GDPR Statement

This is the GDPR Statement for The Independent Family Funeral Directors Ltd t/a Fosters Family Funeral Directors referred to in this statement as ‘We’.

Introduction

The EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) came into force across the European Union on 25th May 2018 and brings with it the most significant changes to data protection law in two decades. Based on privacy by design and taking a risk-based approach, the GDPR has been designed to meet the requirements of the digital age.

The 21st Century brings with it broader use of technology, new definitions of what constitutes personal data, and a vast increase in cross-border processing. The new Regulation aims to standardise data protection laws and processing across the EU; affording individuals stronger, more consistent rights to access and control their personal information.

Our Commitment

We are committed to ensuring the security and protection of the personal information that we process and to provide a compliant and consistent approach to data protection. We have always had a robust and effective data protection program in place which complies with existing law and abides by the data protection principles. However, we recognise our obligations in updating and expanding this program to meet the demands of the GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We are dedicated to safeguarding the personal information under our remit and in developing a data protection regime that is effective, fit for purpose and demonstrates an understanding of, and appreciation for the new Regulation. Our preparation and objectives for GDPR compliance have been summarised in this statement and include the development and implementation of new data protection roles, policies, procedures, controls and measures to ensure maximum and ongoing compliance.

GDPR Compliance

We already have a consistent level of data protection and security across our organisation.

Our preparation included: –

Information Audit – carried out a company-wide information audit to identify and assess what personal information we hold, where it comes from, how and why it is processed and if and to whom it is disclosed.

Policies & Procedures – Implemented new data protection policies and procedures to meet the requirements and standards of the GDPR and any relevant data protection laws, including: –

Data Protection – our main policy and procedure document for data protection has been overhauled to meet the standards and requirements of the GDPR. Accountability and governance measures are in place to ensure that we understand and adequately disseminate and evidence our obligations and responsibilities; with a dedicated focus on privacy by design and the rights of individuals.

Data Retention & Erasure – we have updated our retention policy and schedule to ensure that we meet the ‘data minimisation’ and ‘storage limitation’ principles and that personal information is stored, archived and destroyed compliantly and ethically. We have dedicated erasure procedures in place to meet the new ‘Right to Erasure’ obligation and are aware of when this and other data subject’s rights apply; along with any exemptions, response timeframes and notification responsibilities.

Data Breaches – our breach procedures ensure that we have safeguards and measures in place to identify, assess, investigate and report any personal data breach at the earliest possible time. Our procedures are robust and have been disseminated to all employees, making them aware of the reporting lines and steps to follow.

Data Transfers Outside The European Economic Area – If the company seeks to transfer data outside the European Economic Area such data will only be transferred to countries deemed by the European Commission to provide adequate data protection. Furthermore, the Company will obtain the prior consent of all employees whose data is likely to be transferred.

Subject Access Request (SAR) – we have revised our SAR procedures to accommodate the revised one month timeframe for providing the requested information and for making this provision free of charge. Our new procedures detail how to verify the data subject, what steps to take for processing an access request, what exemptions apply and a suite of response templates to ensure that communications with data subjects are compliant, consistent and adequate.

Legal Basis for Processing – we are reviewing all processing activities to identify the legal basis for processing and ensuring that each basis is appropriate for the activity it relates to. Where applicable, we also maintain records of our processing activities, ensuring that our obligations under Article 30 of the GDPR and Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Bill are met.

Privacy Notice/Policy – we have revised our Privacy Notice(s) to comply with the GDPR, ensuring that all individuals whose personal information we process have been informed of why we need it, how it is used, what their rights are, who the information is disclosed to and what safeguarding measures are in place to protect their information.

Obtaining Consent – we have revised our consent mechanisms for obtaining personal data, ensuring that individuals understand what they are providing, why and how we use it and giving clear, defined ways to consent to us processing their information. We have developed stringent processes for recording consent, making sure that we can evidence an affirmative opt-in, along with time and date records; and an easy to see and access way to withdraw consent at any time.

Direct Marketing – we have revised the wording and processes for direct marketing, including clear opt-in mechanisms for marketing subscriptions; a clear notice and method for opting out and providing unsubscribe features on all subsequent marketing materials.

Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA) – where we process personal information that is considered high risk, involves large scale processing or includes special category/criminal conviction data; we have developed stringent procedures and assessment templates for carrying out impact assessments that comply fully with the GDPR’s Article 35 requirements. We have implemented documentation processes that record each assessment, allow us to rate the risk posed by the processing activity and implement mitigating measures to reduce the risk posed to the data subject(s).

