Information held about you

Herefordshire Council are always working to improve the way services are provided to users. This means that all formal complaints will be administered by a dedicated team (the Complaints Team) for Herefordshire Council.

To investigate and administer any complaint you bring to our attention, it is necessary for us to collect and hold personal information about you.

We will ask for your name, contact details and the type of service you are making the complaint about (for example roads, bins, social care) when you first contact us.

If the complaint relates to a service received by another person, we will contact them separately for consent if this is appropriate in the circumstances. During the course of the investigation we will collect information relating to the nature of the complaint, date of birth and next of kin (if required) and other information in relation to the service about which the complaint has been made.

Who is processing your data

The data controller for the information outlined in this privacy notice is Herefordshire Council.

How we will use the information we hold about you

We will collect information about you to administer and investigate your complaint and to improve the provision of services. All complaints will initially be administered by the Complaints Team. The complaint will then be sent to a senior member of staff working to look into resolving your complaint, who may then contact you for further investigation.

All complaints information will be collected and held on Herefordshire Council's complaints system, which will be accessible only by complaints management staff.

How the law allows us to use your information

The legal basis for processing is our legal obligations under legislation including the Local Government Act to investigate complaints.

Who we will share your information with

We will not normally share your information with organisations other than those that we are contracted with (for example Hoople, Balfour Beatty) without your consent. However, there may be certain circumstances where we would share without consent such as where we are required to do so by law, to safeguard public safety, in risk of harm or emergency situations.

How long we keep your personal information

Complaints files are kept for six years after the resolution of the complaint.

Providing accurate information
It is important that we hold accurate and up to date information about you to assess your needs and deliver the appropriate services. If any of your details have changed, or change in the future, please tell us so that we can update your records.
Further information

If you have any questions or concerns about how your information is used, please contact the complaints team in the first instance at complaints@herefordshire.gov.uk  Information about your rights is available on the access to information pages.

You can also contact the Data Protection Officer, Herefordshire Council, Plough Lane, Hereford HR4 0LE, email informationgovernance@herefordshire.gov.uk

You can find more information about data protection and how it applies to you on the Information Commissioner's Office website.

Service web page
Last updated date
December 2019