As soon as you get a subject access request from Barry Savage, you know you’re in trouble. If there’s an HR complaint in your organisation, either it’s about him or he made it. Bounced from one department to another because a series of managers haven’t had the guts to deal with him, Barry is a nightmare – you’ve got WhatsApp messages, emails, disciplinary reports and some photos you don’t even want to think about. And now, Barry wants to see all of it.

On this course, you are going to deal with Barry’s nightmare subject access request. Join your fellow delegates in deciding on how to deal with his initial request, where to search, what exemptions might apply and even what redactions to make on the information he is requesting. You won’t be trained in the detail of exemptions and SARs on this course; this is – virtual – hands-on dealing with the request. However, if you haven’t attended one of my SAR courses (or heaven forbid, someone else’s), you will get a bundle of reading so you’re up to speed.

The first part of the course includes analysing a detailed request and considering an ID check, the scope of the request and whether it is complex, as well as what kind of strategies to use when searching. After the break, we look at different materials that have been uncovered including internal emails with HR, CCTV images and WhatsApp messages sent between staff.