Best Start in Life Conferences privacy notice
We keep this privacy notice under regular review and was last updated on 22 June 2026.
We respect your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy notice will inform you as to how we look after your personal data and tell you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you.
Who we are
We collect, use and are responsible for certain personal information about you. When we do so we are regulated under the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (‘UK GDPR’) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We are responsible as ‘controller’ of that personal information. Our Data Protection Officer is Benjamin Watts.
We are the data controller for the personal information collected in relation to Best Start in Life Conferences.
Best Start in Life conferences will bring together professionals in Kent County Council and partners, to maximize prevention in the earliest stages of life. The first conference ‘Making Better Connections’ takes place on 14 July 2026.
The personal information we collect and use
Information collected by us
In order to manage the attendance of the conference, we collect the following when you provide it to us. We collect:
- personal information such as first name, last name and job title
- contact details such as email address, telephone number
- booking and attendance information.
We also collect ‘special category data’ (personal data which is more sensitive and is treated with extra care and protection) when you provide it to us. We collect:
- dietary requirements
- accessibility requirements
How we use your personal information
We use your personal information to:
- manage registration and attendance
- provide accessibility and catering
- evaluate and improve services
- support reporting and planning
- promote services and events
- send event communications.
Reasons we can collect and use your personal information
We rely on the following provision as the lawful basis on which we collect and use your personal information:
- Article 6(1)(e) - processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest
When we collect or share your special category personal data (such as health information) we rely upon the following legal bases:
- Article 9(2)(a) - the individual has given explicit consent to the processing of those personal data for one or more specified purposes.
We take the following appropriate safeguards in respect of your special category data when relying on the conditions above:
- we have a retention schedule which explains how long data is retained
- we maintain a record of our processing in our ‘Record of Processing Activities’ and record in it any reasons for deviating from the periods in our retention schedule.
How long your personal data will be kept
We will hold your personal information for:
- up to 2 years if you contact us (by email, telephone or by letter) to keep a record of that correspondence for future reference
- 2 years from the date of the event at which point your data will be permanently deleted.
Who we share your personal information with
We routinely share relevant personal data with venues and event organisers in order to facilitate the planning, delivery, and management of events that individuals have registered for or are attending. The types of personal data shared may include, but are not limited to, name, contact details, role and or organisation, and any specific requirements (such as accessibility or dietary needs) where this information is necessary for the safe and effective running of the event.
This share data to:
- manage event bookings and attendance
- make sure appropriate facilities and services are in place (e.g. accessibility arrangements, catering)
- support health and safety requirements at the venue
- enable communication regarding event logistics.
Where personal data is shared, we ensure that:
- only the minimum necessary data is disclosed
- data is shared securely using appropriate methods
- venues and event organisers act as data processors or independent controllers (as applicable) and are expected to handle the data in accordance with UK GDPR and relevant data protection legislation.
We will share personal information with law enforcement or other authorities if required by applicable law or in connection with legal proceedings.
We will share personal information with our legal and professional advisers in the event of a dispute, complaint or claim. We rely on Article 9(2)(f) where the processing of special category data is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or whenever courts are acting in their judicial capacity.
Your rights
Under the UK GDPR you have rights which you can exercise free of charge which allow you to:
- know what we are doing with your information and why we are doing it
- ask to see what information we hold about you (subject access request)
- ask us to correct any mistakes in the information we hold about you
- object to direct marketing
- make a complaint to the Information Commissioners Office.
Depending on our reason for using your information you may also be entitled to:
- ask us to delete information we hold about you
- have your information transferred electronically to yourself or to another organisation
- object to decisions being made that significantly affect you
- object to how we are using your information
- stop us using your information in certain ways
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. Your request may delay or prevent us delivering a service to you.
For further information about your rights, including the circumstances in which they apply, see the guidance from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) on individuals’ rights under the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation.
If you would like to exercise a right, please contact the Information Resilience and Transparency Team at data.protection@kent.gov.uk .
Keeping your personal information secure
We have appropriate security measures in place to prevent personal information from being accidentally lost, or used or accessed in an unauthorised way. 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 suspected 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.
Who to contact
Contact the Information Resilience and Transparency Team at data.protection@kent.gov.uk to exercise any of your rights, or if you have a complaint about why your information has been collected, how it has been used or how long we have kept it for.
Contact our Data Protection Officer, Benjamin Watts, at dpo@kent.gov.uk.
UK GDPR also gives you right to lodge a complaint with Information Commissioner, who may be contacted via the Information Commissioner's website or call 03031 231113.
Read our corporate privacy statement.