Internal audit and anti-fraud privacy notice

The Internal Audit and Anti-Fraud Division is part of the Finance and Governance Directorate and provide an independent function to provide the Council assurance on its internal control, fraud and governance processes.  This is set out under Section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972.  These functions require us to hold or have access to information from systems and processes across the Council, in order to fulfil the legal requirement to provide an internal audit function and to prevent, detect, deter and investigate referrals of fraud bribery and corruption.

The Internal Audit and Anti-Fraud Division may collect a wide variety of information from a range of sources, including, but not limited to:

• Personal, such as name, date of birth, address
• Employment, for example, national insurance number, employer details and history, next of kin, sickness records
• Financial details, such as bank account information, mortgage accounts, pensions, credit history
• Health information gathered to assess eligibility for benefits
• Information gathered during the course of an investigation or proactive exercise
• Documentary evidence was provided in order to access council services.

• Information collated as part of a sample to undertake internal audits of Council provided services and of services provided to the Council
• Information used for proactive anti-fraud exercises to identify fraud
• To assist with the investigation of criminal, civil and disciplinary offences
• To verify that the information you have supplied is correct and accurate
• For service planning, delivery and improvement.

The Internal Audit and Anti-Fraud Division have a duty to protect the public purse.  The following acts and regulations provide the basis on which the section operates:

• Section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972 requires that authorities ‘make arrangements for the proper administration of their financial affairs'
• The Accounts and Audit Regulations 2015 require that ”a relevant body must undertake an effective internal audit to evaluate the effectiveness of its risk management, control and governance processes, taking into account public sector internal auditing standards or guidance. Any officer or member of that body must if the body requires:
  • a) make available such documents and records (including those in electronic form), and
  • b) supply such information and explanation.

as are considered necessary by those conducting the internal audit”

• The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
• Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996
• Local Government Finance Act 1992
• Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Detection of Fraud and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013
• Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Act (Power to Require Information) (England) Regulations 2014
• Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
• Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act 1996
• Police & Criminal Evidence Act 1984
• Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998
• Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.

In accordance with the data protection act 2018, we need a "lawful basis" for collecting and using information about you. There are a variety of different lawful bases for processing personal data which are set out in the data protection act.

The lawful basis on which we rely in order to use the information which we collect about you for the purposes set out in this notice will be: 

• Legal Obligation
• Public Task

Including but not limited to:

• Other local authorities
• Registered Social Landlords
• The Cabinet Office
• Other Government departments and agencies
• The Police
• Employers
• NHS
• Judicial agencies, e.g. Courts
• Where information is requested under relevant legislation.

The Internal Audit and Anti-Fraud Division have retention schedules in place to ensure that information is only held for as long as is needed. 

For successful sanction cases, we are requested to keep your information for a minimum of seven years after which time it will be destroyed.  For other cases, your information will be kept for 12 months after which time it will be destroyed.

Our Data Protection Officer

Our Data Protection Officer is Mark Hynes, you contact him by email at data.protectionofficer@walthamforest.gov.uk

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.

Complaints and contact details

These are included in the relevant section of the Corporate Privacy Notice.

Information Commissioner’s Office

If we’re unable to resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)