Privacy Notice
Organisation address: OSCAR, City Works, Alfred Street, Gloucester, GL1 4DF.
Data Protection Officer: Mike Frith (at above address)
We are committed to respecting and protecting your privacy, and strive to take all appropriate measures to keep your personal information safe.
We aim to be clear about what we intend to use your details for and only process them in ways that you would reasonably expect. We do not share your details with third parties for marketing purposes.
We aim to keep your details and communication preferences current and give you regular opportunities to update or remove any of your personal information from our systems.
When you access or request directly any of the following services from OSCAR, you are agreeing to the terms of this Privacy Notice.
Collecting Data:
Email Newsletters
Individuals can sign up to our email lists directly by one of these methods:
- Online, through a detailed form or via their personal account explaining each list and giving options to subscribe to individual lists (e.g. oscar.org.uk/contact)
- At an event through a paper form, where each list is explained and options given to subscribe to individual lists
- By direct contact (email, telephone or face-to-face) where the options are explained and individual's request clarified
Utilising Services
We research, maintain and regularly check the name and contact details of individuals when they have identified themselves--either directly with OSCAR or indirectly in publicly available sources (i.e. their organisation's website or the Charity Commission website)--as a contact or representative of an organisation or group that may benefit from accessing OSCAR's services such as information, advertising, sponsorship or training.
Where initial contact is made, this is usually either by the individual's request (Consent) or when we have identified them as a potential match for a service we provide (Legitimate Interest).
Once a service is being provided, their information is used as necessary in order to provide them with this service which they agree to when they sign up to that service (Performance of Contract). This includes regular contact to provide instruction and reporting on that service.
Making Donations
When an individual makes a donation through independent fundraising sites (e.g. PayPal, Stewardship or CAF), personal details are collected by them in order to process that donation. The donor should check the sites' own Privacy Policy for details of how they process the data and what information is passed on to OSCAR.
Directory Listings
OSCAR's service as an online directory entails that we have an online list of different organisations, service providers, churches and resources relevant to the wide field of Christian service and mission. These listings have been submitted by the bodies concerned, been recommended by OSCAR users, or obtained through research findings of published information. The listings do not include personal data such as private contact details and home addresses except in the circumstances when an individual has asked us to list their contact information for a specific purpose (e.g. if someone runs a counselling service or a small business from their home, or wants to let a room in their house), or if a person has listed their contact information in the public domain as the contact for a charity, church or organisation (e.g. a trustee's address for a small organisation without a separate office or a Minister or lead elder of a 'house church').
Any service / organisation / church / resource listed on the OSCAR website can request to be removed from the website at any time using the online form, or by email, post or phone.
Using the Website
In order to provide our online services, we use various other companies for website hosting (Krystal, Ning), website management (Ascent Creative) and email management (mailgun) and enter into our own agreement with them for these services.
We use 'cookies' to enhance user experience of our website. Some of these are essential, others provide extra non-essential functionality. We may also collect web analytical data to improve our services and tailor our user engagement. Our website's cookie consent tool ensures users are both informed and given the option for all non-essential cookies (i.e. when using a third-party service for processing personal data e.g. Google Analytics).
OSCARactive, our online community and social network, collects data from registered users. The platform that this network uses is provided by Ning and has its own privacy policy and security controls. Those who request to join this network should make sure they read the privacy and security information and know that they are responsible for the personal information they submit to that network.
Legal bases for processing data:
Consent
Where consent is the basis for processing data, we will ask for specific consent for the specific process required and retain that record until you change the specifics of your consent.
Performance of Contract
Where an individual has requested a service, we will use their personal data to fulfil the provision of that service.
Legitimate Interest
Where an individual has already interacted with us in one area of our work (i.e. subscriber or service user) so we hold their details for future reference.
Where we have no previous interaction but an individual is identified as someone who, because of their position or actions recorded in publicly available information, will potentially be interested in a service we offer, an activity we are undertaking or an offer of some form of relationship. We will usually only process data in this category where there would be a reasonable expectation of the user for this to happen.
Opting Out
An individual can, at any time, change or stop what they are receiving from us by following the instructions at the bottom of any email or postal communication, or they can contact us directly by other means (i.e. phone).
Security:
Significant measures are taken to protect personal details during transmission and storage.
Emails, web pages and files are transmitted/transferred using the latest secure server technology (SSL) whenever available. Encryption of files is also utilised where the sensitive nature of the information requires it (i.e. bank details).
Electronic storage is either on secure servers or on individual PCs with password protected encryption and monitored firewall services.
Physical storage of any paper records (i.e. sign-up forms, Gift Aid declarations) are stored in a lockable filing cabinet in a place which is also locked when unattended.
Only OSCAR workers or other OSCAR authorised individuals have access to these storage locations and this access is regularly reviewed.
Your information may occasionally be passed to approved service providers that perform functions on our behalf, such as sending postal mail and email or analysing data. These companies may only use your data to perform these functions and then destroy the data.
Due to the nature of the Internet, it may be necessary for your data to leave or be stored outside the UK. In this case we will take steps to ensure that any service we utilise has an adequate level of protection in accordance with UK data protection law.
Currency of Data:
We aim to regularly review any data held and keep records up to date by either using publicly available sources or by contacting individuals directly and asking them to review and update their details and communication preferences.
Kept for how long?
- We will hold personal information on our systems for as long as is necessary to carry out the activity for which it was recorded
- Donation records will be held for at least seven years
- If an individual asks us to cease communications or remove their personal details from our systems, we may keep a brief record to enable us to comply with that request
Right to access or erasure:
Any individual can ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about them or ask us to delete any or all of their information. To enable us to process this properly whilst continuing to protect such information, they may do this by post providing proof of identity and a description of the information in question. Such requests will be responded to within 28 days. Please note that we may need to retain certain information if required to under UK law.
This Privacy Notice is current as of 23/10/24. We may need to update this from time to time, so please check back here at any future date to review our current Privacy Notice.
