Data Protection Officer

The role of the Data Protection Officer

As a public authority, the Trust is required to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO). This is an essential role in facilitating ‘accountability’, and the organisations’ ability to demonstrate compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The essential qualities of the role are to provide support, advice and assurance of all our activities that involve processing personal data. They report on compliance to our senior management teams, and is empowered to raise data protection matters with our Board if necessary.

Our DPO has expert knowledge of data protection law and practices, and a detailed understanding of how the Trust process personal data. As the Information Governance Manager, they oversee a dedicated Information Governance team whose job it is to support the Trust centrally and across our services and departments.

The Trust has a comprehensive suite of policies and procedures that addresses all aspects of information governance and data protection. These govern how we ensure that the personal data we are responsible is processed and shared lawfully, and that peoples’ data protection rights are respected.