The Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA), and the European Data Protection Directive 1995, establish the rights for British citizens to keep their personal information confidential. With a few exceptions, individuals and organisations that process or retain people’s personal data are legally obliged to adhere to the DPA’s principles.
We at 247 Home Rescue take our obligations under the DPA and all related legislation very seriously, and ensure that the duties these regulations impose are followed throughout our company. This means:
- We are a member of the Information Commissioner’s Office’s Register of Data Controllers’ Database;
- Data is only ever used for the reasons it was gathered;
- Customers have the right to access any data we hold about them;
- We cannot release a person’s data without their express consent, unless there is a lawful reason for us to do so;
- We do not keep personal data for any longer than is necessary;
- All personal data is kept up-to-date as far as is possible;
- Customers have the right to request that any incorrect information is amended and to have their requests adhered to;
- Personal data is not transferred to parties outside of the European Economic Area unless the individual the data relates to has given their express consent, or unless there are adequate protections in place for the transference of this data;
- We have organisational and technical measures in place for the proper holding of personal data, including appropriate staff training and technical security features;
- Recordings of any calls made or received by our call centre staff are properly monitored, handled and destroyed to ensure people’s personal information remains confidential;
- We meet DPA requirements for our employees as well as for our customers and the general public.
Meeting these standards is vital to us – regardless of the fact that we are legally obliged to follow the principles of the DPA, we understand how important data protection is in terms of customer service, and would be keen advocates of data protection even if it was not a statutory obligation.
