1.1. Bellcom Communications Limited, are committed to comply with all relevant UK and EU laws in respect to data privacy, and towards the protection of the “rights and freedoms” of individuals whose information Bellcom Communications Limited, as data controller collect. Most notably in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into force from May 2018. To that end, Bellcom Communications Limited have developed, implemented, maintain and continuously improve a documented Personal Information Management System (‘PIMS’) across all areas of the business.
2.1. This policy aims to meet the requirements of the (GDPR) across all locations, employees and affiliates of Bellcom Communications Limited whom act as processor on behalf of our data subjects. Significant changes to data privacy laws in the EU/UK have led to Bellcom Communications Limited reviewing its existing policies and procedures to ensure it meets the new criteria and to safeguard our business and its customers from the latest threats towards the overall rights and freedoms of individuals.
2.2. The General Data Protection Regulation replaces the EU Data Protection Directive of 1995 and supersedes the laws of individual Member States that were developed in compliance with the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC. Its purpose is to protect the “rights and freedoms” of living individuals, and to ensure that personal data is not processed without their knowledge, and, wherever possible, that it is processed with their consent.
2.3. The Managing Director of Bellcom Communications Limited is responsible for the on-going maintenance, effectiveness and ultimate alignment of this policy to fulfil our legal/regulatory requirements; and remains accountable on its overall performance.
3.1. The objectives for the PIMS will enable Bellcom Communications Limited to; (a) meet its own privacy requirements as a data controller; (b) to meet all necessary compliance obligations as per the GDPR; (c) impose controls in line with Bellcom’s Risk Management strategy; (d) ensure Bellcom Communications Limited meet all applicable statutory, regulatory, contractual and professional duties and; (e) that it protects the interests of data subjects, third parties, affiliated data processors and other interested parties.
3.2. Bellcom Communications Limited is committed towards the fulfilment of all its compliance requirements relating to Data Privacy and its subsequent practices including, but not limited to;
3.2.1. Processing personal information only where this is strictly necessary for legitimate business purposes;
3.2.2. Collecting only minimum personal information required for these purposes and not processing excessive personal information;
3.2.3. Providing clear information to individuals about how their personal information will be used and by whom;
3.2.4. Only processing relevant and adequate personal information;
3.2.5. Processing personal information fairly and lawfully;
3.2.6. Maintaining its accuracy and, where necessary, kept up to date;
3.2.7. Retaining personal information only for as long as is necessary for both legal and/or regulatory reasons or, for other legitimate purposes – expressly agreed;
3.2.8. Respecting an individuals’ rights in relation to their personal information, including their right to access;
3.2.9. Maintaining its security and accessibility;
3.2.10. Only transferring personal information outside the EU in circumstances where it can be adequately protected and is necessary.
3.2.11. The application of the various exemptions allowable by the current data protection legislation;
3.2.12. Developing and implementing a PIMS to enable the policy to be implemented effectively;
4.1. Bellcom Communications Limited has notified the Information Commissioner that it is a data controller and that it processes certain information about data subjects.
4.2. Bellcom Communications Limited Registration Number is ZA195990.
4.3. The ICO notification is renewed annually each July.
4.4. The Managing Director is responsible, each year, for reviewing the details of notification, in the light of any changes to Bellcom Communications Limited’s activities (as determined by changes to the Data Inventory Register and the management review) and to any additional requirements identified by means of data protection impact assessments.
4.5. The policy applies to all Employees/Staff of Bellcom Communications Limited such as outsourced suppliers. Any breach towards the GDPR or this PIMS will be dealt with under Bellcom Communication’s disciplinary policy and may also be a criminal offence, in which case the matter will be reported as soon as possible to the appropriate authorities.
4.6. Any third parties working with or for Bellcom Communications Limited, and who have or may have access to personal information, will be expected to have read, understood and to comply with this policy. No third party may access personal data held by Bellcom Communications Limited without having first entered into a data confidentiality agreement, which imposes on the third-party obligations no less onerous than those to which Bellcom Communications Limited is committed.
5.1. Territorial scope – the GDPR will apply to all controllers that are established in the EU (European Union) who process the personal data of data subjects, in the context of that establishment. It will also apply to controllers outside of the EU that process personal data to offer goods and services or monitor the behaviour to data subjects who are resident in the EU.
5.2. Establishment – the main establishment of the controller in the EU will be the place in which the controller makes the main decisions as to the purpose of its data processing activities. The main establishment of a processor in the EU will be its administrative center. If a controller is based outside the EU, it will have to appoint a representative in the jurisdiction in which the controller operates, to act on behalf of the controller and deal with supervisory authorities.
