Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Officer Assist, operated by Christie Ward Solutions Ltd ("we", "us" or "our"). We provide a digital platform designed to streamline operations for Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) and authorised security personnel. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, process and protect data in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Our role: Data Processor vs. Data Controller

For the purposes of UK data protection law:

• The Data Controller is your employer (e.g. the Local Authority, Government Agency or Security Firm). They determine the purpose and legal basis for collecting data during inspections.
• The Data Processor is Officer Assist. We process the data exclusively on behalf of, and under the written instructions of, the Data Controller.

3. The data we process

To provide our services, we process the following categories of data:

• Authorised User Data: names, professional email addresses, job titles and secure login credentials of the officers using the app.
• Location & Telemetry Data: real-time GPS coordinates and timestamps logged during patrols, inspections or when logging a specific incident (e.g. a noise reading).
• Inspection & Operational Data: notes, photographs, environmental readings (e.g. decibel levels) and details of businesses or individuals inspected. This may include statutory notices or data related to Food Standards Agency (FSA) hygiene ratings.
• Device Information: IP addresses, browser types and device models used to access the Progressive Web App (PWA) to ensure security and optimise performance.

4. Lawful basis for processing

We process this data based on the Performance of a Contract with the Data Controller (your employer). The Data Controller ultimately relies on "Public Task" or "Legal Obligation" (e.g. enforcing the Environmental Protection Act 1990 or Food Safety Act 1990) to collect the data entered into the app.

5. Data storage, security and FSA integrity

We prioritise the security and integrity of public sector data:

• UK/EEA Hosting: all data is hosted on secure cloud infrastructure located within the UK or European Economic Area (EEA), ensuring data sovereignty.
• Encryption: data is encrypted in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest (AES-256).
• FSA Compliance: we ensure data integrity and immutability for statutory records, enabling Local Authorities to maintain accurate logs required for Food Standards Agency audits and legal prosecutions.

6. Data retention

We retain data only for as long as our contract with the Data Controller remains active, or as explicitly instructed by them. Upon termination of a contract, all inspection data is securely returned to the Local Authority or permanently deleted in accordance with our Master Service Agreement (MSA).

7. User rights and Subject Access Requests (SARs)

If a citizen or business wishes to exercise their data rights (e.g. Right of Access, Right to Erasure) regarding data captured in Officer Assist, they must contact the relevant Local Authority (the Data Controller). We will promptly assist the Local Authority in fulfilling any valid legal requests.

8. Contact us

For any privacy-related enquiries or concerns regarding our role as a Data Processor, please contact our Data Protection Officer at hannah@officerassist.org.