Privacy policy: Environmental Health

Who will own my data once I submit it?

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Why do you need my information?

We will collect certain personal information from you, for example: your name, your phone numbers, and your email address. The type of information we collect will depend on the service you require. We use your information in a variety of ways:
To process your service request, for example to let our Environmental Health teams know about a fly tip, housing disrepair issues or a food complaint
To help us investigate any concerns or complaints that you may have about services that you receive from us
To build a picture of our services in your area: for example by logging your enquiries against your address or area details we can see where our services are working, where improvements are needed or where there are hotspots of incidents
To carry out Environmental Health services requested

What allows you to use my information?

Where it is in the public interest to do so; for example investigating noise complaints
Where it is in the legitimate interest of KMBC to do so; for example where there may be a risk to public health and safety
In order to comply with a contracted legal obligation part of a contract; for example obligations placed on us in accordance with the applicable health and safety or when dealing with sensitive issues, such as a vulnerable resident & disability
s17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1, Part 2 paragraph 10, and the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012

We work hard to ensure that we only gather information that we need to process your enquiry and deliver the services that you are entitled to in the best way possible.

Who will my information be shared with?

Sometimes, in order to process your enquiry we need to share the information that you give us; either with other departments within the Council or with other external 'partner' organisations (for example Local Town & Parish Councils, Livv Housing Group). Some examples of how and why we share your data are:

If you are reporting a problem with noise, we may share it with the Police

If you are reporting a problem with pollution, we may share it with the Environment Agency
We will often have to share the information you have given us with other teams or services within the council; for the express purpose of processing your enquiry. For example if you contact Environmental Health to complain about a food issue, then we may contact Trading Standards to investigate

Below is a list of the most common teams or departments that we share information with; this is not an exclusive list.

Shared With	What and why
Enforcement	We may need to pass on your contact details to our Enforcement service so they can make contact with you for more information on issues concerning dogs, e.g. dogs fouling, fly tip investigations that you may have reported
Streetscene	Information that we collect from you, may be shared with Streetscene
Open Spaces	Information that we collect from you (or that is gathered from you online) may be shared with Open Spaces for example on joint areas of responsibility.
Livv Housing	Details that we take from you that may impact on other residents or require housing to take action if they need to make contact with you.
Waste & Recycling	Information that we collect when you report Waste & Recycling related issues to us (e.g. refuse, missed bins etc.) can be accessed by their staff, and may be used by Waste & Recycling Managers to get in touch with you in order to resolve a complaint.
Community Safety	Information that you provide in relation to Anti-Social Behaviour problems in your area may require the team to contact you for more information and to provide you with assistance.

Do I have to provide this information and what will happen if I don’t?

In order for us to be able to respond to your enquiry or to process an application for a service we will require the information requested. If the information is not provided we may not be able to progress the enquiry correctly.

How long will you keep this data for and why?

We will keep your information for as long as it is required by us or other regulatory bodies in order to comply with legal and regulatory requirements or for other operational reasons. In most cases this will be a minimum of six years.

How will my information be stored?

All information you provide to us is stored on our secure servers. We take every precaution to ensure data is safe and secure however we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our site; any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.

Will this information be used to take automated decisions about me?

Will my data be transferred abroad and why?

What rights do I have when it comes to my data?

The General Data Protection Regulation provides a number of rights regarding how your personal data is processed:

The right to subject access – you have the right to see a copy of the personal data that the Council holds about you and find out what it is used for.
The right to rectification – you have the right to ask the Council to correct or remove any inaccurate data that we hold about you.
The right to erasure (right to be forgotten) you have the right to ask the Council to remove data that we hold about you.
The right to restriction – you have the right to ask for your information to be restricted (locked down) on Council systems
The right to data portability – you have the right to ask for your data to be transferred back to you or to a new provider at your request.
The right to object – you have the right to ask the Council to stop using your personal data or to stop sending you marketing information, or complain about how your data is used.
The right to prevent automated decision making – you have the right to ask the Council to stop using your data to make automated decisions about you or to stop profiling your behaviour. (where applicable)

You have the right under the Data Protection Act 1998 (General Data Protection Regulation) to request a copy of your information and to know what it is used for and how it has been shared. This is called the right of subject access.

To request a copy of your data or ask questions about how it is used, please download a copy of our form from on the council's website and send it to:

Data Protection Officer
Knowsley Council
Municipal Building
Archway Road
Huyton
Liverpool
L36 9YU

Or email: data.protection.officer@knowsley.gov.uk

Who can I complain to if I am unhappy about how my data is used?

You can complain directly to the Council’s Data Protection Team by writing to: