Skip to content

Hertfordshire County Council

The Prevent Strategy aims to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

It's part of the overall Counter-terrorism strategy.

The aim is to:

  • tackle the causes of radicalisation and respond to the ideological challenges of terrorism
  • protect and support those most at risk of radicalisation through early intervention and identification
  • rehabilitate those who have already engaged in terrorism, helping them to disengage.

What if I'm worried about someone being radicalised?

In an emergency, always call 999.

Otherwise, you can:

  • call 0800 789 321 (anti-terrorist hotline)
  • contact Crime Stoppers on 0900 555111.

 

Or contact your district or borough council:

 

Data Privacy Information Notice for Hertfordshire Channel Panel

What personal information is being processed and what for

Hertfordshire County Council has statutory duties under section 36 to 41 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to provide support for people vulnerable to being drawn into any form of terrorism.

Channel is a programme which focuses on providing support at an early stage to people who are identified as being vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. The programme uses a multi-agency approach to protect vulnerable people by:

  • identifying individuals at risk
  • assessing the nature and extent of that risk
  • developing the most appropriate support plan for the individuals concerned.

 

Information we collect

While delivering our responsibilities under the Channel programme, we collect the following relevant personal information about you, either when you provide it to us or from another member of the Hertfordshire Channel Panel:

  • name
  • address
  • date of birth
  • contact details
  • relevant family member and associate details
  • gender
  • first language
  • criminal records and conviction data.

We also collect the following special category personal data:

  • relevant medical information (if applicable)
  • religious beliefs (if applicable)
  • relevant Social Care information
  • ethnicity.

We recognise that personal information concerning criminal convictions and offences is not special category personal data but is a very sensitive type of personal information which can only be shared in narrow circumstances.

 

How we use your personal information

We use your personal information to provide tailored support at an early stage to you, with the aim of preventing you from being drawn into terrorism.

 

Why we are allowed to use your information

Hertfordshire County Council collects, uses and is responsible for certain personal information about you. When we do so we are regulated under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and we, together with the Home Office, are responsible as ‘joint data controllers’ of that personal information for the purposes of those laws.

The lawful basis on which we collect and use your personal data is that ‘processing is necessary for the completion of task carried out in the public interest.’ GDPR Article 6(1)(e) applies.

As we may collect and use your special categories of personal data (medical information and religious beliefs) and also details about criminal records and convictions, if relevant, the lawful basis on which we collect and use your personal data is that ‘processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest’ namely for preventing and detecting unlawful acts. GDPR Article 9(2)(g) and Schedule 1, Part 2, paragraph 10 of the Data Protection Act 2018 apply.

 

Who we share your personal information with

As part of the Channel process, personal information is shared securely and only where strictly necessary. Relevant information will be sought from other agencies as appropriate to inform our assessment. Where there is a need, this will be discussed at a multi-agency panel to consider whether intervention support should be offered.

The information will only be shared with relevant agencies. This may include: police, health agencies, Home Office, immigration, probation, school, college, or other relevant agencies.

We will share personal information with law enforcement or other authorities if required to do so by applicable law.

 

Where we get your information from

Hertfordshire Channel Panel receives information from the police, health services, housing, probation, education and other relevant agencies. The purpose for collating this information is to provide you with a bespoke package to prevent you from being drawn into terrorism.

 

How long we will keep your personal information

We will hold your personal information for 25 years – in line with safeguarding retention periods. After this period the information will be reviewed and only retained where there is an ongoing requirement to retain for a statutory or legal purpose. Following this your personal information will be securely destroyed.

 

How your information is stored

We have appropriate security measures in place to prevent personal information from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way. Access to information systems is controlled by a minimum of two-factor authentication, e.g. username and password.

We limit access to your personal information to those who have a genuine business need to know it. Those processing your information will do so only in an authorised manner and are subject to a duty of confidentiality.

We also have procedures in place to deal with any data security breach. We will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected data security breach where we are legally required to do so.

 

What happens if you don’t provide us with your information

Data is collected by Hertfordshire Channel Panel for the purpose of preventing Children and Adults from being drawn into terrorism or radicalisation.

The Channel Programme is a voluntary service for individuals who may be vulnerable to terrorism, and offers a bespoke multi agency response, tailored to individual circumstances. To receive such support, you, or your parent, carer or guardian, will need to give informed consent. If consent is not given, services will not be provided to you.

 

Will your information be used to make automated decisions?

No


Your rights

You have a number of rights regarding your personal data, including withdrawing your consent where we have asked for it. You can also ask for a copy of the information we hold about you and ask us to correct anything that is wrong.

You also have the right to secure access to your personal data, erase what we hold or restrict or object to what we do with it.

