Guidance

Resourcing and Secondments Expertise Privacy Notice

Updated 15 August 2025

© Crown copyright 2025

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hr-secondments-unit-privacy-notice/civil-service-hr-secondments-unit-privacy-notice

This notice sets out how we will use your personal data, and your rights. It is made under Articles 13 and/or 14 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Your data

Purpose

The purpose for which we are processing your personal data is to match both internal and external individuals to secondment opportunities in external organisations and within the Civil Service respectively. This may include asking you to provide us with your CV and provide a personal statement / short covering letter. We will only ask for the minimum required information at each stage of the process. Where an individual’s details are provided by their organisation or another party, we will notify the individual before further processing of their data. If you are successful in an application, we may be in touch to discuss your secondment experience.

The data

We will process the following personal data:

  • Name
  • Contact details (including external contact details such as personal email address / mobile telephone number where these have been provided)
  • Current job role
  • Grade/ salary
  • Line manager / organisation contact details
  • Career history and aspirations
  • Profession/ function
  • Working pattern
  • Location
  • Qualifications
  • Learning and development information
  • Skills and development needs
  • Quarterly data commission responses. Including, Individual’s job title, department and organisation seconded from/to, so they could be identifiable.
  • The evaluations and Profession/ function secondments feedback
  • Declared interests
  • CV Information (people may add aspects such as hobbies, memberships, awards etc.)
  • Personal statements
  • Job application forms

The legal basis for processing your personal data is, it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the data controller. In this case, to deliver a UK Government commitment to increase expertise within the Civil Service through greater use of internal and external secondment opportunities.

Recipients

Non-civil servants - Your personal data will be shared by us with public bodies who may have suitable opportunities.

Civil Servants - Your personal data will be shared by us with external organisations who may have suitable opportunities.

As your personal data will be stored on our IT infrastructure it will also be shared with our data processors who provide email, and document management and storage services.

Retention

Your personal data will be kept by us for two years.

Your rights

You have the right to request information about how your personal data are processed, and to request a copy of that personal data.

You have the right to request that any inaccuracies in your personal data are rectified without delay.

You have the right to request that any incomplete personal data are completed, including by means of a supplementary statement.

You may have the right to request that your personal data are erased if there is no longer a justification for them to be processed.

You have the right in certain circumstances (for example, where accuracy is contested) to request that the processing of your personal data is restricted.

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data.

International Transfers

As your personal data is stored on our IT infrastructure, and shared with our data processors, it may be transferred and stored securely outside the UK. Where that is the case it will be subject to equivalent legal protection through an adequacy decision, or the use of Model Contract Clauses.

Contact Details

The data controller for your personal data is the Cabinet Office. The contact details for the data controller are:

Cabinet Office
70 Whitehall
London
SW1A 2AS

or 0207 276 1234, or publiccorrespondence@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.

The contact details for the data controller’s Data Protection Officer are: dpo@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.

The Data Protection Officer provides independent advice and monitoring of Cabinet Office’s use of personal information.

The contact details for the Secondment’s Unit Inbox is: secondmentunit@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Complaints

If you consider that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

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

or 0303 123 1113, or casework@ico.org.uk. Any complaint to the Information Commissioner is without prejudice to your right to seek redress through the courts.

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