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Advocate Panel App - Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice explains what data the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will collect about you when you use our online service to submit an application for the Advocate Panel, and how we may use that data.  

You can view this Privacy Notice at the start of the process and again at the end before you submit your application.

We are committed to protecting your privacy.  The personal data we collect about you will be limited to the handling of your application.  Within your application, you should only provide us with information that is relevant and necessary for us to process your application and any sensitive case information should be anonymised.  
 

Collecting your Personal Data 

If you are making an application to join the Advocate Panel, the personal data collected by us is limited to:

Your name;
Your work address;
Your work email address; 
Your Bar or Solicitors Regulation Authority number;
Your qualifications; 
Your secondments;
Information describing your skills and experience;


Demographic information 

The Advocate Panel arrangements follow the fundamental principles of the Equality Act 2010 and our Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).  Accordingly, all applicants to join the Advocate Panel are required to complete an Equality Monitoring Questionnaire.

The Duty covers age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, gender and sexual orientation and to a limited extent marriage and civil partnership referred to in the Act as ‘protected characteristics’.

The general equality duty is set out in section 149 of the Equality Act and requires that public bodies, in the exercise of their functions, have due regard to the need to:
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimization
- Advance equality of opportunity between different groups
- Foster good relations between different groups

In order to demonstrate compliance with the PSED the CPS is charged with taking reasonable and practicable steps to show due regard to the need to advance equality of opportunity. We are also required to publish anonymised, relevant and proportionate information to demonstrate compliance.

One of the ways the CPS meets this duty, is by collecting and analysing data on the protected characteristics of applicants to the Panel. This enables us to identify whether groups with protected characteristics are proportionately represented and take action where a group(s) is underrepresented.

Whilst we have a statutory obligation to do this, we believe there is a strong link between a diverse workforce and inclusive culture, public trust and confidence in the CPS. Our approach also supports the government social mobility agenda, which welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.


 Use of your Personal Data 

We use personal data such as:
- name, work address and Bar or SRA number so that we can verify your identity; 

- email address so that we can acknowledge your application and provide a response;

- email address so that we can contact you if we have a query or require further information;

- qualification, secondments and skills and experience so we can process your application;

- demographic information, which is anonymised, so that we can monitor and improve the services we provide.  
 

We respect your privacy and will not sell or make available in any way your personal data except where you have specifically asked us to do so or if we are required to do so by law. Your personal data will only be used for the purposes of processing your application to join the Advocate Panel.


Legal Basis for processing your Personal Data 

The legal basis we rely on for processing personal data is Article 6(1)(f) ‘processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by a controller’.  The processing of this data allows individuals to apply to join the Advocate Panel or upgrade their existing membership.  In turn, this enables the CPS to assess the individual’s application.  It is entirely your decision whether to provide the CPS with your personal data. 

The legal basis we rely on for processing the demographic data referred to above is 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 vested in the controller’ as the processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest. It is optional for you to provide this information but doing so allows the CPS to ensure the service we provide meets the requirements of people from different backgrounds.
 

Security of your Personal Data

We are committed to ensuring the security and privacy of the personal data that you provide us.  By implementing all the necessary technical and organisation measures we will protect it from loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure, alteration or destruction.  Your data will be stored in servers which are encrypted and will not be shared outside of the CPS. 

Access to the personal data you provide in relation to your application is restricted to individuals involved in its management.  
 

Retention of your personal data

The CPS retains and securely stores an application and supporting documentation for 5 years after application in order to deal with applicant queries and to facilitate monitoring and moderation of the application process.   The CPS additionally retains anonymised applications relating to previous Panel iterations.  In doing so we remove the link to the individual applicant but maintain the ability to conduct analysis regarding the recruitment, retention and progression of external advocates. 


Your rights 

Under the Data Protection Act 2018 you have a number of rights that you can exercise in regards to the data we process about you. Should you wish to find out more about what’s available please visit https://www.cps.gov.uk/data-protection-and-cps for further details.

 
The CPS is the data controller of any personal data you choose to include in your communication with us via this application. The contact details of the CPS Data Protection Officer are:
 
 Jackie Ronchetti
 Crown Prosecution Service
 102 Petty France
 London SW1H 9AE
 
Email: dataprotectionofficer@cps.gov.uk