Ditch the data demon

Data Demon

Data protection - we've all heard about it, but do we really know our responsibilities when it comes to keeping information safe and secure?

We all use information on a daily basis and most of us will come into contact with other people's personal or sensitive data at some point.

Whether that's just names, ages and addresses or highly sensitive details of their medical or social care history, it all needs to be dealt with properly.

These pages give you an overview of what you need to know when working with and handling personal or sensitive information.

Why is it important to look after personal data?

Lost, stolen or leaked data can have serious consequences for the council, our employees and the public.

Recent high profile mistakes that other councils have made include lost USB sticks, confidential information dumped in skips and laptops left on trains.

Privacy breaches can lead to fines, bad press, damaged reputation, loss of trust and for employees possible disciplinary action.

That's why it is in all of our interests to handle data safely. Data privacy is relevant to − and the responsibility of − everyone in Derbyshire County Council.

What is confidential, personal or sensitive information?

Confidential data is information you have about a living person who can be identified either:

(a) just from that data, or

(b) from a combination of that data and other information in your possession. Confidential personal data includes:

  • Name

  • Date of birth

  • Gender

  • Current and previous address

  • Address type (home, rented, temporary)

  • Start date at current address

  • Start and end date at previous address

  • Evening/daytime/mobile telephone numbers

  • email address

  • Preferred language

  • Family relationships

  • Marital status

  • Citizenship

Sensitive personal information

Some personal data is classed as sensitive personal data. Personal data becomes sensitive if it includes any of the following information:

  • Racial or ethnic origin

  • Political opinions

  • Religious beliefs

  • Trade union membership

  • Physical or mental health

  • Sexual orientation

  • Criminal record

This type of information can only be handled under certain circumstances.  

Related documents

The following document is in Portable Document Format (PDF). You can download software to view PDF documents for free from the Adobe website (opens in a new window)

The following documents are in Word format. You can download software to view Word documents for free from the Word viewer page (opens in a new window) of the Microsoft website.

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