Processor Agreements – where we use any third-party to process personal information on our behalf (i.e. Payroll, Recruitment, Hosting etc), we have drafted compliant Processor Agreements and due diligence procedures for ensuring that they (as well as we), meet and understand their/our GDPR obligations. These measures include initial and ongoing reviews of the service provided, the necessity of the processing activity, the technical and organisational measures in place and compliance with the GDPR.

Special Categories Data – where we obtain and process any special category information, we do so in complete compliance with the Article 9 requirements and have high-level encryptions and protections on all such data. Special category data is only processed where necessary and is only processed where we have first identified the appropriate Article 9(2) basis or the Data Protection Bill Schedule 1 condition. Where we rely on consent for processing, this is explicit and is verified by a signature via our application forms, with the right to modify or remove consent being clearly signposted.

Data Subject Rights

In addition to the policies and procedures mentioned above that ensure individuals can enforce their data protection rights, we provide easy to access information via our website, in the office and during an induction. An individual has the right to access any personal information that we process about them and to request information about: –

  • What personal data we hold about them
  • The purposes of the processing
  • The categories of personal data concerned
  • The recipients to whom the personal data has/will be disclosed
  • How long we intend to store your personal data for
  • If we did not collect the data directly from them, information about the source
  • The right to have incomplete or inaccurate data about them corrected or completed and the process for requesting this
  • The right to request erasure of personal data (where applicable) or to restrict processing in accordance with data protection laws, as well as to object to any direct marketing from us and to be informed about any automated decision-making that we use
  • The right to lodge a complaint or seek judicial remedy and who to contact in such instances
  • Information Security & Technical and Organisational Measures

We take the privacy and security of individuals and their personal information very seriously and take every reasonable measure and precaution to protect and secure the personal data that we process. We have robust information security policies and procedures in place to protect personal information from unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction and have several layers of security measures, including: –

  • SSL
  • Password Policy
  • Encryptions
  • Data Security Policy
  • Best Practices
  • Restriction of Data
  • Authentication
  • Access Controls
  • GDPR Roles and Employees

We have designated a Data Protection Officer. They are responsible for promoting awareness of the GDPR across the organisation, assessing our GDPR readiness, identifying any gap areas and implementing the new policies, procedures and measures.

Our Data Protection Officer is:

Samurai Digital Security Ltd
Unit 3, Hazel Court, Midland Way,
Barlborough,
Chesterfield
S43 4FD

We understand that continuous employee awareness and understanding is vital to the continued compliance of the GDPR and have involved our employees in our preparation plans. We have implemented an employee training program and forms part of our induction and annual training program.

If you have any questions about our GDPR practices, please contact our Data Protection Officer. You can write to:

DPO, Fosters Family Funeral Directors,
147 St George’s Rd,
Glasgow
G3 6LB

or email dpo@fostersfuneraldirectors.com if you have any further questions.

Personal Data Handling

Our customer care commitment

We are committed to ensuring the security and protection of the personal information that we process, and to provide a compliant and consistent approach to data protection.

We always aim to provide the highest possible standards of service. We do however appreciate that from time to time things can go wrong. If we do not meet your expectations or you are dissatisfied with the service we have provided then we want to hear from you.
How to make a complaint

We aim to ensure that:

  • Making a complaint is as easy as possible
  • We deal with your complaint promptly and in confidence
  • You receive a fair outcome
  • We learn from complaints and use the feedback to improve our service

You can make a complaint by the following methods:

  • In writing: DPO Complaint, Fosters Family Funeral Directors, 147 St George’s Rd, Glasgow G3 6LB
  • By e-mail: dpo@fostersfuneraldirectors.com
  • By telephone: 0800 121 8090

Lines are open 09.00-18.00 Monday to Friday and 09.00-13.00 on Saturday

We will

  • Acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days of receipt
  • Investigate your complaint and aim to provide a final response within one month but no later than three months from the date of receipt.
  • If we are unable to resolve your complaint within one month we will provide you with a written update on why we need the extra time.

What to do if you are not happy with the outcome of your complaint in relation to the way we have handled your personal data

We want to resolve your complaint relating to Personal Data handling and provide you with a fair outcome. If we can’t reach an agreement you can refer your complaint to the ICO by either calling their helpline on 0303 123 1113 or by visiting https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Our ICO Registration number is ZA565305.

Our ICO registry record is found at https://ico.org.uk/ESDWebPages/Entry/ZA565305

GDPR Statement Updated: 29th January 2021