Legal Advice Centre Privacy Policy
We collect and use information about you to help solve your problems, improve our services and tackle wider issues in society that affect people’s lives.
We normally collect your data when you provide it to us or when it is provided to us by others. You may give us your data by email; through an online enquiry form; over the telephone; face to face; or by post.
We always let you decide what you’re comfortable telling us, explain why we need your information and keep it confidential. When we keep something you tell us, we:
Your rights
Further details relating to these rights are provided below. If you have any queries please contact Eddie Coppinger via email data@legaladvicecentre.london
How will you use my data?
First and foremost, your information will be used to provide you with advice. We also use information in a way that doesn’t directly identify you to understand how different problems are affecting society and to act as a result. We do this by setting up new projects to tackle identified needs.
Where you have given us your contact details, we may contact you to ask you for feedback on the service you received and your overall experience of Legal Advice Centre.
Conditions for Processing Data
We are only entitled to hold and process your data where the law allows us to. The current law on data protection sets out a number of different reasons for which we may collect and process your personal data. These include:
Contractual obligations
The main purpose for our holding your data is to provide you with legal services under the agreement we have with you. This agreement is a contract between us, and the law allows us to process your data for the purposes of performing a contract (or for the steps necessary to enter into a contract).
Legitimate Interests
In specific situations, we require your data to pursue our legitimate interests in a way which might reasonably be expected as part of running the Advice Centre and which does not materially impact your rights, freedom or interests. This may include to satisfy our external quality auditors or our Regulators.
Reasons of substantial public interest
Special category of personal data (ethnicity, religion, health, etc.) is processed for reasons of substantial public interest to ensure equality of opportunity or treatment.
Legal compliance
If the law requires us to, we may need to collect and process your data. For example, we can pass on details of people involved in fraud or other criminal activity.
Consent
In some limited situations, we can collect and process your data with your consent. You will be able to withdraw your consent at any time where this is the case.
When collecting your personal data, we’ll always make clear to you which data is necessary in connection with a particular service.
Where will you store my data?
The record of your case will be stored securely in an electronic case management system used by the Legal Advice Centre. We are responsible for keeping it safe. As part of solving your problem, we might also make written notes, download copies of your case or send emails containing your information. We will make sure any information is stored securely and only accessed when there’s a good reason by staff and volunteers of the Legal Advice Centre.
Where is my data processed?
Your data is stored and processed within the European Economic Area (EEA). If we ever have to share your personal data with third parties and suppliers outside the European Economic Area (EEA) we will seek your specific consent to do so.
The EEA includes all European Union Member countries, and those countries that have specific agreements with the EU, currently these are Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
How long do you keep records for?
We only keep your data for as long as is necessary for the purpose(s) for which it was provided. Normally, we keep records for 6 years following file closure.
For some cases we may decide that it is proper and appropriate to keep data for longer than six years, but we will notify you if we believe that your case falls into this category.
Why might you share my information? Who will you share it with?
We will generally not share information without your permission, unless required to do so by law or in some very limited situations, like to protect you or someone else from serious harm.
Pro Bono Partners
We sometimes share your personal data with our Pro Bono Partners, who are trusted third parties. We only do this where it is necessary for providing you services.
The policy we apply to those organisations to keep your data safe and protect your privacy is as follows:
Audit and Funders
From time to time the Legal Advice Centre has its files audited by the Legal Aid Agency (on legal aid cases) and Recognising Excellence to obtain our Specialist Quality Mark. This is to ensure it continues to provide a high level of service at all times.
In addition, the LAC receives funding from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, they will occasionally review files for quality purposes and to ensure LAC is providing services in accordance with funding objectives. In these circumstances we have agreements in place to make sure your data is kept secure.
LAC also received funding from other bodies who require anonymised data such as postcodes to be provided as part of monitoring, in these circumstances we have agreements in place to make sure your data is kept secure and never provide information which could identify an individual, we will notify you if we believe that your case falls into this category.
Training and Obtaining Qualifications
We sometimes share your personal data with recognised professional qualification bodies, who are trusted third parties. This includes, sharing relevant information with BPP University to enable them to assess our solicitor apprentices en-route to qualifying as a solicitor.
To keep your data safe and protect your privacy, we remove all personal identifying information. You can opt out or withdraw your consent for your data to be shared for this purpose at any time.
What are my rights
You have the right to request:
Subject Access Data Request
You have the right to request a copy of any information about you that we hold at any time, and also to have that information corrected if it is inaccurate.
To ask for your information, please contact the Data Controller Eddie Coppinger on 0203 606 0372 or email data@legaladvicecentre.london
If we choose not to action your request, we will explain to you the reasons for our refusal.
Withdrawing consent
Whenever you have given us your consent to use your personal data, you have the right to change your mind at any time and withdraw that consent.
Where we rely on our legitimate interest
In cases where we are processing your personal data on the basis of our legitimate interest, you can ask us to stop for reasons connected to your individual situation. We must then do so unless we believe we have a legitimate overriding reason to continue processing your personal data.
The Regulator
If you feel that your data has not been handled correctly, or you are unhappy with our response to any requests you have made to us regarding the use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
You can contact them by calling 0303 123 1113.
Or online to www.ico.org.uk/concerns
