Privacy notice: Experiencing and talking about unwelcome feelings of social disconnection

About the study

In line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), there are certain things that we need to let you, a research participant, know about how your information will be processed. In this privacy notice, we explain the legal basis for data processing, who will have access to your personal data, how your data will be used, stored and deleted, and who you can contact with a query or a complaint.

Who is the data controller and data processor?

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is the data controller and the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and RSM UK Consulting are the data processors for the research.

What is the legal basis for processing my data?

In order for the use of personal data to be lawful, we need to meet one (or more) conditions in the data protection legislation, as set out in the UK GDPR. For the purpose of this project, the legal basis for processing data are:

• “Consent” as specified under Article 6 (1)(a) of the UK GDPR; and
• “Public task” as specified under Article 6 (1)(e) of the UK GDPR.

Who will have access to my personal data?

Only the NatCen and RSM UK research teams will have access to your personal data.

If you have been recruited by Criteria, they will have also have access to your personal data provided to them during the recruitment screening.

Do I have to take part?

Taking part in this study is completely voluntary. There is no statutory or contractual requirement to participate or provide any personal details. There will be no consequences if you choose not to take part. In the interview or focus group, you would not have to answer any question you would not want to and you are able to withdraw from the research if you so wish, before, during or after the interview, until your data has been processed. 

How will my information be used?

The information we collect is used for research purposes only. Interviews will be audio recorded with your permission and transcribed by our trusted transcription agency (McGowan Transcriptions). The recordings and diary entries will be used to write a report about the topics that people have talked about, which will be published. No individual or organisation will be identifiable in the research report. DCMS will not know which members of the public have taken part. However, as the number of stakeholders involved in the projects is small, it is possible that DCMS will know which organisations have taken part.

How will my information be stored?

NatCen and RSM will carefully manage your personal data. All the information you provide will be held in strict confidence and held securely, so that only the research team will have access to your personal data.

• Personal details about you (collected during the recruitment process) and interview recordings will be stored by NatCen and RSM UK Consulting on our secure systems.
•  The data uploaded to the digital diaries will be stored on the CMNTY online platform while the research project is ongoing. CMNTY is a private, secure platform which participants will access with an individual username and password. The data will be permanently deleted from the platform at the end of the research project (due to be April 2023). This data will also be downloaded onto NatCen’s secure system for analysis.

The data mentioned above will not be held on NatCen/RSM UK Consulting systems for any longer than is necessary to complete the research and will be deleted within 12 months of the project ending.

Your data protection rights

You have the right:

• to ask us for access to information about you that we hold; and
• to have your personal data amended, if it is inaccurate or incomplete.

Will I be able to change my mind about participating at a later date?

Yes, you are free to withdraw from the research at any time. Please note that once data is aggregated and analysed, we would not be able to change the overall results by removing individual information. However, you can always request that your personal data be deleted or updated, and we will let you know immediately if this is possible or not.

If you would like to make any request related to your personal data or to withdraw your consent, please contact: SocialConnectionsResearch@natcen.ac.uk

Who can I contact with a query or a complaint?

If you have any questions about how your data will be used, please contact the NatCen’s Data Protection Officer at dpo@natcen.ac.uk or DCMS’ Data Protection Officer at dpo@dcms.gov.uk.

If you want to find out more about data protection law, or to lodge a complaint, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow                                             
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: ico.org.uk/concerns

Last updated

We may need to update this privacy notice periodically, so we recommend that you revisit this information from time to time. This version was last updated on 23/01/2023.