SERVICES - DATA PROTECTION

Virtually every organisation in the UK is affected by the new Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA98). Our approach is to help organisations continue to use personal data within the guidelines of the Act.

Our approach
Training and awareness - an essential tool to help achieve a broad range of objectives in relation to DPA98: introduction to the Act, organisation and management, human resource management, contract and procurement management and monitoring of employees.

Health check - using a structured approach, this service provides a clear and concise picture of your organisation's information processing, key risk areas and prioritised recommendations.

Management framework - looks at the organisation's overall corporate framework for compliance i.e. the high level policies and procedures that support the management of DPA98 compliance. Includes the role of the Data Protection Officer, the presence and effectiveness of DPA98 policies, procedures and guidelines, system procurement and development, manual files, security policies, and awareness and training.

Human resources - a key element of your exposure to non-compliance with the requirements of DPA98 will arise from the way you collect and use personal information about your employees. We help you to assess the risks of your HR working practices by benchmarking your activities against the mandatory and optional standards in the HR code. Implementation support - the implementation of agreed changes, either from a Byrnes Freeman or client-based review.

Benefits of our approach
These include:

• A risk-based approach directly based on the 1998 Data Protection Act and incorporates the Information Commissioner's guidance.
• Allows management to contrast divergences between set policies and the actual practice within the organisation.
• Includes best practice, methods and tools (including an audit tool) to help organisations assess the effect of DPA98 on their business operations.
• Helps clients to implement solutions to achieve a cost-effective level of compliance using an achievable plan and realistic budget.