Approved 04/03/26

SEASCALE PARISH COUNCIL

Candidate Privacy Policy

The privacy and security of your personal data is of the utmost importance to Seascale Parish Council, and we invest heavily in measures that help to protect your data protection rights.

This policy describes how and why we collect, store, process and manage the personal data we hold from you because you are applying to work for us (whether as an employee, volunteer or contractor). The term ‘Personal Data’ refers to any information relating to an identifiable individual or his or her personal identity.

This policy outlines how your data will be processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner. We will ensure that the personal data we process is accurate, adequate, relevant and not excessive, given the purpose for which it was obtained. We will not process personal data obtained for one particular purpose for any unconnected purpose unless the person has agreed to this or would otherwise reasonably expect this.

Seascale Parish Council collects your personal data in connection with your application for work with us.

You have the right to see the data we hold on you, rectify that data and also to request us to delete that data at any time.

1. Introduction

1.1 Seascale Parish Council is defined as the data controller with regard to all of the information contained within this document.

1.2 This Privacy Policy sets out the way in which Seascale Parish Council collects and processes Personal Information of applicants. Seascale Parish Council is registered for the purposes of data protection with the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK (Registration Reference: ZA238880).

1.3 By submitting an application, you acknowledge that you have read, and agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy in relation to processing under legitimate interests.

2. The information we collect

2.1 As part of our selection and appointment of candidates, we collect your Personal Information. “Personal Information” means any information from which you, as a “data subject can be personally identified, including (for example) your name, email address, home address, telephone number, date of birth, employment history, gender, qualifications, information provided during an interview etc

2.2 We may also collect, store and use some more sensitive personal information where it is disclosed to us incidental to the application process.

2.3 We collect your Personal Information when you submit an application, through the use of application forms and when you email us your details. We may also collect information about you from a recruitment agency where this is the method of your application to us.

2.4 In addition, we may collect Personal Information through reference checks which we undertake with your named referees.

3. Your rights as a ‘data subject’

3.1 Under data protection law you retain the following rights over your personal data outlined in paragraph 3.2.

3.2 The right to access the data we hold about you
The right to rectification of any data that is inaccurate or incomplete.
The right to erasure of your data (also known as ‘the right to be forgotten’) The right to restrict processing of your data
The right to data portability
The right to object to the processing of your data
Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling.

3.3 If you exercise your right to be forgotten, or fail to provide personal information when requested, we will not be able to process your application successfully. For example, if we require a credit check or references for this role and you fail to provide us with relevant details, we will not be able to take your application further.

4. How we use your Personal Information

4.1 We will use the personal information we collect about you to:

Assess your skills, qualifications and suitability for the work/role; Carry out background and reference checks where applicable;
Communicate with you about the recruitment process;
Keep records related to our hiring processes;
Comply with our regulatory and legal obligations under applicable laws.

5. Disclosure of your Personal Information

5.1 We may disclose your Personal Information to any of the following recipients

Any contractors or other advisers auditing any of our business processes or who have the need to access such information for the purpose of advising us.
Any data processor which enables us to manage systems or processes as part of any service provision.
Any law enforcement or regulatory body which may have any reasonable requirement to access your Personal Information.

6. Data Sharing & Security

6.1 We will only share your personal information with third parties for the purposes of processing your application. All our third-party service providers and other entities in the group are required to take appropriate security measures to protect your personal information in line with our policies. We only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.

6.2 We have put in place appropriate measures to prevent your personal information from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal information to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need-to-know. They will only process your personal information on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality

7. How long do we keep your data for?

7.1 We will retain your personal information for a period of six months after we have communicated to you our decision about whether to appoint you.

We retain your personal information for that period so that we can show, in the event of a legal claim, that we have not discriminated against candidates on prohibited grounds and that we have conducted the recruitment exercise in a fair and transparent way. After this period, we will securely destroy your personal information in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

7.2 You may obtain a copy of your Personal Information held by us by writing to us at:

Seascale Parish Council, C/O Seascale Library, Gosforth Road, Seascale, Cumbria CA20 1PN

We require up to one month in order to respond to such requests

7.3 Requests for access to your personal data are free of charge.

8. Security

8.1 We use a number of methods to ensure that all personal information remains confidential. We have developed a comprehensive policy for data protection management which is reviewed and updated as necessary.

Seascale Parish Council takes the responsibility of holding personal data very seriously and is happy to receive any queries or concerns you may have. If you believe that we have not adhered to this policy or that your data has been handled in a way which you feel is not in accordance with your wishes then you should write to us using the contact details below.

Seascale Parish Council,
c/o Seascale Library
Gosforth Road
Seascale
Cumbria
CA20 1PN

Alternatively, you may contact the Information Commissioners Officer (ICO) directly who are the body responsible for managing data protection compliance in the UK.

You can contact the ICO at the following address:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF Telephone: 0303 123 1113
casework@ico.org.uk