Volunteers privacy notice

What personal data do we collect? 

We shall be processing the following personal data: 

  • First name, surname, home address, email address, phone number(s), social media handles, and signature; 
  • Date of birth, gender, marital status and number of dependents; 
  • Employment record including job titles, work history, working hours, start and end dates, training records, relevant qualifications and professional memberships; 
  • Where relevant, national insurance number, bank account details, payroll records and tax status information; 
  • Recruitment Information (e.g. application form, cover letter, CV, right to work documentation, references, assessment information); 
  • Publicly available information on social media or Companies House; 
  • Passport information and other relevant proof of identity documentation as required; 
  • Next of kin and other contact information for people contactable in an emergency; 
  • Any relevant ‘right to work’ information, health and safety information, any accessibility information, whether you have a disability, your ethnicity, political opinion and any criminal convictions; 
  • Language and behaviour of yourself within the public domain such as social media posts (X, Meta platforms, YouTube etc.); 
  • Further information you provide us in interviews, conversations and communications with us which may or may not be recorded; 
  • Assessments of your performance, including appraisals, performance reviews and ratings, training you have participated in, performance improvement plans and related correspondence; 
  • Information about your use of our information systems and IT assets; 
  • Photographs and videos including images recorded using CCTV; 
  • Recording of your voice; and 
  • Information collected from workforce management systems, including location data. 

We may also collect, store and use the “special categories” of more sensitive personal information including: 

  • Information about your health and medical conditions for health and safety reporting purposes; 
  • Information about your physical or mental health and any medical or health conditions, including whether or not you have a disability for which the organisation needs to make reasonable adjustments; 
  • Equal opportunities monitoring information, including information about your ethnic origin, sexual orientation, health and religion or belief; 
  • Details of trade union membership; and 
  • Criminal records information. 

Where do we get your personal data? 

We may collect personal data in a variety of ways and at a variety of times throughout our interactions with you. We refer to “direct data collection” when data is collected directly from you and we refer to “indirect data collection” when the data is not collected directly from you. Here is the list of ways we will collect your personal data from you: 

  • From yourself within an online/telephone interview (direct data collection); 
  • From yourself via an online survey or questionnaire you have completed which you have found online or that we have sent you (direct data collection); 
  • From yourself via email, telephone or face to face communications we have with you (direct data collection); 
  • From publicly available websites including, but not limited to, professional registration sites, social media sites, company websites, news outlets, and online publications etc. (indirect data collection); 
  • From yourself via an online application form you have completed (direct data collection); 
  • From a recruitment agency you have been in contact with (indirect data collection); 
  • From an individual you recommended you to us or has relevant information about you, which may include, but is not limited to, MPs, Labour Members, Labour Staff, other Labour volunteers and Specialist Volunteers, Labour Candidates, or members of a trade union etc. (indirect data collection); 
  • From individuals who provide a reference for you or other individuals that know you or are aware of you including, where relevant, police or other security or safeguarding services we may be in touch with or who make contact with us (indirect data collection); 
  • We may collect your Personal Data in the ordinary course of your volunteering relationship with us (e.g., when we on-board you as a new volunteer; when we Process your Personal Data for payment purposes; and when you use our IT systems) (direct data collection); 
  • We may collect Personal Data that you manifestly choose to make public, including via social media (to the extent that you choose to make your profile publicly visible) (indirect data collection); and 
  • Where you are an applicant for a Specialist Volunteer position, we may, with your prior express written consent, conduct background checks, in accordance with the protections provided by applicable law (indirect data collection). 

What do we use your personal data for and what is our lawful basis for using it? 

We will use your personal data for the following purposes and on the following lawful bases.  

