Data Protection: How The Law Affects You
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Course Overview
All staff handle personal data on other individuals, be they students, other staff or members of the public. Personal data can be as elaborate as a student record or a personnel file, or as simple as an individual's name and address. The Data Protection Act imposes specific legal obligations and restrictions on how personal data can be gathered, used and disseminated. It also gives individuals a right of access to their personal data. All staff therefore need to understand their obligations under the Data Protection Act.
This briefing will provide staff with detailed training in the requirements of the Data Protection Act, focussing on how these requirements impact on day to day working practices. Topics covered will include:
- the Data Protection Principles and other legal requirements;
- rights of data subjects;
- access to personal data;
- gathering, using and transferring data;
- data security;
- retention/destruction of data;
- references and examinations;
- the interaction between Data Protection and Freedom of Information;
- and Data Protection policies, procedures and best practice.
The focus will be on Data Protection implementation at SOAS, but reference will also be made to the policies and procedures of other Bloomsbury Colleges.
This course is open to SOAS staff and to staff from other Bloomsbury Colleges.
Staff who are interested in this course may also be interested in:
- Six Easy Steps to Managing Information: Introductory training in records management, Data Protection and Freedom of Information
- Freedom of Information - How the Law Affects You: detailed training in the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.
- Managing Your Records Effectively: detailed training in the theory and practice of records management.
Objectives and learning outcomes of the course
- Participants will develop an effective understanding of the legal requirements of Data Protection, and SOAS's Data Protection policies and procedures;
- Participants will leave with the knowledge necessary to translate these requirements into their daily working practices.