We will always seek to comply with your request, however, we may be required to hold or use your information to comply with legal duties. We will liaise with the Home Office regarding your request, as information is jointly controlled with the Home Office. Please note, your request may delay or prevent us from supporting you.

Whether we are able to grant your rights request depends on the circumstances but in the first instance you should contact data.protection@hertfordshire.gov.uk.

For further information about your rights, including the circumstances in which they apply, see the guidance from the UK Information Commissioner's Office on individuals’ rights under GDPR.

The Council’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted at DataProtection.Officer@hertfordshire.gov.uk.

If you are concerned about the way the council processes your personal data, please contact us at data.protection@hertfordshire.gov.uk. We will look into your concerns.

If, after that, you are still concerned you may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office.

For further information about Home Office handling of Channel information, see the Channel data privacy information notice.

For further information about Prevent and Channel, see FACTSHEET: Prevent and Channel - 2021.

Rate this page

Cookies

Like many other websites, we place small information files called 'cookies' on your computer.

Why do we use cookies?

To remember your settings, for example your language and location. This means you don’t have to keep entering these details when you visit a new page.

To find out how you use the site to help us update and improve it.

How do I change my cookie settings?

You can change the settings of your web browser so that it won’t accept cookies. For more information visit AboutCookies.org.

But, doing this may stop you from using some of the online features and services on this website. 

Cookies we use

Cookies do a lot of different jobs, and we use 2 types of cookies:

Required functionality cookies – these cookies are essential for the website to work.

Performance and feature cookies – these cookies help to improve the performance and feel of this website, for example providing you with personalised services.


Take a look at a list of cookies we use on our website:

NameTypeHow we use itHow long we use the information for

ASP.Net_Sessions

 

Required functionality

An automatic cookie set by our software. 

Just for the time you are on our website.

ServerID

 

Required functionality

An automatic cookie set by our software. 

Just for the time you are on our website.

_ga

Required functionality

To track the effectiveness of our website using Google Analytics. 

2 years

saved-pages

Performance and feature

To save the pages that you visit by clicking the heart at the top of the page. 

1 month

geoPostcode

Performance and feature

This stores your postcode (or partial postcode) when we ask you for your location.

Just for the time you are on our website or 30 days (you choose this).

geoCoordinates

Performance and feature

This stores your location as a pair of latitude / longitude coordinates.

Just for the time you are on our website or 30 days (you choose this).

reckonerName-history

Performance and feature

This keeps a history of all answers submitted to the ready reckoner.

This is set in the control for each ready reckoner. If you haven't interacted with the ready reckoner for the set amount of days, the cookies are deleted.

reckonerName-content

Performance and feature

This keeps a history of what content cards are clicked on when using the ready reckoner.

This is set in the control for each ready reckoner. If you haven't interacted with the ready reckoner for the set amount of days, the cookies are deleted.

SQ_SYSTEM_SESSION

Required functionality

This used to track user sessions on forms hosted on eservices.hertfordshire.gov.uk

Just for the time you are on our website.


Third party cookies

There are links and content from other sites and services on our website. These sites and services set their own cookies.

Below are a list of cookies that the other sites and services use:

Service namePurposeMore information

Google analytics (_utma/b/c/z)

These are used to compile reports for us on how people use this site.

Cookies of the same names are also used for the same purpose by other websites such as Building FuturesCountryside Management Service and Hertfordshire LIS.

Visit the Google Analytics website for more information about the cookies they use.

You can prevent data from being collected and used by Google Analytics by installing Google's Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Google Translation - googtrans

This cookie is used to remember which language to translate each page into if you have chosen to do so.

It expires at the end of your browser session.

Bing

We use a Bing cookie to track the success of our marketing campaigns and make them more efficient.

Visit Bing to find out more about their cookies.

Google

We use a Google cookie to track the success of our marketing campaigns and make them more efficient.

Visit Google to find out more about their cookies.

Facebook

We have a number of presences on Facebook, which we may link to. Facebook may set some of its own cookies if you follow these links.

Visit Facebook to find out more about their cookies.

Twitter

We have a number of presences and feeds on Twitter, which you may wish to follow or read from this website. Twitter may set some of its own cookies.

Visit Twitter to find out more about their cookies.

YouTube

We have a YouTube channel, which we may link to. YouTube may set some of its own cookies if you follow those links.

Visit YouTube to find out more about their cookies.

Netloan

This ASP.NET_Sessionid cookie is essential for the Netloan secure online payments website to work, and is set when you arrive to the site. This cookie is deleted when you close your browser.

 

HotJar

This session cookie is set to let Hotjar know whether that visitor is included in the sample which is used to generate funnels.

Visit HotJar to find out more about their cookies.

Siteimprove

These cookies are set to help us report on how people are using the site so we can improve it.

Visit Siteimprove to learn more about their cookies.