011 15:00

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Contact the Community Toolkit Editor

Conditions of Use
Last Updated 26/10/2011 15:00

_uacct = “UA-829849-2″;urchinTracker();

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