5.3. Personal data – any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (‘data subject’); an identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.
5.4. Special categories of personal data – personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade-union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.
5.5. Data controller – the natural or legal person, public authority, agency or other body which, alone or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data; where the purposes and means of such processing are determined by Union or Member State law, the controller or the specific criteria for its nomination may be provided for by Union or Member State law.
5.6. Data subject – any living individual who is the subject of personal data held by Bellcom Communications Limited.
5.7. Processing – any operation or set of operations which is performed on personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, structuring, storage, adaptation or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.
5.8. Profiling – is any form of automated processing of personal data intended to evaluate certain personal aspects relating to a natural person, or to analyse, or predict that person’s performance at work, economic situation, location, health, personal preferences, reliability, or behaviour. This definition is linked to the right of the data subject to object to profiling and a right to be informed about the existence of profiling, of measures based on profiling and the envisaged effects of profiling on the individual.
5.9. Personal data breach – a breach of security leading to the accidental, or unlawful, destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed. There is an obligation on the controller to report personal data breaches to the supervisory authority and where the breach is likely to adversely affect the personal data or privacy of the data subject.
5.10. Data subject consent – means any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data.
5.11. Child – the GDPR defines a child as anyone under the age of 16 years old. The processing of personal data of a child under 13 years of age is only lawful if parental or custodian consent has been obtained.
5.12. Third party – a natural or legal person, public authority, agency or body other than the data subject, controller, processor and persons who, under the direct authority of the controller or processor, are authorised to process personal data.
5.13. Filing system – any structured set of personal data which are accessible according to specific criteria, whether centralised, decentralised or dispersed on a functional or geographical basis.
6.1. Bellcom Communications Limited is a data controller and data processor under the GDPR.
6.2. The Managing Director is responsible for developing and encouraging correct information handling practices; responsibilities of which are set out within individual job descriptions.
6.3. The Managing Director is responsible for ensuring overall compliance with data protection legislation and best practice can be demonstrated.
6.4. The Managing Director has specific responsibilities in respect of procedures such as the Subject Access Request procedure and is the point of call for Employees/Staff seeking clarification on any aspect of data protection compliance.
6.5. Compliance with data privacy legislation is the responsibility of all active employees of Bellcom Communications Limited whom process personal information on behalf of the data controller.
6.6. All staff are responsible for ensuring that any personal data supplied by them, and that is about them, to Bellcom Communications Limited is accurate and up-to-date.
7.1. To ensure that Bellcom Communications Limited are aware of any risks associated with the processing of the variable types of personal information we hold and process.
7.2. Bellcom Communications Limited has a process for assessing the level of risk to individuals associated with the processing of their personal information. Assessments will also be carried out in relation to processing tasks undertaken by other organisations on behalf of Bellcom Communication Limited. Bellcom Communications Limited shall manage any risks which are identified by the risk assessment to reduce the likelihood of a non- conformance with this policy.
7.3. Where a type of processing, uses new technologies and taking into account the nature, scope, context and purposes of the processing is likely to result in a high risk to the “rights and freedoms” of natural persons, Bellcom Communications Limited shall, prior to the processing, carry out an assessment of the impact of the envisaged processing operations on the protection of personal data.
7.4. A single assessment may address a set of similar processing operations that present similar high risks.
7.5. Where, as a result of a Privacy Impact Assessment, it is clear that Bellcom Communications Limited is about to commence processing of personal information that could cause damage and/or distress to the data subjects, the decision as to whether or not Bellcom Communications Limited may proceed must be escalated for review to the Managing Director.
7.6. Appropriate controls will be selected and applied to reduce the level of risk associated with processing individual data to an acceptable level, by reference to the requirements of the GDPR.
8.1. All processing of personal data must be done in accordance with the following data protection principles and any/all supplementary policies and procedures determined to offer additional mitigation steps;
8.1.1. Personal data must be processed lawfully, fairly and transparently.
8.1.2. Demonstrate a transparent and easily accessible policies relating to the processing of personal data and the exercise of individuals’ “rights and freedoms”. Information must be communicated to the data subject in an intelligible form using clear and plain language.
