Paul is one of the leading experts on Data Protection in the voluntary sector.  He has:

• supported a wide range of organisations with their Data Protection needs;
• carried out Data Protection audits and policy development;
• written books, guides and articles on Data Protection;
• designed and delivered numerous training courses and conference briefings; and
• taken part in lobbying on behalf of the voluntary sector.

Paul's experience goes back to the mid-1980s when he designed and delivered training courses on the 1984 Data Protection Act, wrote extensively on the topic, and developed Data Protection strategies.  His involvement with the 1998 Act began with monitoring the EU debates which eventually led up to the 1995 Directive (95/46/EC) on which the UK’s 1998 Act is based.

Find out more about Data Protection, Freedom of Information or Paul's services

Information about Data Protection

Data Protection is important: get it wrong and you can damage your organisation's reputation, lay your organisation open to substantial fines, and even cause serious harm to individuals.

Most people by now have a fairly good idea of the basics of Data Protection, but for a short introduction, see the free Guide in Books & Publications.

An archive of Paul's series of updates on recent Data Protection developments is available here.

For detailed – and free – information about the law, the best source is probably the Information Commissioner, who is the public official responsible for promoting and enforcing the Data Protection Act throughout the UK.  Among the Commissioner's most useful publications for voluntary organisations are these Codes of Practice:

• Employment Records
• Privacy Notices (including how and when to get consent)
• Data Sharing

Freedom of Information

Data Protection and Freedom of Information are often seen as intertwined.  For public authorities this can certainly be the case.  In the interests of open government, a public authority must (subject to a series of exemptions) provide information about its activities to anyone who puts in a request.

However, almost no voluntary organisations or charities – except for some large ones such as museums and universities – are public authorities.  This means that few voluntary organisations are required to respond to requests for information in the same way.

The main exception is where the voluntary organisation is holding information on behalf of a public authority, for example under a contract to deliver services.  In this case, if the authority receives a FoI request they may require the voluntary organisation to provide the authority with the information it needs in order to respond to the request.

It is also worth remembering that when a voluntary organisation tenders for work or applies for a grant from a public authority the supporting information ends up being held by the authority.  Other contenders for the funding may – and increasingly will – ask the authority to release that information.

Paul's services

Data Protection support service

Most of the time, Data Protection is straightforward, and largely a matter of common sense.  Occasionally, however, you hit a problem.  You could research the answer yourself, but often you need to move quickly, with the reassurance that you haven’t missed anything.  That’s where Paul's support service comes in.

For a one-off annual fee, you get:

• Unlimited telephone and e-mail support for you and your colleagues, whenever an immediate specific Data Protection question comes up.
• Telephone and e-mail advice on policies and procedures.
• Up to half an hour reviewing and commenting on your written materials – policies, procedures, fair processing notices on literature and forms, etc.
• A quarterly e-mail bulletin, with updates on the latest Data Protection developments and issues that might require you to take action.
• Reduced rates for participation in online webinars.
• Access to an online quiz which you can use to test your staff on Data Protection to keep them up to speed.

Response times are not guaranteed, but Paul aimsd to reply on the same day or the next working day that he is in the office.  Usually Paul isout of the office for no more than two days in any week.  Note that he is not a lawyer, and does not offer legal advice.

Audits and consultancy

Paul has undertaken numerous major consultancies, undertaking audits, giving advice and training on Data Protection, and helping to draw up appropriate policies where required. Clients include: Age Concern England (before its merger into Age UK), The Countryside Agency, Crossroads – Caring for Carers, I CAN (a medical charity), Pell & Bales (an agency working with a consortium of large charities on a major Gift Aid programme), National Canine Defence League (now Dogs Trust), National Autistic Society, National Childbirth Trust, Refugee Council, Shelter and Tear Fund.

In addition, audits, training and advice have been provided on a smaller scale to: Age Concern Doncaster, Boys & Girls Welfare Society, Chatham House, City University, Derby University, Eastern Arts, Help the Hospices, International Youth House Project (Leicester), National Council for Voluntary Organisations, Norfolk Crossroads, Red R, St. Martin in the Fields Social Care Unit, Skillshare International, United Reform Church and Yorkshire Arts, among others.

What they say about Paul Ticher’s in-house Data Protection work:

“Many thanks for all your work on the report, which has been a great encouragement to us.”

“Just to say thanks, we all got a lot out of the day and feel more able to get to grips with [our] client files. As we have all the handouts and your book, we should be able to develop a policy that is simple and workable.”

“It was wonderfully received by those who attended (and this would have been one of my most critical audiences).”

Writing

Paul is the author of the standard work Data Protection for Voluntary Organisations, first published in July 2000 by the Directory of Social Change. The first edition sold out rapidly; the second edition was published in November 2002 and the third edition in 2009.

Paul also co-authored the Employment Records Handbook with Gill Taylor, an HR specialist, and has written several smaller publications on aspects of Data Protection and its links to Freedom of Information.

Many national publications for the voluntary sector have commissioned articles from Paul on Data Protection, including material for the Lasa Knowledgebase.

Training courses and conference briefings

Paul offers in-house training for senior managers and front-line staff.  This can cover anything from the basics of Data Protection for an organisation embarking on a review of its practice, to the practical implementation of policies and procedures at the end of the process.

For umbrella organisations wanting to raise Data Protection as an issue with their members, Paul has delivered sessions of an hour or two at a variety of conferences – each tailored to the specific needs and interests of those attending the event.

Lobbying

Because of his extensive background in Data Protection, Paul was commissioned to act on behalf of the Federation of Independent Advice Centres (now Advice UK) in face to face consultations with the Information Commissioner and her senior staff on the implementation of the Act. He has participated in several public consultation exercises on the Data Protection Act, and has corresponded with the Office of the Information Commissioner on behalf of many client organisations.