Subject access request

Accessing your personal information

You have the right to access information that Wakefield Council holds about you, known as a Subject Access Request (SAR). This includes all types of information about you, like paper records, electronic data, photos, audio recordings, CCTV footage and other camera footage, such as from Body Worn Cameras (BWC).

You can make the request in person, by phone, email, or post, using our SAR Form. Please read the guidance provided below before making your request.

A clear, specific request

We need enough information from you to find your personal data before we can start working on your subject access request.

The Council processes personal information for many reasons. Below is a list of those most common requests:

• social care information
• housing benefit files
• council tax information
• employment files

Please provide information about any family members involved with social care when requesting social care information. This will allow us to conduct a more thorough search of our social care records. Appendix A of the SAR Form provides further guidance on the type of information that will aid the search of our Social Care records.

Current identification

To protect personal data, you must provide two forms of ID, one from each list below, to prove your authorisation to access it.

Only copies of the documents are required:

Proof of identity showing your name and date of birth.

• valid driving licence
• Passport
• Birth certificate or adoption certificate

Proof of your current address (dated within the last 3 months)

• utility bill
• bank statement
• council tax bill
• letter from Social Worker or Probation officer

If you're submitting your application through email, we suggest using our secure email facility called Cryptshare to protect your information. If you choose not to use Cryptshare, we're not responsible for any unauthorised access to your data. You can access Cryptshare through the following link: https://securemail.wakefield.gov.uk.

Please keep in mind that the Council can only process requests if valid identification and/or relevant supporting documents are included. If we don't receive identification within 30 days, your request will be closed. 

Asking for information about a child

Parents or guardians can request personal information on behalf of their child. For children aged 13 or over, their permission is required. Proof of parental responsibility is needed for children under 13, such as a birth or adoption certificate. Proof of authorisation to act on the child's behalf is required for children who lack the capacity to make decisions.

Asking for information about a third party

If you are a personal representative acting on behalf of someone, we also ask for written evidence e.g., signed consent or power of attorney. There is no automatic right of access to the personal data of third parties and your request may be refused.

Asking for CCTV or other camera footage

You can request to see CCTV or camera footage of yourself, but there are some exceptions. You need to make the request within 14 days of the recording and provide identification as the footage is only kept for a short time. The Council cannot release footage of road traffic collisions where a third party is identifiable.

Below are the identification documents you need to provide. 

Footage of a person

Photographic proof of your identity with your name and date of birth.

• valid driving licence or Passport
• a recent photograph of you

Footage of a vehicle

• if you are the vehicle owner: the Vehicle logbook (DVLA V5C form)
• if you are not the owner of the vehicle, you need written consent from the owner and their ID in addition to the Vehicle Log Book 

What you can expect from us

Once we have received your request, and checked your identity you should expect to receive a response to your request within 1 month. In some circumstances where a request is complex, we may extend this to a maximum of 3 months. Where this is the case, we will inform you of this.

When you receive your information, you may notice some information is blacked out. Information is blacked out when:

• it is about another person
• it has been provided by another person (if they haven’t given permission to release this information)
• any information that is not considered to be personal to you

This is in line with the regulations set out in the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

For information about how the Council processes personal data, please see our privacy notice.

You can find out more about your information rights on the Information Commissioner's website.