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The legislative requirements fall under three headings - data protection, requests for information under Freedom of Information legislation and records management. The SSSC Information Governance Team support staff to ensure we meet the legislative requirements.
For further information or queries on how we handle information, contact the team at informationgovernance@sssc.uk.com.
This means we will process the data we hold lawfully and securely. Our Data Protection Officer is responsible for how we do this.
We hold personal data about different groups of people we come into contact with. This notice tells you what we collect, why and who we share it with.
View the Data protection and privacy notice
We are committed to ensuring that we treat personal data lawfully and correctly. Our Data Protection Policy sets out how we comply with data protection legislation and how we handle personal data.
View our Data Protection Policy
Individuals can request a copy of any information we hold about them in terms of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Such requests are known as ‘Subject Access Requests’ and individuals can make these requests either verbally or in writing. For more information on how to make a request click here.
We may share information with third party bodies or organisations if doing so would be compliant with data protection legislation. The SSSC has entered into several data sharing agreements. Contact our Information Governance Team at informationgovernance@sssc.uk.com for details.
You can view a list of our Data and Information Sharing Agreements here.
There are a few exceptions that mean we might need to withhold information that may be personal or commercially sensitive. We may also withhold information where it would cost an excessive amount to provide.
Please be specific about the information you are looking for, for example, does a specific date or time period apply?
Freedom of information (FOI) only provides a right of access to information an organisation has recorded. This means it must be stored and held in some way, for example, in a report, spreadsheet, email, or a minute from a meeting.
The Scottish Information Commissioner’s Tips for asking for information under FOI provide simple advice.
All requests should be in writing and sent by email to informationgovernance@sssc.uk.com or post to:
Scottish Social Services Council
Freedom of information request
Compass House
11 Riverside Drive
Dundee
DD1 4NY
We will respond to all requests within 20 working days.
If you are dissatisfied with the way we have dealt with a request and want us to conduct a review of our decision you should write to us no later than 40 working days after you received the response using the contact details above.
If you are dissatisfied with our response to a request for a review you can make an application for a decision to the Scottish Information Commissioner at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Email: enquiries@foi.scot
Website: www.foi.scot
Our disclosure log shows all the FOI requests we’ve responded to, their outcome, and where applicable, our response. This means you can quickly and easily see questions we have already answered.
You may not need to ask for information, for example, if it is already available. We are required to publish a scheme specifying the types of information we publish or intend to publish. We use the Scottish Information Commissioner’s Model Publication Scheme and you can get information on how it works on the Scottish Information Commissioner's website.
We have produced an FOI Guide to Information 2022 that:
We are committed to making the data we produce available to the public for reuse. We keep an open data publication schedule which we update regularly as we make more of our data available in this format.
Any open data we make available will have an associated open licence. This licence will tell you what you can do with the data. We use the Open Government licensing scheme (OGL), although we also licence some of our data under Creative Commons and the Non-commercial Government licence.
We will never release personally or commercially sensitive data.
You can ask for information not already published as open data through processes such as Freedom of Information, but any information disclosed in this way may have copyright protection. This means you may not have the automatic right to reuse it other than for its original purpose. If you are looking for information held by us with a view to reusing it in some way you must first ask for our permission.
The framework for the process of reuse is set out in regulations. We have a Statement of Public Task that describes the information we produce, hold and send out.
Make a request to reuse information by emailing the Information Governance Team at informationgovernance@sssc.uk.com. Please describe clearly the information you are asking for and that you are asking for it under the Reuse of Public Sector Information Regulations.
We usually deal with requests within 20 working days. Our response will tell you about any conditions for reuse and if we will charge you a fee to reuse the information.
The management of our own records is essential to protect and preserve them as evidence of actions, support future activities and business decisions and ensure accountability to present and future stakeholders.
The Records Management Policy sets out the procedures and practices needed to control and manage our records.
The Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011 requires that public authorities submit a Records Management Strategy and Plan for agreement by the Keeper of Records of Scotland and to manage its records in accordance with the plan.
We will only retain your information for as long as we consider necessary to support our statutory functions and to satisfy any legal, accounting or reporting requirements. At the end of this period the information will be destroyed or deleted in line with our retention schedule.
