Data Protection Policy

CENTRE STAGE SCHOOL OF DANCE AND PERFORMING ARTS

DATA PROTECTION POLICY

Introduction

Centre Stage needs to gather and use certain information about individuals.

These can include customers, suppliers, business contacts, employees and other people the organization has a relationship with or may need to contact.

Why this policy exists

This data protection policy ensures Centre Stage

Complies with data protection law and follow good practice
Protects the rights of staff, customers and partners
Is open about how it stores and processes individuals’ data
Protects itself from the risks of data breach

Data protection law

The data protection act 1998 describes how companies/organisations – including Centre Stage – must collect, handle and store personal information.

These rules apply regardless of whether data is stored electronically, on paper or on other materials.

To comply with the law, personal information must be collected and used fairly, stored safely and not disclosed unlawfully.

The Data Protection Act is underpinned by eight important principles. These say that personal data must:

Be processed fairly and lawfully
Be obtained only for specific, lawful purposes
Be adequate, relevant and not excessive
Be accurate and kept up to date
Not be held for any longer than necessary
Processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects
Be protected in appropriate ways
Not be transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA), unless that country or territory also ensures an adequate level of protection

People, risks and responsibilities

Policy scope

This policy applies to

The head office of Centre Stage
All staff and volunteers of Centre Stage
All contractors, suppliers and other people working on behalf of Centre Stage

It applies to all data that the organization holds relating to identifiable individuals, even if that information technically falls outside of the Data protection Act 1998. This can include:

Names of individuals
Postal addresses
Email addresses
Telephone numbers
… plus any other information relating to individuals

Data protection risks

This policy helps to protect Centre Stage from some very real data security risks, including:

Breaches of confidentiality. For instance, information being given out inappropriately
Failing to offer choice. For instance, all individuals should be free to choose how the organisation uses data relating to them
Reputational damage. For instance, the organization could suffer if hackers successfully gained access to sensitive data

Responsibilities

Everyone who works for or with Centre Stage has some responsibility for ensuring data is collected, stored and handled appropriately.

Each team that handles personal data must ensure that it is handled and processed in line with this policy and data protection principles

However, these people have key areas of responsibility:

The Principal is ultimately responsible for ensuring that Centre Stage meets its legal obligations

The Principal, Zoe Mather, and Assistant Principal, Laura Jones, are responsible for:

Staying updated about data protection responsibilities, risks and reviews
Reviewing all data protection procedures and related policies, in line with an agreed schedule
Arranging data protection training and advice for the people covered by this policy
Handling data protection questions from staff and anyone else covered by this policy
Dealing with requests from individuals to see the data Centre Stage holds about them (also called ‘subject access requests’)
Checking and approving any contracts or agreements with third parties that may handle the organisation’s sensitive data
Ensuring all systems, services and equipment used for storing data meet acceptable security standards
Performing regular checks and scans to ensure security hardware and software is functioning properly
Evaluating any third-party services the organization is considering using to store or process data. For instance, cloud computing services
Approving any data protection statements attached to communications such as emails and letters
Addressing any data protection queries from journalists or media outlets like newspapers
Where necessary, working with other staff to ensure marketing initiatives abide by data protection principles.

General Staff Guidelines

The only people able to access data covered by this policy should be those who need it for their work
Data should not be shared informally. When access to confidential information is required, employees can request it from their line manager
Centre Stage will provide training to all employees to help them understand their responsibilities when handling data
Employees should keep all data secure, by taking sensible precautions and following the guidelines below
In particular, strong passwords must be used and they should never be shared
Personal data should not be disclosed to unauthorized people, either within the company or externally
Data should be regularly reviewed and updated if it is found to be out of date. If no longer required, it should be deleted and disposed of
Employees should request help from their line manager or the data protection officer if they are unsure about any aspect of data protection

Data storage

These rules describe how and where data should be safely stored. Questions about storing data safely can be directed to the IT manager or data controller.

When data is stored on paper, it should be kept in a secure place where unauthorized people cannot see it.

These guidelines also apply to data that is usually stored electronically but has been printed out for some reason:

When not required, the paper files should be kept in a locked drawer or filing cabinet
Employees should make sure paper and printouts are not left where unauthorized people could see them, like on a printer
Data printouts should be shredded and disposed of securely when no longer require

When data is stored electronically, it must be protected from unauthorized access, accidental deletion and malicious hacking attempts:

Data should be protected by strong passwords that are changed regularly and never shared between employees
If data is stored on removable media (like a CD or DVD), these should be kept locked away securely when not being used
Data should only be stored on designated drives and servers, and should only be uploaded to approved cloud computing services
Servers containing personal data should be sited in a secure location, away from general office space
Data should be backed up frequently. Those backups should be tested regularly, in line with the organisation’s standard backup procedures
Data should never be saved directly to laptops or other mobile devices like tablets or smart phones
All servers and computers containing data should be protected by approved security software and a firewall

Data use

Personal data is of no value to Centre Stage unless the organization can make use of it. However, it is when personal data is accessed and used that it can be at the greatest risk of loss, corruption or theft:

When working with personal data, employees should ensure the screens of their computers are always locked when left unattended
Personal data should not be shared informally. In particular, it should never be sent by email, as this form of communication is not secure
Data must be encrypted before being transferred electronically.
Personal data should never be transferred outside of the European Economic Area.
Employees should not save copies of personal data to their own computers. Always access and update the central copy of any data.

Data accuracy

The law requires Centre Stage to take reasonable steps to ensure data is kept accurate and up to date.

The more important it is that the personal data is accurate, the greater the effort Centre Stage should put into ensuring its accuracy.

It is the responsibility of all employees who work with data to take reasonable steps to ensure it is kept as accurate and up to date as possible.

Data will be held in as few places as necessary. Staff should not create any unnecessary additional data sets
Staff should take every opportunity to ensure data is updated. For instance, by confirming a customer’s details when they call
Coda Music Trust will make it easy for data subjects to update the information Coda Music Trust holds about them. For instance, via the company website
Data should be updated as inaccuracies are discovered. For instance, if a customer can no longer be reached on their stored telephone number, it should be removed from the database

Subject access requests

All individuals who are the subject of personal data held by Centre Stage are entitled to:

Ask what information the organization holds about them and why
Ask how to gain access to it
Be informed how to keep it up to date
Be informed how the organisation is meeting its data protection obligations

If an individual contacts the organization requesting this information, this is called a subject access request.

Subject access requests from individuals should be made by email, addressed to the Principal or Assistant Principal at enquiries@centrestagedance.org

The Principal or Assistant Principal /data controller will aim to provide the relevant data within 14 days.

The Principal or Assistant Principal /data controller will always verify the identity of anyone making a subject access request before handing over any information.

Disclosing data for other reasons

In certain circumstances, the Data Protection Act allows personal data to be disclosed to law enforcement agencies without the consent of the data subject.

Under these circumstances, Centre Stage will disclose requested data. However, the data controller will ensure the request is legitimate, seeking assistance from the board and from the organisation’s legal advisers where necessary.

Providing information

Centre Stage aims to ensure that individuals are aware that their data is being processed, and that they understand: