The law provides you with a number of rights to control the processing of your personal data. Where we are acting as the data processor for your information, you will most likely exercise your rights via our clients (educational institution) who will then instruct us to action the request. You can however exercise these directly to us and we will inform the institution.
Accessing the information we hold about you
You have the right to ask for all the information we have about you. This request may be channeled through the institution for whom we are contracted to process your data, who will then contact us to obtain the information. When we receive a request from you in writing, we must normally give you access to everything we have recorded about you. However, we will not let you see any parts of your record which contain:
• Confidential information about other people; or
• Data an information professional thinks will cause serious harm to your or someone else’s physical or mental well-being; or
• If we think that the prevention or detection of crime may be adversely affected by disclosing data to you.
This applies to paper and electronic records. If you ask us, we will also let others see your record (except if one of the points above applies). If you cannot ask for your records in writing, we will make sure there are other ways you can apply. If you have any queries regarding access to your information, please contact dataprotection@uni-quest.co.uk or by calling 0333 150 3565.
Changing information you believe to be inaccurate
You should let us know if you disagree with something written on your file. We may not always be able to change or remove the information however, we will correct factual inaccuracies and may include your comments in the records. Please use the contact details above to report inaccurate information.
Asking for your information to be deleted (right to be forgotten)
In some circumstances you can request the erasure of the personal data used by UniQuest, for example:
• Where the personal data is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected;
• Where you have withdrawn your consent to the use of your information (where there is no other legal basis for the processing);
• Where there is no legal basis for the use of your information; or
• Where erasure is a legal obligation.
Where your request has been sent to the institution, they will inform UniQuest and make every reasonable effort to ensure those using your personal data comply with your request for erasure.
The right to erasure does not apply to every situation. If we are not required to comply with such a request, we might refuse, if:
• It is required by law;
• It is for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes, or statistical purposes where it would seriously affect the achievement of the objectives of the processing; or
• It is necessary for the establishment, defence or exercise of legal claims.
Restricting what your information is used for
You have the right to ask us to restrict what we use your personal data for where one of the following applies:
• You have identified inaccurate information, and have notified us of this;
• Where using your information is unlawful and you wish us to restrict rather than erase the information; or
• Where you have objected to us using the information, and the legal reason for us using your information has not yet been provided to you.
When information is restricted, it cannot be used other than to securely store the data, and with your consent, to handle legal claims, protect others.
Where restriction of use has been granted, we will inform you before the use of your personal data is resumed.
You have the right to request that UniQuest stop using your personal data for some services. However, if this request is approved 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 need to hold or use information in connection with one or more of UniQuest’s legal functions.
Computer based decisions about you and if you are ‘profiled’
You have the right to object about decisions being made about you by automated means (by a computer and not a human being), unless it is required for any contract you have entered into, required by law, or you have consented to it. You also have the right to object if you are being ‘profiled’. Profiling is where decisions are made about you based on certain things in your personal data. If and when UniQuest uses your personal data to profile you, you will be informed. This is not a practice that UniQuest currently uses.
Who will we share your personal data with?
We use a range of technologies to capture, process and store your information. Many of these are cloud technologies, meaning we do not hold your data onsite. Where we have these arrangements, there is always a contract, memorandum of understanding or information sharing protocol in place to ensure that UniQuest complies with data protection law. We complete privacy impact assessments before we use these services and the services themselves have no right to use or process your data outside the way we have configured them to do so.
We also have staff based in the Philippines to ensure we can engage with our data subjects at times that are most convenient for them. This means that data is available through our platform to users outside of the EU.
We may be obliged from time to time to provide information about people to other organisations, e.g. Child Protection concerns or Court Orders. This will have been instructed by the institution for whom we process your data.
We will do what we can to make sure we hold personal records in a secure way, and we will only make them available to those who have a right to see them. Our security includes:
• Encryption, which allows information to be hidden so that it cannot be read without special knowledge (such as a password). This is done with a secret code or cypher. The hidden information is said to be encrypted.
• Controlling access to systems and networks allows us to stop people who are not allowed to view your personal data from getting access to it.
• Training for our staff allows us to make them aware of how to handle information and how and when to report when something goes wrong.
• Ways for us to access your information should something go wrong, and our systems not work, including how we manage your information in the event of an emergency or disaster.
• Regular testing of our technology and processes including keeping up to date on the latest security updates (commonly called patches).
