Scottish Animal Welfare Commission: applications information

The purpose of this notice is to let you know how the data you submit as part of your application for membership of the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) will be handled. We are providing you with this information to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation that came into force on 25 May 2018. 

Why we need your data

The legal basis underpinning the collation and processing of the information you provide to us is ‘legitimate interest’ as set out in article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulations. We are asking you to provide personal information as it is needed to inform the application and recruitment process for appointing commissioners to serve on the SAWC. The information you submit will allow the sifting panel to assess your eligibility, relevant experience and academic qualifications and allow an informed decision to be made on whether to invite you to interview and, if successful at interview, to be offered the opportunity to serve as a member of the SAWC.

What information are we requesting

In order to assess your suitability for appointment as a commissioner we need to know certain things about you. Accordingly, the application form requests:

• your title
• your name
• your address
• your home address
• your email address
• your home phone and mobile numbers
• your tertiary educational history and qualifications
• your employment history
• details of current/past membership of professional groups and bodies
• other relevant information that you feel it is important for us to know or that can help the sift / interview panel make an informed decision
• special category data: in this case details of any political activity you have undertaken in the past five years

Who will have access to your data

Any data you submit as part of your application will be received, acknowledged and filed by the SAWC Secretariat which is part of the Scottish Government’s Animal Welfare Team. Your details will be made available to the sift / interview panel to enable your application to be assessed. Your details will not be shared with or accessible to anyone not directly involved in the recruitment of commission members.

All information you submit will be stored electronically on the Scottish Government’s eRDM filing system, with access restricted only to the SAWC Secretariat who are employees of the Scottish Government.

Applicants who are successful and accept an offer of appointment should note that following your appointment certain information about you will be made public. There will be considerable public and stakeholder interest around who is eventually appointed to the SAWC and accordingly we need to release certain details such as your name, what you do, who you work for, and any membership you hold of relevant professional groups or bodies etc. By submitting an application for appointment you are agreeing to the release of such information should you be successful in becoming a member of the SAWC.

Limitations on use

The Scottish Government will use the information provided by applicants solely for the purpose of recruiting suitably qualified and experienced individuals to serve as commissioners on the SAWC.

Retention of your details

All applications received will be stored on eRDM, the Scottish Government’s secure electronic filing system. All data linked to applications from candidates not selected for appointment will be deleted from eRDM following completion of the appointments process. Successful applicants subsequently appointed as commissioners will have their information retained on eRDM for as long as they are serving members. When your service as a SAWC member ends your data will be deleted from eRDM.

Your rights

You do not have to provide answers to all the questions in the candidate application form, but in not doing so you should recognise that the sifting and interview panels may not have access to all the information needed to make a fully informed decision about your suitability to serve as a member of the SAWC.

You have the right to access the information that we hold about you. Should you wish to access this or should you have an enquiry or concern about this Privacy Notice then please contact the Scottish Government’s Data Protection and Information Assets Team at: dpa@gov.scot. You also have the right to raise a complaint directly with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). Additional information on your rights can be found on the ICO web site.

Alternatively, you can contact the Scottish Government’s Data Protection Officer.