Purpose for using personal data Lawful basis for using 
To enable you to apply and be interviewed for a Specialist Volunteer position you are interested in. The lawful basis we shall be relying on is the legitimate interest of the Data Controller in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(f). 
To reach out to you to ask if you are interested in being a Specialist Volunteer when we have gained your personal data from someone else. 
So we are able to review your eligibility to be a Specialist Volunteer for Labour including performing due diligence checks for ethical, safeguarding and security issues that may be of relevance. The lawful basis we shall be relying on is the legitimate interest of the Data Controller in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(f). And, The lawful basis we shall be relying on where processing is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of yourself or of another natural person is in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(d). 
So we are able to compare your information against information about you shared with us where you have been rejected for volunteering in other areas of Labour. 
So we are able to place you in the best possible role within any area of Labour which may include, and be interchangeable between, the National Labour Party, Constituency Labour Parties, MPs or Labour Candidate offices or any other specialist associated groups or socialist societies. The lawful basis we shall be relying on is the legitimate interest of the Data Controller in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(f). 
To inform a central database of all Labour volunteers which will be accessed by individuals who may want to find you where you have a particular skillset and then make contact with you to register your interest. 
We will share details of potential specialist volunteers with relevant key contacts within teams and units of the Party, or other Labour entities, where identified as appropriate and relevant for the skill base of the potential volunteer. This will include sharing CVs, personal contact details, and any relevant information gleaned from prior conversations with that volunteer. The lawful basis we shall be relying on is the legitimate interest of the Data Controller in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(f). 
Reporting and management of health and safety incidents you may be involved in. The lawful basis we shall be relying on where processing is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of yourself or of another natural person is in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(d). 
Management of internal communications; provision and Maintenance of IT systems and office equipment; equipment allocation record-keeping; operation of IT security, firewalls and anti-virus software; and IT security processes; and audits. The lawful basis we shall be relying on is the legitimate interest of the Data Controller in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(f). 
Compliance with internal policies, codes of conduct and legal/regulatory obligations; disciplinary and grievance investigations; conciliation procedures; disciplinary procedures; and governance and internal reporting. The lawful basis we shall be relying on is the legitimate interest of the Data Controller in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(f). And, The lawful basis we shall be relying on where processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which Labour is subject is in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(c). 
For internal communications and management of industrial relations. The lawful basis we shall be relying on is the legitimate interest of the Data Controller in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(f). 
Managing you throughout your time as a Specialist Volunteer. This includes, maintaining files on you, including volunteer agreements, CVs, NDAs, due diligence etc. 
Dealing with legal disputes involving you or other volunteers, employees, interns, workers and contractors. The lawful basis we shall be relying on where processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which Labour is subject is in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(c). 
Sharing your details with travel providers for making business travel arrangements on your behalf. The lawful basis we shall be relying on is the legitimate interest of the Data Controller in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(f). 
To send you surveys, questionnaires and webforms and the collection, analysis and further of the information you provide via these means which shall mainly be collated as aggregated statistical information. The lawful basis we shall be relying on is the legitimate interest of the Data Controller in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(f). 
Monitoring your use of Labour’s information technology and communications systems (including personal devices connected to Labour managed networks) and the information they contain, including network traffic and usage data, for purposes that may include systems maintenance, security, compliance with legal requirements and implementation of internal policies and procedures and to enforce our policies and help protect against unauthorised access or data leakage. The lawful basis we shall be relying on is the legitimate interest of the Data Controller in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(f). And, The lawful basis we shall be relying on where processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which Labour is subject is in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(c). And, The lawful basis we shall be relying on where processing is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of yourself or of another natural person is in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(d). 
We will email volunteers with potential opportunities or other relevant updates where necessary. The lawful basis we shall be relying on is the legitimate interest of the Data Controller in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(f). 
We may use examples of successful specialist volunteering as case studies to widen awareness and use of specialist volunteering across the Party. The consent you have provided us for this use of your personal data in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(a). 
To identify personal data and take relevant action upon submission of a data subject rights request.  Compliance with a legal obligation under UK GDPR Article 6.1(c). The legal obligation is the UK General Data Protection Regulation to uphold your data protection rights. Special categories of personal data used for the purpose of Substantial Public Interest (Preventing or detecting unlawful acts; Protecting the public; Regulatory requirements) under UK GDPR Article 9.2(g). 
To be able to assess any impact on individuals of a data breach involving personal data held on Labour Party systems or on third party systems. 
To help protect an individual from neglect or physical, mental or emotional harm, or protect the physical, mental or emotional well-being of an individual. Use of the personal data is necessary to protect the vital interests of an individual or individuals in accordance with UK GDPR Article 6.1(d). Special categories of personal data used for the purpose of Substantial Public Interest (Preventing or detecting unlawful acts; Protecting the public; Regulatory requirements) under UK GDPR Article 9.2(g). 
To deal with legal claims and ongoing litigation cases. Compliance with a legal obligation under UK GDPR Article 6.1(c). The legal obligation is the UK General Data Protection Regulation to uphold your data protection rights. Special categories of personal data used for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or whenever courts are acting in their judicial capacity under UK GDPR Article 9.2(f). 

Conditions for processing sensitive personal data 

We will only process the “special categories” of more sensitive personal data where we meet one of the conditions required by law for doing so. This includes complying with legal obligations or exercising specific rights in the field of employment law. We may also ask for your explicit consent to process some special categories of personal data.  

We process special categories of personal data when we collect or process information about your physical or mental health, or disability status, to ensure your health and safety in the workplace and to assess your fitness to work, to provide appropriate workplace adjustments, to monitor and manage sickness absence and to administer benefits.  

We may process criminal records information to comply with a legal obligation, to protect the welfare of employees and clients, and to take appropriate action in the event of any concerns raised about an employee, worker, intern, employee support worker, volunteer, Specialist Volunteer or contractor. 

If you have interacted with Labour in a different way and if you expected to see something different to the list above, you can access all of our privacy notices by clicking here. If it is still not there, feel free to get in touch as mentioned below. 

Who do we share your personal data with? 

Any data shared with the below categories of recipients is the minimum necessary for the task they have been instructed to carry out on our behalf or in conjunction with us. Each category of recipient is subject to review by the Data Protection Team to make sure they have the right methods in place for keeping your personal data secure. 

Where the sharing of personal data is within the context of a product or service being supplied under contract to Labour, a Data Processing Agreement, in accordance with GDPR Article 28 is put in place. This makes sure the supplier cannot use your personal data outside of the list of uses above. 

Within the purposes of using your personal data, as listed above, we will share your personal data with the following: 

  1. Pre-approved digital communications and storage providers; 
  1. Pre-approved online survey, questionnaire or web-form platform providers; 
  1. Any department or unit within the National Labour Party; 
  1. Any Constituency Labour Party (CLP) or Labour Candidate or MP’s office (all of which are separate data controllers although this Privacy Notice will be relevant for any work you do with or for them); 
  1. Any relevant socialist societies or affiliated organisations which you may be placed to be a Specialist Volunteer; and 
  1. Other volunteers and Specialist Volunteers who may be working with you. 

There may be scenarios where we are subject to a legal obligation to disclose or share your personal data, such as with law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies or public authorities in order to prevent or detect crime, or prove we have adhered to their request. We will only ever disclose your personal data to these third parties to the extent we are required to do so by law. 

Data sharing with a third-party organisation that is not a supplier of a product or service to Labour does not occur unless there is a legal obligation or sound lawful purpose for such sharing.  For any such sharing we put a Data Sharing Agreement in place between Labour and the third-party containing specific information in accordance with the Information Commissioner’s Office ‘Data sharing code of practice’.  

This will include giving only relevant and often only geographically restricted access to your personal data to our local Labour Party organisations, Labour Candidates hoping to be elected, Labour Councillors, Labour Mayors and Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) so they can all conduct their democratic engagement activities. 

You can find further information on how local Labour Party organisations, Labour Candidates hoping to be elected, Labour Councillors, Labour Mayors and Labour Members of Parliament (MPs) use your personal data on their respective websites and more generally within our list of privacy notices which can be accessed by clicking here

Information on the meaning of ‘democratic engagement’ for national and local political parties, and their candidates and elected representatives can be found by clicking here. 

In all circumstances, the unlawful and unauthorised sharing of copies of personal data in which the Labour Party is the data controller is expressly prohibited. Any unauthorised sharing of Labour Party data is classified as a data breach which we will record and report to the ICO as required. 

How long will we keep your personal data? 

We only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. 

 In some circumstances we may anonymise your personal data so that it can no longer be associated with you, in which case we may use such information without further notice to you.  

Once you are no longer a Specialist Volunteer and have not become an employee of Labour we will delete and securely destroy your personal information within 7 years of you time with Labour coming to an end. 

What are your rights and how can you express them? 

To understand your data privacy rights and to submit a rights request, the best way to do so is by visiting the ‘YOUR RIGHTS’ page on our website which you can get to by clicking here

How can you complain about our use your personal data? 

The best way to make a complaint is by visiting our page on ‘HOW TO MAKE A DATA PROTECTION COMPLAINT’ which you can access by clicking here.

How can you contact us about this privacy notice? 

If you have any questions about the information in this privacy notice, then you can contact the Data Protection Team via email using [email protected] or by post within a letter to: 

Labour Statutory Data Protection Officer 

The Labour Party, Southworks, 20 Rushworth Street, United Kingdom, SE1 0SS 

When was this privacy notice last updated? 

We may update this notice (and any supplemental privacy notice), from time to time as shown below. We will notify you of the changes where required by applicable law to do so. 

Last modified: 05 March 2024.