As you may already be aware, particularly if you attended my session during last year’s national training or the new coordinator’s induction day in November 2017, the current data protection legislation in the UK is being overhauled, the Data Protection Act 1998 is being replaced by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which comes into force on 25 May 2018. The changes in legislation will have implications for how local Street Pastor initiatives handle personal data.

We will shortly be issuing an updated Data Protection Policy as well as guidance to initiatives, and revising our forms in the Coordinator & Management Pack on the Portal to reflect the changes required.

In the meantime in order to start preparation, local trustees and those responsible for personal data in local initiatives should read the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) guidance on Preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 12 steps to take now and go through the for checklists for data controllers and data processors on the ICO’s website. Local areas will also need to start documenting what personal data they hold, where it came from and who they share it with, as well as obtaining any necessary consent to process personal data. Basic templates to help in documenting processing activities can also be found on the ICO’s website.

Dawn Martin
Legal & Policy Officer
Ascension Trust