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Legal services privacy notice

1 Council Contact Details

1.1 West Northants Council
Registered Office:
One Angel Square
Northampton
NN1 1ED

Tel: 0300 126 7000

www.westnorthants.gov.uk

2 Information that we hold

2.1 West Northants Council operates an in-house Legal Services department. We also source Legal Services via Pathfinder and North Northants Legal Services Team (known collectively as Legal Services). We collect and process a variation of the following categories of information across all types of cases managed by Legal Services. The categories of data processed will depend on the type of legal case involved:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Date/s of birth
  • Marital status
  • Contact details such as telephone number/s; email address/es
  • Bank details
  • Financial information or payment details
  • National Insurance Number and proof of identity
  • Employment data
  • Circumstantial information
  • Case information which may include special category data such as:
  • Gender
  • Medical or health information
  • Trade union membership details
  • Criminal convictions or proceedings

3 How the information is obtained

3.1 When we carry out tasks such as: the arrangement of contracts; conveyancing matters; prosecutions or litigation, some of the information we process is provided by you directly to our Legal Services Team.

However most of the information we process, in addition to that provided by you, may have been supplied by other sources such as: another department within the council from which we have received instructions; third party complainants; partners or suppliers working on behalf of the council; parties to the legal case or proceedings.

3.2 There are a number of reasons why we need to collect and use your personal information. Generally, we collect and use personal information where:

  • it is necessary to meet our legal obligations;
  • you have requested a service from us;
  • you have entered into a contract with us;
  • it is required for the defense or prosecution of legal cases;
  • it is necessary for law enforcement reasons and to prevent, and detect fraud or crime

The legal basis for processing your data is Article 6.(c) as there is a statutory obligation placed upon the Council to use it in this way. In other cases the Council has a legal power or duty to carry out a task in the public interest under Article 6.1(e) which is supported in legislation or common law in the following areas, including but not limited to:

  • Adult Social Care
  • Childcare
  • Employment
  • Education
  • Litigation
  • Commercial
  • Social Housing
  • Property
  • Planning
  • Regulatory
  • Highways
  • Environmental
  • Local Government
  • Coronial
  • Judicial Review
  • Information Law

We rely on Article 9.2(f) when processing any special category data for the purposes of a task carried out in substantial public interest, or Article 9.2(f) where processing is necessary to defend a legal claim.

4 What we do with the information

4.1 We use the information that you have given us to carry out one or more of the following actions in relation to our Legal Services tasks:

  • Contact you in relation to a case
  • Monitor RIPA authorisations
  • Provide legal advice to other teams within the council
  • Manage legal cases eg. prosecutions, other enforcement action, litigation on behalf of the council, or the defence of a case against the council
  • Handle the acquisition or disposal of commercial property
  • Deal with contracts and procurement
  • Process landlord and tenant matters such as evictions or purchases under The Right to Buy
  • Provide advice or progress various matters under children and family law eg. matters relating to Adoption and/or Fostering cases
  • Handle Planning and Highways matters
  • Provide advice and guidance in relation to Adult Social Care or Health matters
  • Deal with disputes involving the Council
  • Source Legal Services or specialist legal advice through a supplier such as Pathfinder or North Northants Legal Services Team.

4.2 We may share your information with other departments within the council. We may also share personal information with the following parties where the law permits – this list is not exhaustive and there may be other third parties with whom we share your data to allow us to fulfil the legal obligations of the council:

  • The Police and other enforcement agencies
  • Prosecution Courts
  • External solicitors/conveyancers/barristers
  • HMRC
  • Parties to proceedings
  • Office of the Official Solicitor and Public Guardian, CAFCASS and other local authorities or Parish Councils
  • Highways England
  • Coroner’s Inquests
  • The Land Registry
  • The National Health Service or Clinical Commissioning Groups
  • Tribunal Service
  • Government agencies or other regulatory authorities
  • Solicitors, barristers or other professionals acting on behalf of the Council
  • Pathfinder or North Northants Legal Services team, which carry out some legal services on behalf of the council under contract
  • The Children’s Trust, Northamptonshire

5 How long we keep your information for and how we securely dispose of it after use

5.1 We keep your personal information for the purpose of Legal Services only as long as is necessary and in line with the council’s retention schedules, which are available on our website.

5.2 We will securely dispose of your information in line with the council's retention schedules.

6 How we store your information

6.1 Your information is securely stored on the council’s management systems in electronic format. Some legal case files are also stored in hard copy format which are retained in secure filing cabinets accessible only to authorised staff.

7 Your data protection rights

7.1 The law gives you a number of rights to control what personal information is used by us and how we can use it. Please see section 15 of the council’s Privacy Policy for further information. This is available on our website.

7.2 Please be aware that your rights may differ depending on the lawful basis for processing your personal data.

8 Who to contact

8.1 If you would like further information about how we use your personal information, or you wish to exercise one of your data rights or you wish to complain about the use of your personal information please contact the Data Protection Officer.

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: 01604 838536

Or you can write to:
Data Protection Officer
West Northants Council
One Angel Square
Angel Street
Northampton
NN1 1ED

8.2 If you are still dissatisfied with how we have used your data once you have made a complaint through the council’s Data Protection Officer, you have the right to refer the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office whose contact details are below:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

Email: [email protected]

9 Changes to this privacy notice

9.1 Privacy notices are live documents, which will be updated or revised in line with legislation.

Last updated 06 July 2023