Last Updated: 12 March 2009

Introduction
The Law Society is required to maintain certain personal data about living individuals for the purposes of satisfying operational and legal obligations. The Society recognises the importance of the correct and lawful treatment of personal data; it maintains confidence in the organisation and provides for successful operations.
The types of personal data that the Law Society may require include information about: photos, contents and prospective pupils; Law Society members; suppliers and others with whom it communicates. This personal data, whether it is held on paper, on computer or other media, will be subject to the appropriate legal safeguards as specified in the Data Protection Act 1998.

The Law Society fully endorses and adheres to the eight principles of the Data Protection Act 1998. These principles specify the legal conditions that must be satisfied in relation to obtaining, handling, processing, transportation, and storage of personal data. Persons and any others who obtain, handle, process, transport and store personal data for the Law Society must adhere to these principles.

Principles
The principles require that personal data shall:
1. Be processed fairly and lawfully and shall not be processed unless certain conditions are met;
2. Be obtained for a specified and lawful purpose and shall not be processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose;
3. Be adequate, relevant and not excessive for those purposes;
4. Be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date;
5. Not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose;
6. Be processed in accordance with the data subject’s rights;
7. Be kept secure from unauthorised or unlawful processing and protected against accidental loss, destruction or damage by using the appropriate technical and organisational measures;
8. And not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area, 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.

Data collection
Informed consent
Informed consent is when

• A Data Subject clearly understands why their information is needed, who it will be shared with, the possible consequences of them agreeing or refusing the proposed use of the data and then gives their consent.

Sharweb.mobi will ensure that data is collected within the boundaries defined in this policy and is strictly complies to this policy to protect data. This applies to data that is collected in person, or by completing a form.
When collecting data, Sharweb.mobi will ensure that the Data Subject

• clearly understands why the information is needed
• understands what it will be used for and what the consequences are should the Data Subject decide not to give consent to processing
• as far as reasonably possible, grants explicit consent, either written or verbal for data to be processed
• is, as far as reasonably practicable, competent enough to give consent and has given so freely without any duress
• has received sufficient information on why their data is needed and how it will be used

Data Storage

Information, data and records relating to social groups/schools will be stored securely and strictly only be accessible to authorised staff.

Information will be stored for only as long as it is needed or required statute and will be disposed of appropriately.

It is Harvey Sharman’s responsibility to ensure all personal and school data is non-recoverable from any computer system previously used within the organisation which has been used to a third party.

____________________________________________

This policy will be updated as necessary to reflect best practice in data management, security and control and to ensure compliance with any changes or amendments made to the Data Protection Act 1998.