Your data & GDPR at Lifeline

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Lifeline Language Services Ltd is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under registration number Z5756712. You can view the entry here.

Like most companies, Lifeline has to collect and use certain information about the individuals we interact with as part of our operations. Individuals include employees, customers, and suppliers. We may also have to collect and use information to comply with legal requirements, or with legitimate client demands.

All such information must of course be handled properly. The Data Protection Act 1998, now superseded by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), provides for the safeguarding of this information – you can read more about GDPR on the Information Commissioner’s Office page here.

Proper handling of this information by Lifeline is key to our success, and is essential to maintain the confidence of those we interact with. So we must ensure we treat personal information legally and correctly.

This is nothing new for us – we’ve always taken great care to handle others’ information securely and properly. The GDPR requirements do however provide a more structured framework for this, which we welcome.

The Principles of Data Protection

Article 5 of the GDPR states that personal information shall be:

1. processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to individuals;
2. adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they are processed;
3. collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner that is incompatible with those purposes;
4. accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date; every reasonable step must be taken to ensure that personal data that are inaccurate, having regard to the purposes for which they are processed, are erased or rectified without delay;
5. kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the personal data are processed; personal data may be stored for longer periods insofar as the personal data will be processed solely for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes subject to implementation of the appropriate technical and organisational measures required by the GDPR in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of individuals;
6. processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical or organisational measures.

Our commitment to doing this

We will ensure we provide appropriate management, rules and controls to:

• ensure the collection and use of personal information is fair
• meet all legal obligations to say why and how such personal information is used
• collect and process only appropriate personal information, only as far as needed, and only to fulfil operational needs or comply with legal requirements
• ensure the quality of personal information used
• make sure personal information is held for no longer than is necessary
• allow affected individuals to fully exercise their rights under the Act
• take appropriate technical and organisational security measures to safeguard personal information
• ensure that personal information does not leave the Company except to provide the client’s required services, or as required by law

What we are doing

The GDPR framework sets out several key actions. These include:

• identifying what information is held and processed, and why, through an Information Audit
• implementing appropriate IT and physical security measures
• designing and implementing appropriate procedures and systems
• training our staff in these, and the general handling of personal information
• imposing confidentiality requirements upon employees and subcontractors. These subcontractors are those who for operational reasons, such as translation or interpreting assignments, need access to relevant information. The information passed to these subcontractors is strictly limited to only what they directly need.

You have control of your data

Our enquiry and callback forms specifically ask you to confirm that you are happy for us to use your information in total confidence in order to handle your request. Until you do so, and click Send, no information is collected by us.

You can click Send knowing that your data will be handled properly, as above, and shared only with the employees or subcontractors directly involved in satisfying your request.

We never share your personal data with parties outside that, unless obliged to do so by law.

We will retain only data that is needed, and only for as long as is necessary. Please note that in particular no credit card data is retained, ever.

“So can I withdraw my consent for you to process my data? What about my ‘right to be forgotten’?”

We only use your data to deliver your requested work, such as a translation. We don’t send email newsletters or hassle you in other ways and we never, ever pass your data on to anyone not directly involved in delivering your project.

If as a private individual you request a quotation from us but choose not to proceed (unusual, but it happens), the data you have given us will be erased anyway after 2 years. The “2 years” is because we’ve found that many enquirers come back to us with that period and our having their information to hand helps both parties. You can of course request to be removed sooner if you wish.

If we do a job for you then – unsurprisingly – you will remain on our system since we will have invoiced you. We also have to retain customer data for legal and insurance reasons for a certain period; after that, a private individual’s data will as far as possible be erased from our systems. However, no further processing of your data will occur unless you come back to us with another request.

We trust that this reassures you.

Thank you for your interest in Lifeline Language Services Ltd – we hope the above information puts your mind at rest, and we look forward to working with you. If you do still have any other concerns however, please give us a call on 0800 783 4678 – we’ll be happy to help.