The Data Responsibilities in a Nutshell leaflet is now available to download from TMCP’s website. This plain language guidance note is to accompany the suite of policies, guidelines, schedules, templates, detailed guidance and training (the Data Protection Toolkit) being provided by the Data Protection Working Party (Working Party).

To help Managing Trustees of Local Methodist Churches, Circuits, and Districts to better understand their obligations under the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and implement relevant policies and procedures, two training events are being offered by TMCP and the Connexional Team (‘together the Working Party’): one in Manchester and one in London (same content at each).

The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force on 25th May 2018. Far from being a “game-changer”, GDPR updates and consolidates the existing legal obligations on organisations, such as the Methodist Church, to bring them into the twenty first century. The Methodist Church cares about the people whose data it holds and recognises the importance of this information to its work.

The Data Protection Working Party received a number of constructive comments of a practical nature from Managing Trustees in relation to the Data Collection Consent Form (‘the Consent Form’) which was published on the TMCP website in March 2018. In light of those comments the Consent Form has been updated to include the following

Safeguarding Form E, the form signed by licensees and hirers of Methodist premises to confirm their willingness to comply with the safeguarding policy of the Methodist Church is no longer in use. The Connexional Safeguarding Team made the decision that the safeguarding clause in the Standard Licence and Template Booking Form replaces the requirement to also complete Form E.

The first Data Protection Training Webinar specifically for Methodist Managing Trustees is now available via TMCP’s website. This is the first in a series of training webinars being produced by the Data Protection Working Party to help Managing Trustees and those handling or using (processing) personal information (data) in their Local Churches, Circuits and Districts to get GDPR ready.

Managing Trustees can now access the Data Protection FAQs and Template Consent Form from the Data Protection page on TMCP’s website. Data Protection FAQs The first Data Protection Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are now available on TMC...