Who we are and how to contact us
Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership (PSCP) is responsible for coordinating safeguarding arrangements to protect children in Portsmouth.
Portsmouth City Council is the Data Controller for the personal information processed by PSCP.
- Data Controller: Portsmouth City Council
- ICO registration number: Z5578313
- Address: Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, PO1 2EP
For general information about how Portsmouth City Council uses personal information, please see the Portsmouth City Council corporate privacy notice.
If you have questions about this notice or how your information is used, you can contact the Council’s Data Protection Officer using the details in section 'your data protection rights.'
Who this privacy notice applies to
This notice applies to personal information relating to:
- Children and young people involved in safeguarding activity
- Parents, carers, and family members
- Professionals and practitioners working with children
- People who contact PSCP, attend PSCP training, or participate in reviews
What personal information we collect
Depending on your relationship with PSCP, we may collect and process:
- Identity and contact details (such as name, email address, employer, job role)
- Training records, including courses attended
- Safeguarding information, including information about children, families, and professionals involved in safeguarding activity
- Correspondence with PSCP (emails, letters, and related records)
Some of this information may be special category personal data, including information about health, social care, or safeguarding concerns.
Why we use your information and our lawful basis
We use personal information to:
- Carry out safeguarding functions and statutory responsibilities
- Coordinate and support safeguarding practice and learning
- Deliver and manage safeguarding training
- Undertake safeguarding practice reviews
- Respond to enquiries and manage correspondence
The lawful bases we rely on under UK GDPR are:
- Article 6(1)(e) – processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority
Where special category personal data is processed, we rely on:
- Article 9(2)(g) – reasons of substantial public interest
- Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1, Part 2, paragraph 1 – statutory and government purposes
We only use personal information for purposes connected with safeguarding children and related partnership functions. We do not use personal data for marketing or advertising.
Who we share information with
We may share personal information where this is lawful and necessary with:
- Partner organisations involved in safeguarding children (such as health, police, education, and social care partners)
- Statutory bodies where required by law
- Council services supporting safeguarding functions
Information is shared on a need‑to‑know basis, with appropriate safeguards in place.
How long we keep personal information
We keep personal information in line with the Council’s retention schedules:
- Correspondence (including emails): up to 1 year
- Training records: up to 5 years
- Safeguarding Practice Reviews: up to 75 years from the child’s date of birth
Information is securely disposed of when it is no longer required.
How we keep personal information secure
Personal information is stored securely within systems hosted by Portsmouth City Council in UK‑based data centres.
- Access is restricted to authorised staff only
- Security measures include technical and organisational safeguards
- No personal information is transferred outside the UK
The Council’s IT services are certified to ISO 27001, an internationally recognised information security standard.
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you have rights including:
- The right to be informed
- The right of access to your personal information
- The right to rectification
- The right to restrict processing
- The right to object
The right to erasure (the “right to be forgotten”) is not absolute and does not generally apply where processing is necessary for safeguarding or other public task functions.
To exercise your rights or make a request, contact:
Data Protection Officer
Portsmouth City Council
Civic Offices,
Portsmouth,
PO1 2AL
Email: DataProtection@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
Telephone: 023 9282 2251
Complaints and concerns
If you have a complaint or query about how we collect and use personal information, if you would like a change to be made to your record, or want to object to processing, please contact us using the details below.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 (national rate)
Changes to this privacy notice
We may update this privacy notice from time to time to reflect changes in law or how PSCP operates.
Last updated: 22 October 2024