About
Government of Jersey is registered as a “Data Controller “with the Jersey Office of the Information Commissioner (JOIC) as we collect and process personal information about you.
We process and hold personal information in order to provide public services and meet our statutory and legal obligations. This notice explains how we use and share personal information.
This privacy notice is subject to review and will be updated periodically to reflect changes in our services and feedback from service users, as well as to comply with changes to legislation.
Your information is collected and processed by departments of the Government for a variety of reasons. Each departmental privacy policy can be found below and at the relevant contact pages on the gov.je website.
Information we collect about you
Your personal data such as: name, address, contact details and date of birth is collected and used by the Government in order to perform its official tasks.
In some areas we collect and use more sensitive information or special categories personal data such as: health records or criminal convictions.
Why we collect information about you
The Government collects and holds information about you for a number of purposes:
-
to deliver public services including to understand your needs, to provide the services that you request, and to understand what we can do for you and inform you of other relevant services
-
to confirm your identity
- to contact you
- to prevent and detect fraud and corruption in the use of public funds and, where necessary, for the law enforcement functions
- to enable us to meet all legal and statutory obligations and powers including any delegated functions
- to carry out comprehensive safeguarding procedures (including due diligence and complaints handling) in accordance with best safeguarding practice, from time to time with the aim of ensuring that all children and adults-at-risk are provided with safe environments, and as necessary to protect individuals from harm or injury
-
to protect the use of public funds
- to maintain our own accounts and records
- to seek your views, opinions or comments
- to notify you of changes to our facilities, services, events and staff
- to send you communications which you have requested and that may be of interest to you. These may include information about campaigns, appeals, other new projects or initiatives
- to process relevant financial transactions including grants or payments of benefits
- to allow the statistical analysis of data so we can plan the provision of services
We collect and process special categories such as information about your health of personal data in the following circumstances:
-
for the provision of social care to children and adults
-
where is needed in order to carry out our specific legal obligations
- to protect your vital interests
How we use the information about you and where we get it from
We will use the information you provide in a manner that conforms to the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.
Most of your information will have been provided by you or created through the use of our products and services. We also collect information from the technology you use when dealing with us and from third-party organisations.
We will endeavour to keep your information accurate and up to date and not keep it for longer than is necessary. In some instances the law sets the length of time information has to be kept.
Data sharing
As part of the Government statutory functions and official tasks, we may share personal data with other public authorities such as States of Jersey Police, Jersey Office of the Information Commissioner, and Parishes but only if there is a lawful basis to do so.
In order to deliver support and services to you we also work with:
- community groups and volunteers
- charities
We only share special category personal data in limited circumstances, where we are required to do so by law or where it is necessary to fulfil our statutory obligations. This includes providing a range of public sector services for your health and social care, and the safeguarding of vulnerable children and adults.
Your personal information may be shared with external service providers, contracted to act on our behalf, in order to provide the public services and support you have requested from us. We will only share information which is relevant and necessary for the provision of the service. We will not pass personal data to third parties for marketing, sales or any other commercial purposes without your prior and explicit consent.
We must protect public funds and may use personal information and data-matching techniques to detect and prevent fraud, to ensure public money is targeted and spent in the most appropriate and cost-effective way.
Any data shared by Government of Jersey will be documented in the relevant department’s Privacy Policy and data sharing agreement signed by the public authorities sharing the information. This is to ensure all parties protect your information in accordance with the Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018.
Telephone calls and emails
We reserve the right to monitor and record electronic communications (website, email and phone conversations). There are a number of reasons why we may do this including staff training, and recording conversations for detection, investigation and prevention of crime. We will inform you if your call is being recorded or monitored.
Any email sent to us, including any attachments, may be monitored for security reasons and making sure they comply with our information governance policy. You have a responsibility to make sure any email you send to us is within the bounds of the law. Emails that we send to you or you send to us may be retained as a record of contact, and your email address stored for future use in accordance with our record retention schedules.
CCTV
Closed circuit television is in operation in some of our public areas. These are in operation primarily for the protection of members of the public and employees and for prevention and detection of crime. There are strict controls around the use and access of CCTV images. CCTV does not capture audio and retains images for a short period before being deleted.
In areas where CCTV is in operation, there are visible signs in place.
Your rights
You can ask us to stop processing your information
You have the right to request that we stop processing your personal data in relation to any of our services. However, this may cause delays or prevent us delivering a service to you. Where possible we will seek to comply with your request but we may be required to hold or process information to comply with a legal requirement.
You can withdraw your consent to the processing of your information
In the few instances when you have given your consent to process your information, you have the right to withdraw your consent to the further processing of your personal data. However, this may cause delays or prevent us delivering a service to you. We will always seek to comply with your request but we may be required to hold or process your information in order to comply with a legal requirement.
You can ask us to correct or amend your information
You have the right to challenge the accuracy of the information we hold about you and request that it is corrected where necessary. We will seek to ensure that corrections are made not only to the data that we hold but also any data held by other organisations/parties that process data on our behalf.
You can request that the processing of your personal data is restricted
You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information. You can exercise this right in instances where you believe the information being processed is inaccurate, out of date, or there are no legitimate grounds for the processing. We will always seek to comply with your request but we may be required to continue to process your information in order to comply with a legal requirement.
You can ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you
You are legally entitled to request a list of, or a copy of any information that we hold about you.
However where our records are not held in a way that easily identifies you, for example a land registry, we may not be able to provide you with a copy of your information, although we will do everything we can to comply with your request.
Complaints
If you have an enquiry or concern regarding the States of Jersey processing your personal data you can contact the Central Data Protection Unit.
You can also complain to the Jersey Office of the Information Commissioner about the way your information is being used.
gov.je