Voluntary Action Wakefield District (VAWD) respects the privacy of all who visit and use this website.

This document explains how we process, store, maintain and dispose of the information you give us. VAWD complies with the principles and conditions of the Data Protection Act and stores information securely.

 

Privacy policy

Personal information

Voluntary Action Wakefield District (VAWD) does not collect personally identifiable information via this website without users' knowledge. Where users do provide such information, we will only use it for that purpose and with your permission. Personal information is anything which enables us to identify you in some way, such as your name, age or place of work. If you supply such information, we are legally bound by the Data Protection Act 1998 to ensure that such information is only used for the purpose for which it was requested and also to ensure that the data is held securely.

Services from us

We will ask you to supply personal data when you sign up to participate in or receive a service from the www.vawd.org.uk website and Wakefield Assembly intranet. Examples of these services may include e-bulletins, message boards, discussions, polls, status updates and competitions. Different web pages may ask you to supply different personal information to enable VAWD and its partners to provide you with the services you select.

We use your personal information for a number of reasons. These include administration purposes for the services you wish to receive, e.g. to provide you with password reminders or advise you that a service is undergoing maintenance.

Organisations on the VCS directory

Information we receive in sections one and two of the directory form is published on the website, if you give us consent to do so.

When we send forms out to obtain updated information we require the signature of the named contact ('the data subject'). This is evidence of their consent for these details to be published. We file these centrally as evidence in case of query or complaint. If we receive an un-signed form, we send it back for signature.

In the case that a contact for a group nominates another person as the new contact, we will confirm this with the new contact before amending the record.

If a group or contact person changes their mind about their details being held we will remove their details from the database as soon as we can.

In the future, there will be the scope for groups to update their own information online. Each organisation will be offered a unique identification code and password that will act as a proxy signature.

Information you provide in section three of the directory form is used to provide information about the size and needs of the VCS to support its development and does not identify individual organisations.

VAWD places great importance on the accuracy of the data held and aims to review each record at least once a year. In the event where there is no response to our update letter, and we cannot establish contact, we will remove the details of the organisation from the public part of the database, but may keep the details in the secure area of the database for administration purposes, but for no more than three years.

Subsets of the public information on the database may be reproduced by partners, such as other local directories or databases. This information may also be used for dealing with enquiries about local groups.

Where organisations outside VAWD extract information from the database via the Internet and store it on their computer(s) for their own purposes, they are responsible for appropriate registration under the Data Protection Act.

VCS organisation directory forms are only retained for a maximum of three years. Disposal is by shredding.

Marketing

VAWD and its partners also send you communications and networking material about opportunities for funding, support and joint working by email and/or post, if you have given us permission to do so.

Wakefield Assembly intranet members' directory

Information you supply to make your online profile and register with the Wakefield Assembly intranet will be published online in the members' directory of your chosen common interest networks.

This information is made public and may be accessed by anyone who uses the Internet.

Your details will be used to subscribe you to receive VAWD's free monthly e-bulletin designed to support the development of the sector and to communicate Wakefield Assembly and NOVA developments. You may also be contacted directly by the site's administrator in relation to the site's services, usage and Assembly developments.

You only need to supply information to be published against fields marked with *.

You are responsible for ensuring information in your user profile is easy for everyone to understand and is kept up to date. You can update your profile by clicking the 'my profile' tab.

VAWD places great importance on the accuracy of the data held and aims to review each profile at least once a year by sending you an email asking you to check your data. In the event where there is no response to our email, and we cannot establish contact, we will remove your details from the public part of the database. We may keep the details in a secure area for administration purposes, but for no more than three years.

Statistics about website usage

We may collect and record information in order for us to understand more about how the site is used and in turn to make sure that the site reflects your needs. In order to do this we may send cookies to your PC or mobile phone or other device used by you to access the website. A cookie contains information that allows us to recognise that you have used the site before, but will not contain any other personal data. VAWD tracks the number of visitors to the site and retains aggregate statistics about this. We do not look at the specific usage of our website by identifiable individuals.

Links to external websites

This website may include links to other sites not owned or managed by VAWD. We cannot be held responsible for the privacy of data collected by websites not managed by VAWD or the data contained on them.

Surveys and questionnaires

Sometimes we may ask you to fill in online questionnaires or surveys. The data collected by the questionnaire or survey will only be used for the purpose stated on the form. Your responses to online polls may be published and shared with others but we will not identify you when we do this.

Who do we share information with?

VAWD will only share your personal information, add your details to the organisational directory and/or send you marketing material if you have given us permission to do so. Information you advise us to keep confidential will only be shared where disclosure is required or permitted by law (e.g. to a law enforcement agency).

It can also be used if you post or send offensive, inappropriate or objectionable content anywhere onto www.vawd.org.uk or the Wakefield Assembly intranet, or otherwise engage in disruptive behaviour, to stop such behaviour. This can involve contacting a third party, such as your employer or Internet provider.

What if I am aged 18 or under?

You must get your parent/guardian's permission before providing us with any personal information if you are aged 18 or under. Users without this consent are not allowed to provide us with personal information.

How long do we keep your personal information?

VAWD will hold your personal information on our systems for as long as necessary to provide you with the relevant www.vawd.org.uk service or as long as set out in a contract between you and VAWD. If you cancel your registration with www.vawd.org.uk, others outside of the organisation will not be able to use or view your information but your details will remain as an 'inactive' record on the VAWD database for a period of three years. Your organisational directory information may also become inactive if you do not respond to update enquiries and we cannot make contact with your organisation.

If you decide to remove your data from the website but continue to receive services from VAWD, you will remain on the VAWD database in accordance with agreement set out between you and VAWD.

If you contribute to www.vawd.org.uk (for example, you may comment on a discussion forum or add a news story), we will keep the information for as long as reasonably required for the purpose(s) for which it was collected. Some content remains on the website for prolonged periods of time or indefinitely, to enable users to search archived data.

Access to your information

You may request a copy of any personal information which VAWD has about you. VAWD does not make a charge for supplying this information and will reply within 40 days of receipt of your request.

Updates to this privacy statement and enquiries

This statement may be updated from time to time and you are advised to check this statement each time you submit personal information to us. You can see if the privacy statement has changed by looking at the date at the end of this document. If you have any questions or comments about this privacy policy, please contact us.

Page update: 6 February 2013
Review date: 6 February 2014