Data Compliance
How Can Public Sector Organisations Ensure Data Compliance Standards?
Whether it’s using data to create advantage or improving data access and governance to accelerate data sharing, data management policies are complex. And we’re here to help with free blogs, downloads and a range of courses available online, face-to-face or bespoke for your organisation.
What is Personal Data?
Personal data is any information that an individual can be identified from.
What is the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018?
The Data Protection Act 2018 is a UK law that sets out how personal data must be collected, handled and stored to protect people’s privacy. It also gives individuals the right to know what personal data is held about them and to have that data erased in certain circumstances.
What is GDPR?
The GDPR is Europe’s new framework for data protection laws. It replaces the previous 1995 data protection directive.
What is A Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA)?
A DPIA is a process to help you identify and minimise the data protection risks of a project. It is used for processing high risk information.
What is a Data Protection Officer (DPO)?
A DPO is an independent expert in data protection. They have a duty to monitor internal compliance, inform and advise on data protection obligations, provide advice regarding Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) and act as a contact point for data subjects and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Does The GDPR apply to UK organisations after Brexit?
The UK GDPR is very similar to the EU GDPR, so organisations that comply with the latter are likely to be in compliance with the former.
What is Law Enforcement Processing?
It’s the data protection regime that applies to those authorities that process personal data for law enforcement purposes.
Here’s the facts, recommendations and figures of personal data breaches received by the ICO up to Q2 2022:
Data Protection and Compliance in Healthcare
Healthcare is the most common sector for data security incidents reported, making up to 19% of all incidents between 2019 – 2022 (ICO, 2022). From financial records and health insurance information to patient test results and biometric information, there is a wide spectrum of sensitive data that is more likely to be targeted than less sensitive data.
To protect the sensitive personal data of patients and staff, there are steps healthcare organisations can take:
Keep records of data processing activities
Identify a person responsible for the DPIA (data protection impact assessments)
Appoint a DPO (data protection officer)
Identify the lawful basis for processing
Review your data breach notification policy and procedure
Educate staff on how to protect patient data
Data Protection and Compliance in Education
Education and childcare organisations make up 14% of all data security incidents and rank as second highest for incidents in the UK between 2019 – 2022 (ICO, 2022).
Educational establishments, such as schools, colleges and universities, are often data controllers in their own right.
Steps Education Providers should take:
Data controllers must register and notify the ICO of how they process personal information
When you collect information about a student, child, parent or staff member, you must be clear and transparent about how you intend to use it and have privacy notices established
Assign a Data Protection Officer and a Data Processor
Understand student Subject Access Requests (SARs)
Consider all legal implications of sharing personal information with local authorities, other education providers, different departments or social services
Improve data protection policies and security measures through training to help staff understand how to safely and fairly process personal information
> Data Compliance in Local Government
> Data Compliance in Charities
> Data Compliance in Central Government
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