The London Borough of Merton is always working to improve the way services are provided to our customers. We want to ensure that we are transparent and provide you with information about how we will use your personal data.

In order to investigate and administer your complaint it is necessary for us to collect and hold personal information about you.

If you make a complaint about the London Borough of Merton we will hold the information you provide to us securely and use it to help us to process your complaint. Your information will only be passed to officers within the relevant departments who are responsible for handling, investigating and responding to complaints. All information relating to complaints are administered and held on a central system which will be accessible by complaints management staff.

Any personal data collected through the complaints handling process will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.

What type of information is collected from you

We will ask for details such as your name, address, contact number, email address and the type of service your complaint is about.

If your complaint is on behalf of another person, we will need to contact them separately to gain consent if this has not already been provided.

Who your information may be shared with (internally and externally)

We will only share your information with internal departments and organisations that we are contracted with for the purpose of resolving your complaint and for no other reason unless we gain your consent. 

We will not normally share your information with any external organisation without your consent. However there may be certain circumstances where we would need to share your information for example; where we are required to do so by law, for safeguarding purposes or in risk of harm or emergency situations.

How long we keep your information

We are required to keep information relating to stage 1 complaints for two years and stage 2 complaints for a minimum of six years. Information relating to adults and children’s social care complaints are kept to for a longer period of time.

How you can access, update or correct your information

The Data Protection law gives you the right to apply for a copy of information about yourself. This is called a 'Subject Access Request'.

Find out more about how to make a Subject Access Request 

Business Intelligence, Profiling and Automated-Decision making

Please see the relevant section of the Corporate Privacy Notice.

Protecting your information

Please see the relevant section of the Corporate Privacy Notice.

Your information choice and rights

Please see the relevant section of the Corporate Privacy Notice.

Information Commissioner's Office

Please see the relevant section of the Corporate Privacy Notice.

Data Protection Officer

Any questions regarding our privacy practices should be sent to:

data.protection@merton.gov.uk

or to:

Data Protection Officer
London Borough of Merton
Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX