Personal data requests procedure

How to make a personal data request, and what to do if you receive one.

Last reviewed: 6 July 2022

This guidance is part of our Managing information procedure.

We all have rights about the personal data organisations hold on us.

That includes the information Girlguiding holds about our young members, parents and carers, and volunteers.

Data protection laws give everyone rights over the personal data we hold and use about them. These rights are: 

  1. The right to be informed about the data we hold on them. 
  2. The right to be provided with copies of the data we hold about them. This is known as a Subject Access Request  
  3. The right to have the data we hold about them corrected if they believe it’s wrong. 
  4. The right to have the data we hold about them deleted. 
  5. The right to ask us to stop using the data we hold about them. 
  6. The right to be provided with copies of the data we hold about them in a format another organisation can use. 
  7. The right to object to data processing. 
  8. The right to object to or prevent automated decision-making and profiling.

Some exemptions to these rules allow Girlguiding to refuse personal data requests in certain circumstances. You can find out more about your personal data rights on the Information Commissioner’s Office website. 

Receiving and responding to data requests 

As a Girlguiding volunteer you might receive a data request from someone else involved in Girlguiding. 

You might be asked to: 

  • provide copies of someone’s data 
  • check or correct someone’s data 
  • delete someone’s data 
  • stop taking an action based on the data we hold about someone. 

Or you may receive questions like: 

  • ‘I want to see and be provided with copies of the data you hold about me.’ 
  • ‘I want you to delete my daughter’s information from your records.’ 
  • ‘Why are you using my data? I haven’t given you permission to do that.’ 
  • ‘Are you allowed to use my personal data to do that?’ 

It’s important you deal with these requests in line with data protection law and our own policies.  

If the query is about updating details on GO, you can do this locally. Parents or carers, Rangers and volunteers over the age of 14 can log in and update GO themselves. It’s the unit leaders’ responsibility to make sure information on GO is up to date, so it’s important you support everyone to update their details, or make the updates for them. You don’t need to let HQ or our Data Protection team know about updating details on GO. 

If you can’t deal with the request quickly at a local level, you must forward on the request for information to our Data Protection team. Don’t make the request on the person’s behalf. 

You can also direct the person making the request to the making a data request section at the bottom of this page so they can find out more. 

What happens next? 

Once our team at HQ has processed a data request, we may need to get back in touch to find out what information you have locally. 

If you’re a commissioner, we may need your help to gather the information held about the person at a local level. If this happens, our Data Protection team will let you know exactly what you need to do. You can delegate this task to another appropriate volunteer. 

We may ask you to review and share information from any email accounts you’ve used for your Girlguiding role if you hold personal data on the person. Our Data Protection team will support you with this. 

By law Girlguiding HQ must respond to data requests within 30 days. Your help is important so we can meet this deadline.  

Data requests from non-Girlguiding members 

If you receive a request for information from a non-Girlguiding member, including the police, an embassy or another agency, ask them to contact our Data Protection team at HQ. 

We’ll make sure their request is legitimate. If necessary, we may come back to you for any relevant information you hold. 

We’re here to help 

We want you to feel confident about how to direct these queries. If you’re ever unsure what to do, or have any questions or concerns, please get in touch.  

Email us at [email protected]. Or give us a call on +44 (0)20 7834 6242 ext. 3060. 

Any Girlguiding member can make a data request. Parents and carers can make data requests on behalf of children under 13. 

Not every data request involves filling out a form. You or your local guiding team can usually sort out personal data that needs corrected. 

  • If you’re a parent or carer, Ranger, or volunteer over the age of 14, you can check and update personal data on GO yourself. 
  • You can speak to your unit leader about updating any other records. 

If you need to make a data request, you can either: 

or 

  • write to the Data Protection team at Girlguiding, 17-19 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0PT. 

You can use our Individual Rights Request form if you want to exercise your rights to:  

  • correct your personal data 
  • erase your personal data 
  • object to the further processing of your personal data 
  • be provided with copies of the data we hold on you in a format another organisation can use. 

You can use our Subject Access Request form if you want a copy of the data Girlguiding holds about you.  

You’ll hear from us within 30 days. You can find more information about the process and what to expect on each of the forms. 

For more support get in touch by emailing [email protected], or call us on +44 (0)20 7834 6242 ext. 3060.