Your data is important to us

We're a membership organisation which means at our heart is our students and the information process to make your University experience incredible. We also employ staff, work with suppliers and have customers for our commercial services so the information on this page is for those people too.

The way we manage and process your data is governed by the Data Protection Act 2018 and these web pages aim to explain how we manage your information inline with the Act and what this means for you. We've been really open and transparent on these pages to help you be fully informed and understand your rights - you can see: how we access your data; how we assess our processing activities; how we gain consent and how you can change your preferences; the training any data processors go through; who else processes data about you; and our policies for processing data.

Policy

The Union has appointed a Data Protection Officer and there is extensive guidance at:

• View our policy
• Processing
• Handbook
• Complaint Forms
• Assessment Forms
• Access Training

In creating our policy and guidance we have consulted with the following parties:

• Information Commissioner's Office
• University of Portsmouth
• Warner Goodman Solicitors
• National Union of Students
• Direct Marketing Associateion
• Data Protection Network

You can click here to read our data privacy record.

The data we process

• Student data
• Employee / Worker / Contractor data
• Supplier data
• Consumer data

Individual Data Rights

Your data rights

In each of the privacy statements set out above we outline how you can enact your rights. It's important you understand your data rights and we recommend you visit the ICO Website for more information.

Accessing Data

The Students' Union is not a publicly funded body so not subject to FOI requests however every individual has a right to control the data we hold on themselves. Our privacy statements outline how to complete a subject access request.

Our legal basis for processing your data

Contract

As student or staff you will likely have a contract with us when you use our services which allows us to facilitate our obligations to you.

Consent

We may ask you to consent to us processing your data for marketing purposes, CCTV coverage or engaging with our platforms.

Legal

We are obliged by various laws including the Education Act, Contracts Act and employment law to process certain data.

Legitimate Interest

We carefully balance your rights when we think there is a legitimate interest in us processing data to support you.

Further Information

Marketing Preferences

The Union and our portfolio of social enterprises carefully curate marketing and communications that might be relevant to you. Sometimes we need to send essential information where we believe there is a legitimate interest in you receiving this.

Our privacy statements detail more information about how we use your data to communicate with you or where you have given consent send you marketing. We use cookies to provide a tracking service of your usage with our website you should read our guidance on Cookies.

We always provide a way to opt out in our communications without affecting your membership and we will never sell your data to third parties.

Data Sharing

To help us deliver our charitable services we use external service providers who have limited access to your data and these are carefully managed by contracts and high levels of security standards.

Below we have outlined some of those who may process your data and where possible linked to their security information:

• Google - to provide office administration services
• National Governing Bodies - To register ahtletes as required
• Portsmouth Mediation Service - for service users
• Stripe - For payments on our website
• Uni. of Portsmouth - To import your experience
• Shopify - Recording membership & retail purchases
• View all third parties

Assessments

We carefully assess data processing activity before handling personal information.

View our assessments

Confidentiality

When you use our Advice Service we want you to be assured of our confidentiality.

View our statement

Compliance

We regularly review our compliance with statutory regulations and sector best practice.

View our assessment

Handbook

We have a handbook to guide the processing practices of those who handle personal data. 

View our handbook