Guidance

Privacy Notice: GFiE Communications and Media Content

Published 4 March 2026

YOUR DATA

Purpose of processing

The Going Forward into Employment (GFiE) Governance and Strategy team processes your data to raise awareness, celebrate successes, and promote Civil Service opportunities for individuals facing barriers to employment.

To achieve this, the GFiE Governance and Strategy team undertakes a series of communication activities which are reliant on:

• candidate case studies/personal stories to use in blogs and promotional materials
• conducting evaluation surveys and gathering feedback on recruitment pathways
• newsletters, mailing list and network updates
• events, roundtable discussions and live panel sessions
• training products

We may process some or all the following personal data:

• name
• age
• email address
• telephone number
• employment details (start date or profession etc)
• job title or grade
• organisation/Department
• location data
• skills, career progression and the impact of the GFiE pathway
• opinions
• audio and/or video recordings
• photographs
• social mobility data
• health (incl disability or dietary requirements)
• ethnicity or race
• criminal allegations or convictions

Please note that to guard your identity and reduce administrative burden, GFiE’s default policy is to publish all materials anonymously. We do this by using an alias name or no name at all, using stock images or animation to ensure you cannot be identified in any way.

However, we understand there may be times, whereas an individual, you may want to include your identity and therefore we require your explicit consent when doing this.

LEGAL BASIS OF PROCESSING:

The lawful basis for processing your personal data is where it is necessary for a public function.

Sensitive personal data is personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.

The legal basis for processing your sensitive personal data is: Promoting or monitoring diversity (para 8, sch.1), Explicit consent (para 29, sch.1).

The processing by us of personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences or related security measures is not carried out under official authority, but is authorised because you have explicitly consented for it to be used for specific purposes.

HOW WE SOURCE AND SHARE YOUR DATA

Sources

Data is obtained directly from you, via GFiE Pathway Leads across government departments, or from third-party delivery partners (e.g., charities).

Recipients

Your personal data will be shared by us with other government departments, Google (official IT platform), Microsoft (official IT platform), SmartSurvey, Mailchimp.

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.

With your explicit consent, your data may be shared with:

• the general public via the GFiE Blog platform, the Civil Service Careers website or social media sites such as LinkedIn
• internal and across government communications and training products shared with other departments

INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS

As part of this processing activity, your personal data may be processed in EU, USA and a basis of adequacy decision.

As your personal data is stored on our Corporate 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, reliance on Standard Contractual Clauses, or reliance on a UK International Data Transfer Agreement.

RETENTION

GFiE defaults to publishing materials anonymously to protect identities. If an individual explicitly consents to inclusion of their identity, this consent is reviewed annually. If no response is received, all personal data will be amended or removed to prevent identification.

While the Cabinet Office can delete original posts upon request, we cannot control, delete, or recall copies, screenshots, or reshared versions made by third parties or posted to external platforms once the information is public.

Where personal data is collected, it will  be retained by us for one year.

Survey data will be anonymised and distribution lists managed through returns and requests to withdraw.

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 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 withdraw consent to the processing of your personal data at any time.

You can withdraw your consent at any time and can opt-out of distribution lists by emailing gfie@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.

You have the right to request a copy of any personal data you have provided, and for this to be provided in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.

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 icocasework@ico.org.uk.

Any complaint to the Information Commissioner is without prejudice to your right to seek redress through the courts.

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 you can use this webform.

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