Privacy Policy
Data Protection
Glin National College (GNC) is a data controller registered with the Data Protection Commissioner and is committed to protecting the rights and privacy of individuals in line with the Eight Data Protection Principles included in the Data Protection Acts. All our employees who collect or control the contents of personal data are also individually responsible for compliance with the Data Protection Acts.
To secure the confidentiality of the proprietary information stored by GNC and associated companies, we:
- Keep separate all proprietary information and all information generated by GNC and arising from any and all discussions, documents and other records of the company, its staff and its clients.
- Keep all documents and any other material bearing or incorporating any of the proprietary Information at our usual place of business in a secure location.
- Not verbally disclose, use, reproduce, transform, or store any of the proprietary information in an externally accessible computer or electronic information retrieval system or transmit it in any form outside of the company’s usual place of business without obtaining the other party’s prior written consent.
All information collected is given by the individuals concerned thus ensuring that it is accurate and up to date. At the close of all courses, participants are invited to submit any change of relevant information.
Data Collection
Personal Data held by GNC is adequate, relevant and not excessive for its purpose, which is communicating information relevant to the course. When personal information is collected, it is the policy of GNC to advise such individuals as to the use of such information, if any further information is required and if it is necessary to forward any of this on to relevant third parties, e.g. in relation to certification. The types of information gathered are:
- Contact details: name, postal and email address, telephone number, PPS number and date of birth
- Education and/or employment details
- Other applicable information, e.g. credit/debit card details
GNC respects privacy and does not collect or record personal information about a visitor except when it is provided via our booking system, an email or an enquiry/submission form enquiry, and this information is only used for the purpose for which the visitor intended. When we receive an email/enquiry, the original message is retained for a reasonable period of time and then the email message is either archived or deleted. Any information provided is not made available to third parties except in accordance with Irish and International legal requirements.
Technical details of a visit to GNC’s website are recorded for business reasons, but none of this information can be used to identify a visitor. Only the IP address and top-level domain name(s) are recorded, which is technical information used for statistical and other administrative purposes. Our website does not use cookies, except for “session” cookies, which enable a web browser to record pages on a website which have already been visited.
Use and Disclosure
There are specific rules within GNC which govern the use and disclosure of information:
- We only seek information necessary to ensure proper administration of the course.
- Only the necessary staff has access to such information.
- Before any information is used, permission is sought from all individuals.
We use collected data to:
- answer queries regarding any programmes the person may have an interest in
- meet our obligations to a learner under any agreement we have, e.g. inform feedback and results of assessments or notify of any change to a programme
- notify an employer of attendance records and assessment results, if a learner has enrolled in a course through their employer
- share what is relevant to certain outside parties in order to process certification (i.e. external assessors)
Further information may be sought if it is necessary to establish certain criteria prior to undertaking a course with us in order to assist or to determine the suitability of the course. Should it be necessary for any information to be forwarded to a third party, participants are notified at the time of applying to undertake a course/programme.
Storage
GNC has a policy on retention periods which is outlined in the GNC Record Management End of Life Schedule, so no data will be retained for longer than it’s necessary. We ensure the safety of all such information held, making sure that computers and databases are password secure, and all files (including manual ones) are safely and securely held.
Right of Access
We respect the right of any individual on whom we hold data to have access to that data and ensure that it is correct and obtained and processed fairly. All persons that request a copy of their personal data have a response within one month. Data provided is as it is retained on our system, either electronic or in hard copy. Requests to access information should be addressed to the company’s Data Protection officer and a fee is payable and should accompany the application.
Information will be provided in a clear and accessible manner and it shall not be passed on with respect to any individual without their consent. Steps to be taken to ensure that the data will not be sent to an erroneous individual shall include asking a specific security question or ringing a contact phone number.
In addition to rights of access, every individual about whom a data controller keeps personal data has the right to have any inaccurate information rectified or removed. If someone wishes to opt out of receiving any market materials from GNC, there is an opt-out facility. Should there be any reason for complaint or enquiry, the company’s Data Protection officer should be contacted.