Data protection complaints

Lewisham Council is committed to handling personal information fairly and securely, and in line with data protection law.

If you are concerned about how the Council has used your personal data, for example, if you think information has been shared incorrectly, kept for longer than necessary, or your rights have not been respected, you have the right to make a complaint.

Who can raise a complaint

If you believe your own personal data has been handled incorrectly, you can make a data protection complaint directly.

A complaint can also be made by another person or organisation acting on your behalf and with your authority, such as:

• a parent or person with parental responsibility (for a child)
• a legal guardian or attorney
• a solicitor, advocate, or advice organisation
• another representative authorised by the individual

The Council may ask for confirmation that the person has permission or legal authority to act on your behalf.

How to make a complaint

You can make a data protection complaint in the following ways:

By contacting the Council’s Data Protection Officer (DPO) at dpo@lewisham.gov.uk. 

You do not need to quote laws or use technical language.

Please tell us:

• what your concern is
• what information it relates to (if known)
• what you would like to happen

Or by submitting your complaint using our online form.

What we will do

We will:

• acknowledge your complaint within 30 days
• review the matter carefully
• explain our findings
• let you know what action we will take, where appropriate

If you remain unhappy

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can raise your concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data protection regulator. Details of how to contact the ICO will be provided in our response to you.

Accessible support

If you need help making a complaint, or require information in an alternative format, please let us know when you contact us and we will do our best to assist.