EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT: HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We, WICS, are the controller of the personal information that we hold about you. This means that we are legally responsible for how we hold and use personal information about you. It also means that we are required to comply with data protection laws when holding and using your personal information. This includes providing you with the details contained within this statement of how we hold and use your personal information, who we may share it with and your rights in relation to your personal information.
We have appointed a Data Protection Officer (DPO), who ensures that we comply with data protection laws. If you have any questions about this statement or how we hold or use your personal information, please contact the DPO via email at: DPO@wics.scot.
- What personal information do we hold and use about you?
We hold and use the personal information that you provide to us when participating in external engagement through surveys. It is important to note that the only information that is collected by WICS as part of our surveys is information you enter. We do not collect any other information that you do not enter such as IP address.
Every stakeholder’s view and input is extremely valuable and we are keen to ensure that you feel that you are able to participate to the extent you wish to in any survey. Although you may enter information that could potentially identify you, you will be able to choose whether or not to provide this information. Furthermore, any responses will be treated confidentially and reported anonymously.
The types of personal information that we collect will depend upon the purpose of the survey and may include:
- Personal information such as name; contact information, including your e-mail address and telephone number;
- Information about your views and opinions, and experiences. This may also include your views on particular topics;
- Your role and your work experience in dealing with WICS
- Why do we hold and use this personal information about you?
Again, this will depend upon the purpose of the survey. We may use any personal information that we collect to:
- Manage and undertake our surveys, including analysing responses received and gathering information about the types of individuals and groups participating in the survey;
- Understand and improve your working experience as a key stakeholder;
- Monitor and improve stakeholder relationships;
- Deliver education and training;
- Inform the development of our policy, guidance or other work which we have a statutory duty to carry out.
- What is our legal basis for holding and using your personal information?
Data protection laws require us to have a legal reason for holding and using your personal information.
The lawful basis we are relying on to process your personal data in relation to external engagement is article 6(1)(a) of the UK GDPR, which allows us to process personal data when you have given your consent to do so.
By taking part in our external engagement exercises, you consent to your information being used as described in section 2 of this notice. Where we are processing information that has been collected as part of a survey, we will use that information to support new initiatives and improvements relating to our regulatory role within the Scottish Water industry.
You have the right to withdraw your consent to us holding and using your personal information by contacting us at the address provided.
- Who do we share your personal information with?
WICS uses Microsoft Forms to carry out surveys. Our staff will analyse responses and unless stated otherwise, once the analysis has been conducted any reporting will be anonymous.
- How long do we keep your personal information?
We keep the personal information that we hold and use about you for no longer than we need to meet any legal, accounting, reporting or regulatory requirements. For external surveys, we will analyse responses and prepare an anonymised summary to allow comparisons with subsequent surveys and ensuring the initiatives we’re implementing are as effective as possible. We will delete the individual responses as soon as the analysis of results is produced.
- Where is your personal information transferred to?
Our servers are located in the United Kingdom and the European Union and the information that we collect directly from you will be stored in these servers.
- What rights do you have in relation to your personal information that we hold and use?
It is important that the personal information that we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed of any changes. Under certain circumstances, the law gives you the right to request:
- a copy of your personal information and to check that we are holding and using it in accordance with legal requirements;
- correction of any incomplete or inaccurate personal information that we hold about you;
- deletion of your personal information where there it is no longer necessary for us to continue to hold and use it. You also have the right to ask us to do this where you object to us holding and using your personal information (details below);
You can also object to us holding and using your personal information on grounds relating to your particular situation, unless we have overriding and compelling legitimate grounds for holding and using your personal information in certain situations.
Please contact our DPO (contact details above) if you wish to make any of the above requests. When you make a request, we may ask you for specific information to help us confirm your identity for security reasons. You will not need to pay a fee when you make any of the above requests, but we may charge a reasonable fee or refuse to comply if your request for access is clearly unfounded or excessive.
- Feedback and complaints
We welcome your feedback on how we hold and use your personal information, and this can be sent to our DPO.
You have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, the UK regulator for data protection, about how we hold and use your personal information. The ICO’s contact details are as follows:
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: https://ico.org.uk/concerns/
If you would like to receive this statement in alternative format, for example, audio, large print or braille, please contact us.
Please note that if you have a complaint about the way in which your personal data has been processed, the ICO will usually expect you to raise this with WICS in the first instance. You can raise any issues by contacting the DPO.
- Updates to this statement
We may update this statement at any time, and will ensure staff have access to the most recent version.
Last updated: October 2025