A data protection policy is the statement you hand to a customer, a tender panel or a new starter when they ask whether you are safe with personal data. This one is written to be shared openly and stays short enough that people actually read it.
This policy template is supplied in fully editable MS Word format and can be easily customised and edited. The document uses pre-defined style formatting throughout, with all text in Calibri font for improved readability.
The following document labelling is included in the footer:
- Policy number and title
- Information-classification
- Version
- Page number / total pages
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Further guidance on data protection and personal data:
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To get access to this file please click on Add to Cart to purchase for immediate download. If you have an alphaZ Subscription just click on Download Files to view all the files available to download. This policy is also included in the GDPR / Data Protection Toolkit and the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001, ISO 22301 and ISO 22458 toolkits, including the integrated toolkits that combine them, so the toolkit route gives you this file plus everything else you need in one download.
If you'd like hands-on help putting your data protection policy and personal data records in place, our remote support services provide direct expert input from our team, by the day, by project, or on an ongoing basis.
Data Protection Policy Template
A public data protection policy for stating how your organisation looks after personal data. It is written as an assurance statement for customers, staff, suppliers and anyone reviewing your arrangements, so it can be published on a website, attached to a tender response or given out on request.
The policy sets out the commitment, who is responsible, the practical measures in place to protect personal data, how people can use their rights or complain, and what happens if a data breach occurs. It covers the use of AI tools alongside everything else, because AI assistants and AI features in everyday software are now part of how personal data is handled.
What the Policy Covers
- Our commitment - the organisation's commitment to handling personal data lawfully, fairly and securely
- Responsibility - who is accountable for data protection and who people should contact
- How we protect personal data - the register of personal data held, retention, security, suppliers and processors, impact assessments, training and the controlled use of AI tools
- Your rights, requests and complaints - how to make a request about personal data and how to raise a concern
- Data breaches - the commitment to record, contain and report a breach where required
Written to be Shared
The policy carries a Public information classification, so it can be given to anyone who asks. Yellow editing prompts show where to name your privacy notice, where to refer to a data protection procedure if you have one, and where to adjust the AI wording to match the tools you use. It contains no named legislation, so it does not go out of date when the law changes - the legislation belongs on your legal register.
Who Needs a Data Protection Policy?
Any organisation that holds personal data about customers, employees or suppliers. It is regularly asked for in supplier questionnaires and tender responses, and it gives staff a clear statement of how personal data is expected to be treated.
Included in the GDPR / Data Protection Toolkit
This policy is part of the GDPR / Data Protection Toolkit - the registers, forms, policies, procedure and guidance for documenting how you collect and process personal data, in one download, and is also included in the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001, ISO 22301 and ISO 22458 toolkits.
Works with the Privacy Policy and the Data Protection Procedure
This policy answers the question "is this organisation safe with personal data?". The P-26 Privacy Policy answers "what do you do with my data?" and is the privacy notice people are given. The PP-1-16 Data Protection Policy Procedure is the internal procedure that sets out how the commitments in both are carried out day to day.
Using the Policy
Add your company details, name the privacy notice people should read, and work through the yellow prompts. If you use AI tools on a consumer or personal plan rather than a business plan, the prompt explains the alternative wording. Once approved, the policy can be published straight away.
Keeping It Current
Review the policy when your arrangements change - a new system, a new supplier handling personal data, or a new AI tool - so that what it says stays true.
Would you rather we prepared it for you?
Our Personal Data Register and Privacy Notice Preparation service works through the personal data your organisation holds with you, including the AI tools in use, and prepares the register and privacy notice so they describe what actually happens to that data.
Personal Data Register and Privacy Notice Preparation