Churches may have been concerned to learn of several recent Church of England-related data breaches.
While these incidents have not directly affected Rochester Diocese, it is understandable that they may still have caused concern.
For awareness, the two reported data breaches are:
APCS DBS service breach
Access Personal Checking Services Ltd (APCS) carries out Data and Barring Services (DBS) checks on behalf of the National Church Institutions (NCIs), some Dioceses and Parochial Church Council (PCCs).
In August, they reported a significant data breach that had affected some clergy, lay ministers, volunteers, and staff.
The Diocese of Rochester does not use APCS for DBS checks. This means that parishes within the diocese are not affected by this reported breach and do not need to take any action.
People impacted by the data breach in affected dioceses have been contacted with advice and support.
National church approved Redress Scheme breach
The Redress Scheme is the initiative set up to address the profound harm caused by Church-related abuse, and to offer not only financial redress but also formal apology, acknowledgment, therapeutic support, and other forms of bespoke redress.
Kennedys Law LLP, which administers the scheme, has admitted responsibility for a data incident that resulted in the unintended disclosure of email addresses belonging to individuals who had registered for updates on the Redress Scheme.
Recognising the distress this incident has caused, particularly for survivors who trusted the scheme to handle their information with care and confidentiality, the national church shared a message with links to support.
Read more
Please be assured that the Diocese of Rochester takes the care of people’s data very seriously.
Such incidents are a reminder of how we all need to have the utmost vigilance around the management of the data we hold within our various contexts.
For more advice and support around GDPR and data, please visit the Information Commissioner's Office website: https://ico.org.uk/