Fair processing notices - Human resources: resourcing

Stoke-on-Trent City Council may operate either as a data processor or data controller (or both) under data protection legislation. We comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) principles when gathering and using personal information as set out in the council's policies and procedures. 

Stoke-on-Trent City Council respects your privacy. Any information you give will be used solely as part of the recruitment and selection process. The information will not be disclosed to an external organisation except where an external organisation is party to the recruitment and selection process, for example externally-funded posts. 

If you are successful the city council is required to undertake various pre-employment checks. Therefore the following information is collected and processed:

• your name, address and contact details, including email address and telephone number
• your date of birth and gender
• the terms and conditions of your employment
• details of your qualifications, skills, experience and employment history, including start and end dates, with previous employers
• information about your remuneration, including entitlement to benefits such as pensions or insurance cover
• details of your bank account and national insurance number
• information about your marital status, next of kin, dependents and emergency contacts
• information about your nationality and entitlement to work in the UK
• information about your criminal record, if you have one
• details of periods of leave taken by you, for example, holiday, sickness absence, family leave and study leave, and the reasons for the leave
• information about medical or health conditions, including whether or not you have a disability for which the council needs to make reasonable adjustments
• equality and diversity monitoring information, for example information about your ethnic origin, sexual orientation and religion or belief

The council may collect this information in a variety of ways. Data might be collected through:

• application forms
• your passport or other identity documents such as your driving licence
• forms completed by you at the start of or during employment (such as benefit nomination forms)
• correspondence with you
• interviews, meetings or other assessments

The council may also collect personal data about you from third parties, such as references supplied by former employers, information from employment background check providers and information from criminal records checks permitted by law.

If you are successful in a job application, your personal data will be stored on your employee record. If you are unsuccessful we will retain your information for a period of time no greater than six months in line with current requirements.

Your personal data may be stored in a range of different locations. The council hold information related to you and your employment in an electronic format in the following (but not limited to) electronic systems:

• PSe (HR/payroll system)
• Resourcelink (HR/payroll system)
• datastore (electronic storage of personal files that is restricted access)
• email
• managers' records
• shared corporate data drive (electronic storage with restricted access)

The council also retains information, in some instances, in a paper based (manual) format both on and off site. 

Your information may be shared internally, including with 

• members of the HR team
• your line manager
• IT staff if access to the data is necessary for performance of their roles 

We may share data with our internal audit team to evaluate the effectiveness of the organisation’s risk management, control and governance processes.  We may also share your data with the council's fraud team to help to prevent and detect fraud.

The resourcing team may also share your personal data with third parties who process data on our behalf. This includes for the following purposes:

• to enable you to apply for other roles within Stoke-on-Trent City Council  
• to provide access to our IT systems 
• fulfil the requirements of a contract
• meet a statutory requirement
• manage the HR and payroll functions. We share personal information with HMRC and the Pensions Fund in line with our statutory obligations and in order to administer your employment records
• manage the recruitment process including obtaining pre-employment references from other employers, obtaining where necessary, employment background checks from third-party providers and in some circumstances obtain a criminal records check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. 
• provide occupational health support and make referrals  
• provide childcare vouchers to those who are eligible
• provide access to external IT systems
• provide apprenticeships and access to training providers 

Certain information, such as contact details, your right to work in the UK and payment details, have to be provided to enable the council to enter a contract of employment with you. If you do not provide this, and other information, as required, this will hinder the Councils ability to administer the rights and obligations arising as a result of our employment relationship with you efficiently.

As a data subject, you have a number of rights. You can:

• access and obtain a copy of your data on request
• require Stoke-on-Trent City Council to change incorrect or incomplete data
• require Stoke-on-Trent City Council to delete or stop processing your data, for example, where the data is no longer necessary for the purposes of processing
• object to the processing of your data (in certain circumstances)

You have the right to know the following:

• what information we intend to collect 
• why we need your information
• the lawful basis under which we can process your information
• how we will process your information
• whether we share your information
• who we might share your information with
• your rights until the law
• how long we will retain your information and how you can contact us
   

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, contact HR in the first instance.

If you wish to have access to your personal data, this should be requested through the information rights team. The information rights team handles subject access requests made by current and past employees.

If you believe Stoke-on-Trent City council has not complied with your data protection rights, please contact Stoke-on-Trent City council’s data protection officer in the first instance.

You can also complain directly to the Information Commissioner's Office.

Information Commissioner's Office website