Allotments 4 All

Hi folks
Ive applied to do a course which is being run by an organisation here in Liverpool...as its a funded course,they are asking for proof or legal residence in the UK. I dont have a problem with that..but they are asking I bring my original NI card and passport,and photocopies of both. I'm assuming they want to keep the copies and I'm not really comfortable with that. Is this legal under the data protection act I wonder?
ta in advance

You can certainly ask for them what they use the infomation for..how and where it is 'stored', how long, who has access to your details. For them to demand all your details, they should have those answers ready for too.
I would be consern for them to ask all those details too.
If it is some form of licence you are getting after that course..you do need to be in some sort of register so your details can be checked later on if necessary.

Thanks GL
Think we are all a bit paranoid in this day and age! Whenevr I show my CRB, tnhey are only ever allowed to take the number off it,its illegal now for them to take a copy,so this sounds weird to me. I will follow your good advice,ta

You just managed to slip you reply in before I posted my amended reply..see above..

Oh..another thing..
Don't be afraid being 'pain in the bum' for them..keep being pest. You don't need to find all the data protection info..but they have to supply the answers for you. So just keep asking from them 'why?'..and they HAVE to provide you with appropriate answers..if not..and you still feel unsure about what you've been told, then it is 'alarm bells' time.
I think is good thing to tell them you are worried about you handing in your details 'just like that'..and you feel like you need to know why they want them and what happens to them etc..

Thanks thanks oh clever goodlife! It may well be for some form of licence,its a health and social care qual. It would help if they put that on the website to avoid people like me questioning it,if that's the case,thanks again
Rach

With the recent trouble at London Met and down here on the South Coast various "education " centres being closed by immigration I guess this is their way on proving duty of care.
Whether it is legal from a data protection point of view I have no idea as that depends on how the data is treated and stored.

A quick way to put your mind at rest is to look at the organisation's Data Protection Registration entry, which will tell you what information they're allowed to keep and for what purpose.

http://www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/register_of_data_controllers.aspx

Click on "search the register" and enter the organisation's name and postcode.

They need to be able to prove your legal residence, which is why they need the copies.
I don't see why your are worried, I can't think of any information that would be on your passport or NI card that would be of concern.

The data protection act allows basic information (name, address ect) to be stored by anyone.
CRBs are different, they relate to criminal records so you can't keep these without good cause.

chrispy,I didnt say I was worried. I am simply curious as to why they need to KEEP copies. They have replied to my email to say they need to do so in oreder to confirm my ID,which still doesnt explain why they need to keep them.
Melbourne thanks, cant find em on there

Quote from: elvis2003 on September 05, 2012, 13:25:10
chrispy,I didnt say I was worried. I am simply curious as to why they need to KEEP copies. They have replied to my email to say they need to do so in oreder to confirm my ID,which still doesnt explain why they need to keep them.
Melbourne thanks, cant find em on there

If they're not on the data protection register, they should be.  Are you prepared to let us know who they are? I'm sure someone will do a more comprehensive check for you.

thanks melbourne, It turns out although 'voice of nations' is hosting the course,and are not on the list  it is actually greenwich community college who require the copies to be sent to them to prove students are legal. And GCC are on the list. Thanks all for your help and comments

The government are causing mayhem at the moment; a friend of mine keeps getting jobs in colleges, only to have them closed shortly afterwards. Apparently there's a loophole in the law which has allowed several tens of thousaands of people in who wouldn't have been allowed to come before, plus I think there's an agenda to reduce the number of foreign students. So instead of dealing with the problems quietly (we work with one of the qualification providers, so I can see how it should have been done), the government are lashing out, closing colleges left, right and centre, and causing mayhem in what was one of the few thriving sectors of the economy.