8.1.3. The specific information that must be provided to the data subject must as a minimum include:
8.1.3.1. the identity and the contact details of the controller and, if any, of the controller’s representative;
8.1.3.2. the contact details of the Data Protection Officer, where applicable;
8.1.3.3. the purposes of the processing for which the personal data are intended as well as the legal basis for the processing;
8.1.3.4. the period for which the personal data will be stored;
8.1.3.5. the existence of the rights to request access, rectification, erasure or to object to the processing;
8.1.3.6. the categories of personal data concerned;
8.1.3.7. the recipients or categories of recipients of the personal data, where applicable;
8.1.3.8. where applicable, that the controller intends to transfer personal data to a recipient in a third country and the level of protection afforded to the data;
8.1.3.9. any further information necessary to guarantee fair processing.
8.1.4. Personal data can only be collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes.
8.1.5. Data obtained for specified purposes must not be used for a purpose that differs from those formally notified to the Information Commissioner as part of Bellcom Communication Limited’s GDPR registration.
8.1.6. Personal data must be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for processing.
8.1.7. The Managing Director is responsible for ensuring that information, which is not strictly necessary for the purpose for which it is obtained, is not collected.
8.1.8. All data collection forms (electronic or paper-based), including data collection requirements in new information systems, must be approved by the Managing Director.
8.1.9. If data is given or obtained that is excessive or not specifically required by Bellcom Communications Limited, the Managing Director is responsible for ensuring that it is securely deleted or destroyed.
8.1.10. Personal data must be accurate and kept up to date.
8.1.11. It is also the responsibility of individuals to ensure that data held by Bellcom Communications Limited is accurate and up-to-date. Completion of an appropriate registration or application form etc. will be taken as an indication that the data contained therein is accurate at the date of submission.
8.2. Employees/customers should notify Bellcom Communications Limited of any changes in circumstance to enable personal records to be updated accordingly. It is the responsibility of Bellcom Communications Limited to ensure that any notification regarding change of circumstances is noted and acted upon.
8.3. The Managing Director is responsible for making appropriate arrangements that, where third party organisations may have been passed inaccurate or out-of-date personal information, for informing them that the information is inaccurate and/or out-of-date and is not to be used to inform decisions about the individuals concerned; and for passing any correction to the personal information to the third party where this is required.
9.1. Personal data must be kept in a form such that the data subject can be identified only as long as is necessary for processing.
9.2. Personal data will be retained for the period the data subject is a customer/client of Bellcom Communications Limited
10.1. Personal data must be processed in a manner that ensures its security
10.2. Appropriate technical measures shall be taken against unauthorised or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of, or damage to, personal data.
10.3. These controls have been selected based on identified risks to personal data, and the potential for damage or distress to individuals whose data is being processed.
10.4. Security controls will be subject to audit and review.
10.5. Personal data shall not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Union [EU] unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the ‘rights and freedoms’ of data subjects in relation to the processing of personal data.
10.6. The transfer of personal data outside of the EU is prohibited unless one or more of the specified safeguards or exceptions apply.
11.1. All rights, in the Bellcom Communications Limited website, its customer Portals and its contents, are owned by or licensed to Bellcom Communications Limited, or otherwise used by Bellcom Communications Limited as permitted by applicable law.
11.2. By accessing Bellcom Communication’s webpages, it is under the agreement that access towards its contents are solely for private use and not for any commercial or public use.
11.3. Except as permitted above, all rights and contents are available under the pretext that they’re not to be copied, stored in any medium (including in any other website), distributed, transmitted, re-transmitted, broadcast, modified, or shown in, without the prior written permission of Bellcom Communications Limited or in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
12.1. An assessment of the adequacy by the data controller of its safeguards are carried out, addressing the following factors;
12.1.1. the nature of the information being transferred; 12.1.2. the country or territory of the origin, and ultimate destination, of the information;
12.1.3. how the information will be used and for how long;
13.1. The GDPR introduces the principle of accountability which states that the controller is not only responsible for ensuring compliance but for demonstrating that each processing operation complies with the requirements of the GDPR.
13.2. Specifically, controllers are required to maintain necessary documentation of all processing operations, implement appropriate security measures, perform PIAs (Privacy Impact Assessment), comply with requirements for prior notifications, or approval from supervisory authorities and appoint a Data Protection Officer if required.
14.1. Data subjects have the following rights regarding data processing, and the data that is recorded about them;
14.1.1. To make subject access requests regarding the nature of information held and to whom it has been disclosed.
14.1.2. To prevent processing likely to cause damage or distress.
14.1.3. To prevent processing for purposes of direct marketing.
14.1.4. To be informed about the mechanics of automated decision-taking process that will significantly affect them.
14.1.5. Not to have significant decisions that will affect them taken solely by automated process.
14.1.6. To take action to rectify, block, erased, including the right to be forgotten, or destroy inaccurate data.
14.1.7. To request the ICO to assess whether any provision of the GDPR has been contravened.
14.1.8. The right for personal data to be provided to them in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, and the right to have that data transmitted to another controller.
