The Independent Public Advocate (IPA) is a Statutory Office sponsored by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). It is committed to the protection and security of your personal information. The MoJ is the data controller for the personal data used for the purposes of the IPA supporting victims of major incidents.
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Purpose of this policy
This policy outlines:
- the standards that you can expect when we request, hold or share your personal data
- how to access a copy of your personal data
- what to do if you believe these standards are not being met
The Office of the Independent Public Advocate (OIPA) collects your personal data to support the IPA in carrying out their role, as laid out in Part 2 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024.
The IPAs role is to support victims of major incidents.
Find out more about the role of the Independent Public Advocate .
About personal information
Personal data is information about you as an individual. This may include your name, address, email address or telephone number. It can also include information relating to the major incident you were involved in.
We only process personal data that is relevant to the services we provide. This may include:
- information shared by you, or by someone acting on your behalf, during or after a major incident
- details of ongoing legal proceedings related to the incident, which may include criminal offence information (excluding data about victims)
We understand the importance of privacy and comply with data protection laws. Your personal data will be safeguarded and disclosed only when appropriate and with a lawful basis to do so.
How we obtain and use your personal data
We collect personal data directly from you or from public bodies involved in your circumstances. This may include:
- information about the major incident
- details provided by someone acting on your behalf
- basic contact information for communication purposes
Public bodies are legally allowed to share relevant information with us to help us support victims. This is set out in Section 43(2) of the Victims an Prisoners Act 2024, which states:
A person exercising functions of a public nature may share such information as the person considers appropriate with an advocate for the purposes of the advocate exercising their functions.
We use the personal data we receive to:
- help victims understand the actions of public authorities in relation to the incident, and how their views are considered.
- inform victims about available support, advice, and services.
- communicate with public authorities on behalf of victims
- assist victims in accessing information in relation to an investigation, inquests or inquiries – where they are entitled to this.
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), our lawful basis for processing this information is the performance of a public task. This is necessary to fulfil our statutory function in supporting victims of major incidents.
Protecting your data
We request only the personal data necessary for our function and do not collect information that is irrelevant or excessive. We will:
- protect your data from unauthorised access.
- share data only when appropriate and necessary for the IPA’s functions
- retain data only as long as needed
- never use your personal data for commercial purposes without your consent
Personal data is stored securely and in accordance with our data retention schedule. Please contact us if you would like to view this. At the end of this period your data will be securely disposed of.
Sharing Your Personal Information
We may need to share the personal information we collect in order to carry out our functions. Section 43 of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 provides a statutory information-sharing gateway, allowing public authorities and the IPA to exchange data as deemed appropriate.
This gateway does not override existing data protection laws. The IPA must comply with national security exemptions and ensure all data sharing aligns with Article 6 of UK GDPR.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
- exercise your right to object
- lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority
- request correction of inaccurate data
- request erasure in certain circumstances
- request restriction of processing
Contact Us
Contact us if you have questions about:
- our instructions to staff on how to collect, use or delete your personal information
- how we check that the information we hold is accurate and up to date
- the Ministry of Justice’s obligations as data controller.
Complaints
If you consider that your information has been handled incorrectly, you can contact the Information Commissioner for independent advice about data protection.
You may also contact the MoJ Data protection Officer
Data Protection Officer
Ministry of Justice
5th Floor, Post Point 5.18
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
Updates to this policy
We reserve the right to make changes to this Privacy Notice. Where possible, we will notify you of any changes by email.