Ask Warwickshire - Privacy notices

Last updated: 8 September 2021

The following privacy notice applies to surveys, questionnaires and an online space for the sharing of ideas comments and ratings, which collect data using Ask Warwickshire or Discuss Warwickshire. It should be read in addition to the council’s overall Customer Privacy Notice.

Collecting feedback on consultations to inform council-wide improvements and to create safer and stronger communities.

For all surveys, the IP address (your computer or device’s identifier) used to submit answers will be automatically collected but will not be used in any analysis of responses.

Questions for the purpose of equalities monitoring may be included. You do not have to give us this information. If you do provide it, we may use the information to analyse your survey responses against your personal characteristics, such as age, in order to better tailor our services to the needs of our communities.

Where there is a voluntary option to give contact information we may also obtain email address/contact details. You do not need to provide this information. If you choose to do so your details will be kept securely and will only be used for the purposes described when we asked you for them.

In addition to the above, some surveys may process further personal information. Where this is the case you will be informed at the beginning of each survey, including what additional personal information may be processed and for what purpose(s).

All analysed data will be anonymous. Where a survey collects personal data and equalities monitoring data, the two sets of data will not be associated or cross referenced with each other in any way.

The only exception to this, when de-anonymisation will be attempted (if applicable), is when safeguarding concerns are identified. In the event of any potential safeguarding issues being identified, WCC will try to contact the individual concerned and, where deemed necessary, other parties in order to take appropriate action in accordance with our statutory safeguarding duties.

Dialogue - is an online space for the sharing of ideas comments and ratings. User registration on Dialogue is voluntary and requires username, email address and password, Users can select options to enable email notifications, and for contact by the council. As part of registering, Dialogue makes users aware that they confirm that they’ve read, understood and agreed to their Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Moderation Policy. Warwickshire County Council administrators will moderate and manage activities to maintain a ‘safe’ area for participants.

Delib are the providers of the Citizen Space and Dialogue software we use to manage our surveys, questionnaires and challenges. Delib’s privacy policy explains how Delib will collect, safeguard and process your information on behalf of Warwickshire County Council.

We may share (anonymous) information corporately to inform council-wide service improvements.

We may also share anonymous information with other third-party organisations who have been appointed by Warwickshire County Council to analyse and report on feedback or are working in partnership with Warwickshire County Council. The shared information will not include your IP address and will be kept confidential. It will only be used for the purposes of the survey, or challenges you have responded to.

Following the end of a survey or a challenge on Dialogue, we shall publish the results and this may include quotes of comments which will be anonymous.

Information you provide, including personal information in any additional

correspondence in response to consultation and engagement activities, may be disclosed in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act or Environmental Information Regulations. If you want the information that you provide to be treated as confidential, including your contact details, please contact us at askwarwickshire@warwickshire.gov.uk, but be aware that, under under the legislation we cannot always guarantee confidentiality.

In some instances, where stated at the beginning of each survey, information may be exported and shared elsewhere – where this concerns personal information further details should be stated in each applicable survey’s privacy statement.

Information will only ever be shared when it is strictly necessary to help us provide effective services or to prevent the risk of harm to an individual. We will not pass it onto any other parties unless required to do so by law or in all reasonable circumstances the disclosure is fair and warranted for the purposes of processing or subject to a legal data protection exemption. Sometimes the law requires that we may have to pass your details on to a third party, for example, to prevent crime.

The analysts/partner organisations will erase their copies of the information as soon as the report is complete. Warwickshire County Council will store the information in Citizen Space securely and erase it within four years of the consultation being completed. If you choose to provide an email address we will keep this for a period of 12 months. In some instances, where stated at the beginning of each survey, information may be exported and held for longer elsewhere – where this concerns personal information, further details should be stated in each applicable survey’s privacy statement. 

Dialogue registration data is held by Delib until you delete your account, this does not delete your comments, as they are published on the site. If you wish to remove your comments please see the section below - Your Information Rights.

Please note: all stated retention periods will be subject to any legal holds imposed under the Inquiries Act 2005 that may concern the information and override standard retention. 

Your information rights for this service (if you gave us your name and contact details) are set out below. More information on how to access to your personal information. For rectification, erasure, restriction or objection to your personal information – contact us by email at: askwarwickshire@warwickshire.gov.uk.

Find out how we process your information. This includes contact details for the Data Protection Officer and if you have a complaint about your information rights.

Our customer privacy notice