Parish IT and Data policies and procedures
INTRODUCTION
Parish Meeting recognises the importance of effective and secure information technology (IT) and email usage in supporting its business, operations, and communications.
This policy outlines the guidelines and responsibilities for the appropriate use of IT resources and email by the Parish Meeting members.
SCOPE
This policy applies to all individuals who use Fillingham Parish Meeting IT resources, including online systems, data, and email accounts.
USE OF IT
Fillingham Parish Meeting IT resources and email accounts are to be used for official Parish Meeting-related activities and tasks. All users must adhere to ethical standards, respect copyright and intellectual property rights, and avoid accessing inappropriate or offensive content.
IT DEVICES
No devices are provided. All data & software used for Parish Meeting shall be held online using the systems defined in this policy.
DATA PROTECTION & SECURITY
Fillingham Parish Meeting data should be stored on the Onedrive-fillinghamvh@outlook.com. This ensures secure, controlled access and automatic backup.
Minutes taking AI software shall be restricted to GDPR compliant systems only, using local drive for storage.
Fillingham Parish Meeting users are responsible for maintaining the security of their accounts and passwords. Passwords should be strong and not shared with others. Dual authentication should be turned on where available.
A copy of the electoral roll, which does contain personal data, may be held on the Onedrive. Access to this will be limited to the Parish Meeting Chair & RFO/Clerk only.
IT SYSTEMS
Appropriate access will be controlled by the RFO, to the following systems:
clerk@fillinghamparishmeeting.gov.uk: Official Parish Meeting Email & regulatory compliance requirement.
www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/fillingham: Parish Meeting website. This is a regulatory compliance requirement. Used for minimal compliance only as the system is very user unfriendly.
Onedrive-fillinghamvh@outlook.com: Parish Meeting & Village Hall & Community secure data storage.
Parishmeeting.quickfile.co.uk: Parish Meeting accounting software.
Lloyds Bank: Parish online banking.
Meetily Community: GDPR AI minute taking which uses local drive storage only.
EMAIL COMMUNICATION
The following email accounts are used by the Parish Meeting:
clerk@fillinghamparishmeeting.gov.uk: Formal parish email and is only accessible by the Parish Chair.
fillinghamvh@outlook.com: general email used for parish meeting finance and Village Hall & Community finance & misc. Accessible by the clerk & RFO only.
Email accounts provided are for official communication only. Emails should be professional and respectful in tone.
Fillingham Parish Meeting reserves the right to monitor email communications to ensure compliance with this policy and relevant laws. Monitoring will be conducted in accordance with the Data Protection Act and GDPR.
DATA BREACH POLICY
A data breach is defined as accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data transmitted, stored or otherwise processed.
All suspected security breaches or incidents should be reported immediately to the RFO for investigation and resolution. The RFO will conduct a risk assessment using the ICO online system:
https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/report-a-breach/
The RFO will then take appropriate action, based upon the results of the risk assessment.
COMPETENCE & TRAINING
Fillingham Parish Meeting will only provide access to IT systems to those who can demonstrate adequate competence around IT security. Training will be provided on IT systems as required.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION POLICY
Requests to access personal information held by the Parish Meeting should be made to the RFO/Clerk. Requests must be made in writing and include verification of ID. ID verification will require a copy of photo id such as passport/driving licence and address via utility bill/bank statement. The RFO is responsible for ensuring responses follow LALC recommendations and are actioned within 1 month.
ISSUED
June 2026