The London Borough of Hounslow is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. Through this Privacy Notice we have sought to be as transparent as possible and fully explain how your personal data is held and processed.
This privacy notice applies to services provided by the Engagement and Consultation team and tells you what to expect us to do with your personal information.
If you have any questions about this privacy notice or any concerns about how we process your data, please contact elections@hounslow.gov.uk. The privacy notice will continue to be monitored and updated. You are advised to check this page from time to time.
What type of information we have
We currently collect and process the following information:
- Full names
- Contact details
- Date of Births
- Age ranges
- Parent/Carer details if under 18: name, relationship to the young person, and contact details.
- Demographic data
- Motivations, experience and availability
- Access/Support needs
- Dietary needs (Only if applications are successful)
- Employment status
- Nominee parent/carer details (Only if applications are successful)
How do we get your information?
- You would provide it directly via the application form.
- If you are under 18, we will contact your parent/carer to request consent before confirming your participation. We will not directly contact you by phone or email until parental/carer consent has been obtained.
Our lawful basis for processing your information
- Our lawful basis under Article 6(1)(e) UK GDPR (Public Task) is supported by Section 507B of the Education Act 1996, which places duties on the Council to secure youth services and ensure that young people have a say in local provision. The Council also relies on its general power of competence under Section 1 of the Localism Act 2011, which enables local authorities to undertake activities for the benefit of their area and its residents, including youth participation initiatives.
- Special category data is processed under Article 9(2)(g) UK GDPR (Substantial Public Interest), supported by Schedule 1, Part 2, Paragraph 6 of the Data Protection Act 2018 (Statutory and Government Purposes) and, where necessary for safety and wellbeing, Schedule 1, Part 2, Paragraph 18 (Safeguarding of Children and Individuals at Risk). This processing is carried out in accordance with the Council’s Appropriate Policy Document (APD).
Why do we need your information?
We use the information you provide so we can:
- Process and assess your application for Democracy Ambassadors
- Contact you (and your parent/carer if you are under 18) about the outcome
- Organise and run the event safely and effectively, including:
- planning sessions
- managing attendance
- ensuring appropriate safeguarding arrangements
- Meet individual needs, such as access requirements or dietary requirements
- Understand who the event has reached so we can make Democracy Ambassadors fair, inclusive, and accessible for young people across the borough
- To obtain and record parental/carer consent for under-18s and ensure appropriate safeguarding and communication about the event
- Review how well the programme worked overall, for example:
- whether the application process was clear
- whether the activities were useful
- whether we reached a diverse mix of young people
- what improvements could make future events better
Who your information may be shared with
- Hounslow Council staff
- Hounslow Council Councillors
No special category data will be shared with councillors, only name and age range.
Parent/carer details are not shared externally and are used only for safeguarding and consent purposes.
We will strive to ensure that any personal data in our care will be kept safe and that where your information is disclosed to a third party working on our behalf, we will seek to ensure that they have sufficient systems and procedures in place to prevent the loss or damage of personal data.
How long we keep your information
Unsuccessful applicants retained for 3 months from selection, then securely deleted. Successful participants retained for 12 months after the event to support evaluation, equalities monitoring, and administrative checks. Demographic/evaluation data retained only in anonymised or aggregated form beyond these periods. Parental consent records (for under‑18s) retained for 12 months post‑event. Deletion: All personal data will be securely deleted in line with the Council’s records of retention schedule and APD requirements. Rationale for 12‑month retention: allows time to complete programme evaluation, undertake equalities reporting, respond to participant/parent queries, and meet audit requirements. Thereafter, identifiable data is no longer necessary.
Transfers to Third Countries
International Transfers and Safeguards: The engagement platform provider (Granicus) acts as a data processor on behalf of the Council. Some Granicus entities, sub processors, and third‑party service providers are located outside the UK/EEA. Appropriate safeguards (including the EU Standard Contractual Clauses under Article 46(2)(c) UK GDPR) are in place alongside additional technical and organisational measures.
Evaluation
We may use aggregated and anonymised information to understand who the programme reached and improve future activities. We will not use identifiable personal data for wider business intelligence.
Your Data Protection Rights
The rights available to you depend on our reason for processing your information. For further information about your data protection rights and how to make a request, please see ‘Your rights’
Your right to make a complaint
The Council tries to meet the highest standards when collecting and using personal information. For this reason, we take any complaints we receive about this very seriously. We encourage people to bring it to our attention if they think that our collection or use of information is unfair, misleading or inappropriate.
Complaints Team
If you want to make a complaint you can contact us on:
Complaints Team
London Borough of Hounslow
Hounslow House,
7 Bath Road,
TW3 3EB
Data Protection Officer
The Council’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted on:
InformationGovernance@hounslow.gov.uk
Information Governance Team
London Borough of Hounslow
Hounslow House,
7 Bath Road,
TW3 3EB
Information Commissioner’s Office
The Information Commissioner is the UK's independent body set up to uphold information rights.
If you would like to know more about your rights under the Data Protection law, and what you should expect, visit the Information Commissioner’s website: https://ico.org.uk/
If you have any concerns regarding any privacy practices or about exercising your Data Protection rights, you may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545 745
Email: casework@ico.org.uk
A full list of what information we control and process and for what purposes is set out in our notification with the Information Commissioner's Register of Data Controllers. Our registration number is Z5761176.
You can view our registration on the Information Commissioner's website.
