Research Screener for British citizens living overseas

1. Background and Purpose   

We are conducting ongoing user research with British Citizens living abroad on your experience of living abroad as a British national and around voting, even if you have not voted while living abroad. Please note that by completing this survey, it won't guarantee participation in research, but you may be contacted in the future if a relevant research opportunity arises.

2. Type of Research   

The user research will be performed as a series of interviews with you via video/tele-conference. Audio/video recordings of the interviews will be made and notes will be recorded by the researcher during interviews to facilitate analysis of the interview responses.  

3. Participation is voluntary   

Participation in the research is voluntary. Participants can withdraw their consent and stop their participation at any time by making a request to the researcher conducting the session. 

4. Benefits and risks of participating  

Findings from research sessions will be used to contribute towards enhancement of the voting online services. Risks from participating in the user research are low as recordings will be deleted when they are no longer needed and summary data will be anonymised. 

5. Collection and Storage of Research Data   

Recordings will be stored on an encrypted Softwire laptop and securely stored in a restricted folder on Sharepoint until a review and analysis of all recordings has been performed. Extracted summary data will be anonymised and stored on systems of Softwire and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in a form which does not permit identification of the participants. After recordings have been reviewed and analysed and summary data has been captured and anonymised, the original recordings will be deleted. The anonymised research data will be stored indefinitely. 

6. Sharing research extracts   

The original recordings and summary data will be accessed by staff from Softwire, and Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities who are part of the user research team so they can learn from the results of the research sessions in order to improve the voting services.  

7. Legal disclosure   

Softwire may release some or all of the research data if required by law or by any competent authority. 

8. Publishing findings  

Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities may make the anonymised research data public so that anyone can use and learn from the results. The findings that Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities makes public will not contain any of my personal data or anything that could identify me. 

9. Processing of Personal Data   

The data controller in relation to the user research is Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. 

The personal data collected from a participant as part of the user research will be processed on the basis of the informed consent of the participant. A participant may withdraw their consent for the processing of personal data. A participant has the right to request access to their personal data and correction or removal of such personal data. If the data controller has a legitimate reason not to fulfil a participant’s request, this will be communicated to the participant. If a participant believes that Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities or Softwire has not complied with their data protection rights, the participant can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.  

Participants wishing to contact the Data Protection Officer of Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in relation to the user research may do so using the following contact details: 

Data Protection Officer – Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities 

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities 
Fry Building 
2 Marsham Street 
London 
SW1P 4DF 
dataprotection@levellingup.gov.uk 
 

Thank you for signing up to take part in user research. Please read the following statements and sign at the bottom if you agree. If you have any questions, please ask. 

1. Taking part in the user research 

I have read and understood the information sheet for this user research or it has been read to me. I have been able to ask questions about the study and my questions have been answered to my satisfaction. 

I consent voluntarily to be a participant in this user research and understand that I can refuse to answer questions and I can withdraw from the study at any time, without having to give a reason. 

I understand that taking part in the study involves an audio/video recording and recording of notes of the user research session which will be destroyed after the recording has been reviewed and analysed and summary data has been captured and anonymised. 

2. Use of information in the user research 

I understand that information I provide will be used with that of other participants to analyse ways to  enhance the voting services. 

I understand that personal information collected about me that can identify me, such as my name or address will not be shared beyond staff of Softwire and its subcontractors and Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities who are part of the user research study team. 

I understand that the ideas, designs and services I see in my research session are confidential. I will not tell anyone else about the ideas, designs or services until they are made public. I will not take away copies of any materials I use in the session. 

I give permission for the audio/video recordings, note records and summary data to be stored in an encrypted Softwire laptop as described in the information sheet. 

3. Signature 

I understand that Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities needs my name, address and signature to show that I consent to taking part in user research on the basis of the conditions stated in this consent form. My personal details will be treated with confidence and in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, as it forms part of the law of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (UK GDPR).