Pro Bono Data Protection Privacy Notice

This page explains how we, Simmons & Simmons, handle your information when you are receiving advice through our pro bono practice. Our main office is at CityPoint, One Ropemaker Street, London EC2Y 9SS. We follow the UK Solicitors Regulation Authority rules (www.sra.org.uk) and, where relevant, the local rules where our other offices are located.

We're sharing this because your information has been given to us, and we'll be helping you with your legal case.

This document covers:

• The information we collect from you;
• How we use it;
• Who we share it with;
• How we keep it safe;
• Your choices about your information; and
• How to contact us.

The information we collect and where it comes from

Personal information is anything that lets us know who you are. We get this directly from you when you email us or talk to us. If you are referred to our pro bono practice we also get information about you from the person or service that has referred you.

You also provide us with personal information as part of your case.

We may collect:

• Medical records and information from your doctors, specialists, therapists, and other health professionals;
• Information about where you live and have lived over the last few years;
• Work records from any employment you’ve had over the last few years;
• Education records about where you went to school;
• Information from social workers who may have worked with you;
• Your identification documents like your passport or residence permit; and
• As well as other information to allow us to best work on your case.

Information we get from others

We might also receive information about you from other sources. This could include personal and work details and other important information that helps us support you legally.

We might ask for letters from family or friends to help with your case. These letters can support applications and can give us a better chance of success.

How we use your information

The main way we use your personal information is to provide you with legal help. Examples of this may look like:

• Completing forms or applications on your behalf and submitting them;
• Reaching out to the tribunals or courts to let them know we are supporting you;
• Writing and sending letters on your behalf; and
• Contacting and liaising with services and / or other professionals to gather information about you.

We may also use your personal information to:

• Follow legal and regulatory requirements;
• Defend our rights or take legal action if needed;
• Conduct business research and analysis to improve our services;
• Address any complaints or issues; and
• Prevent and address fraud or illegal activities.

We might also use and share information in a way that doesn't identify you. We do this only when the law allows it. Some examples of when we might do this include:

• To see how we can improve our services. For example, if many clients find it hard to access certain resources, we can work on making those resources easier to use;
• To train our staff and volunteers. This helps us make sure everyone is ready to give the best support to all our clients; and/or
• To understand common issues and push for changes. For instance, if we see a pattern in the legal problems our clients face, we can use this information to advocate for changes that help the community.

If you want to change how we use your information, please get in touch.

Why we use your personal information

We use your personal information for various reasons, depending on the law and the situation. These include:

• Consent: We might ask if we can use your data. You can change your mind anytime.
• Contract performance: We need your information to do what we've agreed to do for you.
• Legitimate interest: We might use your data for our business needs, like improving our services.

Sharing your information

We may share your personal information with our partners around the world. This means that your personal information might be sent to places that are far away from where you live, even outside of Europe. We do this for the reasons we have told you above.

We might also share your information with:
• Service providers who help us and are bound to keep your information private;
• Legal teams, tribunals, judges, government officials, and business partners involved in your case; and
• Authorities, if the law requires us to.

We will not sell your personal information to third parties.

We will not share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Keeping your information safe

We keep your information based on:

• The reason we have it - we only keep it as long as we need it; and
• Legal requirements - some laws say how long we must keep your information.

We make sure your information is protected properly.

Your choices and rights

You have rights over your data, which you can use by contacting us. These rights depend on the laws, but you might be able to:

• Know how we use your data and see what data we have on you, though sometimes we can't share everything because of confidentiality or legal reasons;
• Update your information if it's wrong or incomplete;
• Ask us to delete your information in some cases, though sometimes we can keep it if the law allows;
• Tell us not to use your information in certain ways, though sometimes we might have to keep using it because of legal requirements;
• Get your information in a format that's easy to move or ask us to send it to someone else, if possible;
• Withdraw any permission you've given us to use your information, though sometimes we might still use it if we have a good reason and the law agrees;
• Complain about how we've used your information to the authority. We can tell you which authority to contact.

Contact us and more information

If you want more details on how we handle your personal information or your rights, please contact us at:

• Email: dataprotectionofficer@simmons-simmons.com or
• Mail: Data Protection Officer, Simmons & Simmons, CityPoint, One Ropemaker Street, London EC2Y 9SS.