14.1.9. The right to object to any automated profiling without consent.
14.2. Data subjects may make data access requests by submitting a Subject Access Request form available for download from Bellcom Communications Limited’s website.
15.1. Data Subjects whom wish to complain to Bellcom Communications Limited about how their personal information has been processed may lodge their complaint directly with the Managing Director. All complaints must be done in writing.
15.2. Data subjects may also complain directly to the Information Commissioners Office.
16.1. Bellcom Communication Limited understands ‘consent’ to mean that it has been explicitly and freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which he or she by statement, or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to him or her. The consent of the data subject can be withdrawn at any time. 16.2. Bellcom Communications Limited understands ‘consent’ to mean that the data subject has been fully informed of the intended processing and has signified their agreement, while in a fit state of mind to do so and without pressure being exerted upon them. Consent obtained under duress or on the basis of misleading information will not be a valid basis for processing.
17.1. All Employees/Staff are responsible for ensuring that any personal data which Bellcom Communications Limited holds and for which they are responsible, is kept securely and is not under any conditions disclosed to any third party unless that third party has been specifically authorised by Bellcom Communication Limited to receive that information.
17.2. All personal data should be accessible only to those who need to use it. You should form a judgment based upon the sensitivity and value of the information in question, but personal data must be kept:
17.2.1. in a lockable room with controlled access; and/or 17.2.2. in a locked drawer or filing cabinet; and/or
17.2.3. if computerised, password protected; and/or 17.2.4. stored on (removable) computer media which are encrypted
17.3. Care must be taken to ensure that PC screens and terminals are not visible except to authorised Employees of Bellcom Communications Limited.
17.4. Manual records may not be left where they can be accessed by unauthorised personnel and may not be removed from business premises without explicit written authorisation. As soon as manual records are no longer required for day-to-day client support, they must be removed from secure archiving.
17.5. Personal data that have reached their retention date are to be shredded and disposed of as ‘confidential waste’. Hard drives of redundant PCs are to be removed and immediately destroyed.
17.6. Processing of personal data ‘off-site’ presents a potentially greater risk of loss, theft or damage to personal data. Employees must be specifically authorised to process data off-site by the Managing Director.
18.1. Data subjects have the right to access any personal data (i.e. data about them) which is held by Bellcom Communications Limited in electronic format and manual records which form part of a relevant filing system. This includes the right to inspect confidential personal references received by Bellcom Communications Limited, and information obtained from third-party organisations about that person.
18.2. Subject Access Requests are dealt with as per the published Subject Access Request Form, available through our Website, or upon request.
19.1. Bellcom Communications Limited must ensure that personal data is not disclosed to unauthorised third parties which includes family members, friends, government bodies, and in certain circumstances, the Police. All Employees should exercise caution when asked to disclose personal data held on another individual to a third party. It is important to bear in mind whether disclosure of the information is relevant to, and necessary for, the conduct of Bellcom Communication Limited’s business.
19.2. The GDPR permits certain disclosures without consent so long as the information is requested for one or more of the following purposes;
19.2.1. to safeguard national security;
19.2.2. prevention or detection of crime including the apprehension or prosecution of offenders;
19.2.3. assessment or collection of tax duty;
19.2.4. discharge of regulatory functions (includes health, safety and welfare of persons at work);
19.2.5. to prevent serious harm to a third party;
19.2.6. to protect the vital interests of the individual, this refers to life and death situations.
19.3. All requests to provide data for one of these reasons must be supported by appropriate paperwork and all such disclosures must be specifically authorised by the Managing Director.
20.1. Personal data must be disposed of in a way that protects the “rights and freedoms” of data subjects (e.g. shredding, disposal as confidential waste, secure electronic deletion).
21.1. For any/all enquiries relating to this policy or any data privacy practices carried out by Bellcom Communications Limited, please contact the Managing Director. All communications are to be made in writing.
21.2. The Data protection officer is: Steve Bellamy, Managing Director and can be contacted in writing by: steve@bellcom.org or Bellcom Communications Limited, 199 Godstone Road, Whyteleafe, Surrey, CR3 0EL.
Bellcom Communications
199 Godstone Road,
Whyteleafe,
Surrey CR3 0EL
Tel: 0203 393 0000
Email: team@bellcom.org
