Introduction
Our commitment to regular appraisal which we are calling the ‘Professional Development Review’ (PDR) is founded on the belief that all colleagues have a right to a focussed annual conversation around their individual performance, development and wellbeing.
The PDR conversation aims to provide colleagues with a clear understanding of their Department's or School’s expectations of them for the coming year; an opportunity for discussion of their contribution to the achievement of University goals and how their own objectives align to this; and an opportunity to discuss the extent to which they feel valued and supported in their role.
Data protection
The University of Westminster takes its data protection obligations very seriously. Access to any personal information you give us in the Personal Development Review (PDR) process is subject to a staff confidentiality agreement.
Access to your personal information is limited by permissions to only those staff who need access to manage and review your information, in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
This privacy statement explains what we do with your personal information, your rights and how we protect your details.
Personal data
We collect the necessary personal information for the PDR process, such as your name, email address, and department/school.
Additionally, we may ask for your personal objectives, development goals, future training needs, and feedback on wellbeing and sense of belonging as part of the PDR process.
Use of your information
We use your personal information to support the PDR process, such as sharing your information with your line manager/s or other nominated colleagues, Head of School, College, or Professional Service Director for feedback. We also may use your information to monitor the PDR process and the submission of agreed personal objectives and training needs and share it with the abovementioned role(s), who can keep a record and provide local support or guidance where required.
The information will also be used to create aggregated and anonymous statistics for wider distribution in the University, where no individuals will be identifiable.
Anonymised, aggregated, monitoring data in relation to the PDR process will be reported annually to the University Executive Board (UEB) on completion and status rates and user experience feedback to measure application, engagement, and impact.
Heads of School or Professional Service Directors are responsible for retaining all completed online PDR forms for the purposes of reporting, monitoring and auditing in cases where reviews are not carried out in accordance with the PDR Guidance available via the Professional Development Review page on the intranet.
People, Culture and Wellbeing Department (PCW) members may access your individual reviewee records.
Legal basis for processing and retention of data
We process your personal data in relation to PDR as part of your contract of employment.
The information held in relation to your PDR will be retained for one year after your exit from the University. Reviewees may download a copy of their record for future employment and learning record. In this instance, records containing sensitive information will be kept confidential, and PCW Systems Team will support with the records maintenance process to ensure old records are maintained and apply established protocols for accessing and sharing information in accordance with record maintenance guidance.
HR Management Information and Systems Team will support in removing old records upon request. Please make this request to [email protected].
Special category personal data
In most circumstances the PDR process and any wellbeing feedback will not gather or require you to give us any sensitive personal data. However, if it should be necessary for you to share personal sensitive data as part of this process, it will only be with your consent and will not be shared more widely than with your line manager(s) or nominated reviewer(s) and the PCW Department.
Profiling and automated decision making
The PDR process does not involve the profiling of any individuals or have any automated decision-making processes – that is, decisions made by computers without human intervention.
Data transfers and sharing
None of your personal information is shared by the University with any other third-party organisation unless allowed by law.
Where services involve a third party processing your information, for example, our use of a cloud-based IT service, such services will be covered by a contract.
Your rights
If you have any questions relating to your personal information and your information rights, including right of access, rectification and erasure, please see the University’s data protection pages or contact the University Information Compliance Team at [email protected].
You can also contact the Information Commissioners’ Office in relation to any concerns or issues you may have with the processing of your personal information.
Further guidance and resources
There are several online resources and tools to help reviewers conduct an effective PDR conversation. Please visit the Professional Development Review page on the intranet for further guidance on training and resources available. If further support is required, please contact [email protected].
Review and amendments
This statement will be reviewed periodically to ensure its effectiveness and compliance with current legislation and University requirements. The University reserves the right to amend or terminate this statement as needed to accommodate operational requirements or comply with changes in applicable laws and regulations.
This statement was last reviewed and updated in April 2024.