Privacy notice

In striving for enhanced service provision, we may use various tools to process and anonymise your data. This enables us to analyse trends and improve our services.

Some examples include:

• we may capture and anonymise data to improve service provisions
• once data is anonymised, it is no longer considered personal data
• anonymised data may be used for research and statistical purposes, with the aim of improving customer services.

The council uses the information for:

• fulfilling your request for information or services
• as input to improving our website and apps
• to inform you about improvements to our website and apps

Automated decision-making

Wiltshire Council does not usually use automated decision-making in respect to your personal information. If we do make decisions entirely based on an automatic process, we will provide you with an explanation of the decision-making criteria and significance or likely consequences of such data processing.

Contracts

Sometimes the information you are giving us is a statutory or contractual requirement; or a requirement necessary to enter into a contract - if so we will explain at the time we collect that information from you.

Sometimes you are obliged to provide your information, at other times this will be a matter of choice for you. However, failure to provide us with the information we need may result in the council being unable to deliver a full or any service to which you may be entitled simply because we do not have the information needed to do so.

Cookies

A cookie is a collection of information that some websites leave on your computer to identify you if you use or return to the site. We use cookies to make our website easier for you to use. You can remove any cookies already stored on your computer but doing so may prevent you from using parts of our website for example our area based service information or contact page. Find out more about the cookies we use on our Cookies page.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics (GA) to collect statistical data about our visitors and how they use our site so that we can improve our website. The GA cookies collect information in a way that does not form, including the number of visitors to the site, where visitors have come to the site from and the pages they visited.

We collect this information in a way that does not identify you and the data is not shared with anybody else.

Facebook Pixel

Some of our websites employ the Facebook Pixel to help us understand user behaviour and refine our Facebook advertising. This tool anonymously tracks user actions, like page views and purchases, after they interact with our ads on Facebook.

The data helps us to tailor our ads effectively, ensuring they reach and resonate with the right audience. It also enables us to re-engage visitors with targeted ads on Facebook.

We respect user privacy, hence the information is anonymised and used solely for enhancing our advertising efforts. You can manage your ad preferences on Facebook to opt out or learn more about this in our privacy policy.

Data matching

Data matching involves comparing computer records held by one data controller with other computer records held by the same or another controller to see how far they match. This will often involve matching personal information.

Wiltshire Council undertakes data matching, where necessary, for several purposes, to comply with legal requirements placed on the council, including:

• detecting and prevent crime/fraud
• assisting in emergency response management

In addition, further data matching may be undertaken wholly within particular service areas or directorates. Please see the respective service's website for any additional directorate specific privacy policies.

Detection and prevention of crime

Wiltshire Council is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. We process and share the information provided to us for the following purposes:

• Council employee payroll
• Council employee pensions
• electoral register
• student loans
• housing
• supported care (home residents and care home residents)
• transport passes, including residents' parking blue badges
• insurance claimants
• housing and council tax benefits
• licences, e.g. market trader/ operator, taxi driver and personal licences to supply alcohol
• council tax
• leisure
• property (planning, business rates)
• libraries
• information provided by external bodies such as utility companies, credit reference agencies and service providers, including registered social landlords.

The processing and data sharing is to prevent and/or detect potential fraud and crime, by both conducting our own data matching, as well as sharing this information with other public bodies, such as; the Cabinet Office, the Department for Work and Pensions, other Local Authorities, HM Revenues and Customs, the police, as well as utility companies, credit reference agencies and service providers/ contractors and/or partner bodies, where the disclosure of such information is either:

1. necessary for the purposes of the prevention and/or detection of crime; and/or,
2. is otherwise necessary to comply with any other legal obligation.

Computerised data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims, transactions, applications and payments to be identified. Where a match is found and two or more records have contradictory or conflicting information, the inconsistency will require further investigation. No assumption can be made as to whether there is fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out. Regardless, the data matching process is a proven way of helping to ensure that records are up-to-date and accurate.

Fraud prevention

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with fraud prevention agencies who will use it to prevent fraud and money-laundering and to verify your identity. If fraud is detected, you could be refused certain services, finance, or employment. Further details of how your information will be used by us and these fraud prevention agencies, and your data protection rights, can be found at Cifas: Fair Processing Notices for Cifas' Databases (opens new window).

Emergency response management

Data matching may also be used to assist the council in responding to emergencies or major accidents, by allowing the council, in conjunction with the emergency services, to identify individuals who may need additional support in the event of for example, an emergency evacuation.

Equalities

Wiltshire Council may use information about your ethnic background, first language, gender, sexual orientation and age ("equalities data") for the purposes of compiling statistical data about the population of the county at large and the take-up council services by various groups, both to assist in complying with our legal obligations and to assist the council in the effective planning and provision of future services.

Such statistical data or statistical analysis will not allow the identification of any specific individual, nor will it have any impact on any individual's entitlement to council services and facilities.

Such equalities data may also be used to allow the council to provide sufficient assistance where required, for example, to provide translation services or access facilities (e.g. induction hearing loop) where appropriate.

Information sharing and disclosure

Wiltshire Council will not sell or rent your personally identifiable information to anyone or use the data for any other purpose incompatible with the purpose for which it was originally collected.

Wiltshire Council will only share personal information about you when we have a legal basis to do so. We may also use your information in response to subpoenas, court orders or other legal process. We will only hold your information for as long as necessary for these purposes.

Retention Period

Wiltshire Council will process your personal data for the above purposes for no longer than necessary. Full details of our retention schedule may be found on Freedom of Information frequently asked questions.

Single view

Wiltshire Council is working on improving how it provides services to the citizens of Wiltshire.

Single View (SV) is a programme of work collating and sharing specific relevant information between several public authority services within the county the (Police, Fire, Ambulance, NHS Trusts, and GP surgeries).

Each SV data sharing arrangement is agreed by submission of a detailed and specific proposal to meet a distinct and individual need and will enable a significant additional service delivery that otherwise may not be possible. Each SV sharing will only be authorised once compliance with data protection principles has been demonstrated.

Using your personal data

In deciding what personal data to collect, hold and use, the council is committed to ensuring that it will:

• recognise that any personal data handled by Wiltshire Council is held on behalf of that person and that we ensure we respect that responsibility
• adopt and maintain high standards in respect of the handling and use of that personal data
• only collect, hold and use personal data where it is necessary and proportionate to do so
• securely delete any personal data when no longer needed
• keep your personal data secure and safe
• not unnecessarily and without good reason, infringe the privacy of individuals.
• consider and address the privacy risks first when planning to use or hold personal information in new ways, such as when introducing new systems
• be open with individuals about how we use their information and who we give it to
• make it easy for individuals to access and correct their personal information
• ensure that there are effective safeguards and systems in place to make sure personal information is kept securely and does not fall into the wrong hands
• provide training to staff who handle personal information and treat it as a disciplinary matter if they misuse or don't look after personal information properly
• put appropriate financial and human resources into looking after personal information to make sure we can live up to our promises
• regularly check that we are living up to our promises and report on how we are doing

The council may disclose personal data to third parties, but only where it is necessary, either to comply with a legal obligation, or where permitted under the Data Protection Act, e.g. where the disclosure is necessary for the purposes of the prevention and/or detection of crime, or where it is necessary to allow a third party working for or on behalf of the council.

The council will strive to ensure that any personal data in its care will be kept safe and that where your information is disclosed to a third party, Wiltshire Council will seek to ensure that the third party has sufficient systems and procedures in place to prevent the loss of personal data.

Where the council seeks to disclose sensitive personal data, such as medical details, to third parties, we will do so only with your prior express consent or where we are legally required to do.