I was asked the other day why I enjoy working in data protection. If I'm honest I disliked data protection before I completed my training and got the qualification, I found it confusing and cumbersome and wondered how anyone could actively comply to the many rules and elements, some of which seemed contradictory. Having completed the training and passed the 3 hour exam(!) I really understand the Act. The Data Protection Act can feel like looking a puzzle when you have no picture, you have the pieces but they made no sense as to how they fitted together. In fairness the Data Protection Act is a cumbersome piece of legislation. There have been bits added on over the years and other regulations brought in to support it, such as the privacy and electronic communication regulations (PECR). I can see why some organisations find it difficult to understand and struggle to comply especially if they don't have access to a knowledgeable advisor.
When we work with organisations, our first question is always "What do you want to do with the information?". Once we know what information you want to collect and its purpose we can fit the other pieces into place to support this. Each organisation has its own challenges to overcome to comply with the Act and it is wonderful to ease that journey for them by providing advice which meets their needs. I have a wonderful job supporting organisations to look after personal information which helps them grow their business.
