Data Processing Complaints Policy

Ward Hadaway LLP takes data protection very seriously and understands the impact that personal data breaches and misuse of data may have on individuals.

Our Data Complaints Procedure

If at any time you are concerned regarding our processing of your personal data, you should promptly contact either the person dealing with your matter (if you are a client or are connected to a client matter) or our Privacy Team.

Our Privacy Team can be contacted by email: privacy@wardhadaway.com

For all other types of complaints you should contact the person dealing with your matter or our Complaints Partner. Our Complaints Partner can be contacted at complaints@wardhadaway.com.  If your complaint is about something other than the way we have processed your data please refer to our Client Complaints Policy or Non-Client Complaints Policy.

If you wish to make a data processing complaint, we ask that you provide as much information as you can, including:

1. The full details of your data protection complaint including details of the data concerned and any specific processing activities of concern
2. The impact on you
3. The details of any previous correspondence with us regarding the specific concern
4. What outcome you are seeking

What will happen next?

1. Your complaint is likely to be passed to either the person in charge of the Department or Unit that is involved in the matter to which your complaint relates, or to our Privacy Team.
2. We will review your complaint.
   1. We may ask you for further information or clarification.
   2. If your complaint is mainly about matters unrelated to data processing, we may ask that you submit your data processing complaint separately. We will advise you if we consider this necessary.
3. We aim to acknowledge receipt of your complaint or ask you to confirm or explain any details of your complaint, within 5 working days of receipt of your complaint.
4. In some circumstances we may ask you to provide evidence of your identity before we are able to provide any information to you.
5. Once we have full details of your complaint we will take appropriate steps to investigate your complaint.
6. We aim to reply to your complaint within 3 months of receipt of full details of your complaint.
7. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint you can write to us to ask for a review. We aim to complete our review and respond to you within 20 working days or receiving your request for review.

If you remain dissatisfied

If you remain dissatisfied with how we have processed your personal data after raising a complaint with us, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office using the contact details below:

By post: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF

By telephone: 0303 123 1113

Online: www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

In reviewing your complaint the ICO may advise you to exhaust our complaints handling procedure first.