Personal data held by public bodies may be confidential and highly sensitive. For instance, if you have had dealings with social services, child protection agencies, social housing or the criminal justice system. These organisations have a legal duty to protect your personal data.
Under certain circumstances, this data may be held and shared without your consent. But any use must be justified under the data protection laws, and importantly, it must be accurate.
You can find out what data is held on you by an organisation, public or private, by making a Subject Access Request free of charge. Organisations must respond within one calendar month and, although they can withhold information in certain circumstances (usually to do with identifying third parties), the information should be as full and transparent as is reasonable.
Inaccurate data held on you is a data breach. You have a right to have inaccurate data corrected and, where a significant data breach has occurred, you may be due compensation.
In particular, DRM Legal can assist you with data breach claims in relation to:
the police
local authorities including social services
educational institutions
health authorities including the NHS
the government
public and private bodies in respect of financial data
Our specialist team at DRM Legal has a wealth of experience in handling sensitive legal issues and we have a professional and sympathetic understanding of client needs.