The client
Shakespeare’s Globe is a world-renowned theatre and a major cultural charity in London. Like many charities, it manages significant data protection responsibilities with limited resources behind the scenes.
What did they need?
Finding a new home for data protection
The Governance Manager took on wider responsibility for data protection alongside her existing governance and compliance work. She brought previous experience as a DPO, although much of this had been gained under earlier legislation, and recognised the value of having access to current, specialist advice.
The Globe now also has an internal Data Protection Lead, providing a more robust structure for managing data protection matters and a clear route for advice and escalation. This combination of internal oversight and specialist support has strengthened the Globe’s overall approach to data protection.
Keeping ownership in-house
The Globe wanted to continue managing data protection internally, with experienced people available to help when needed.
After comparing DPAS with another provider, the team chose to work with us.
How did we help?
Someone to talk things through with
We work alongside the Globe’s internal team as an ongoing source of advice and reassurance.
Day to day, that often means acting as a sounding board. The Governance Manager talks us through a proposed approach, and we help her check it, consider any risks and decide what to do next.
We also attend the Globe’s internal data protection group and keep the team informed about legislative and regulatory changes.
Strengthening the foundations
Alongside this ongoing advice, we’ve helped the Globe to:
- Develop its Record of Processing Activities
- Review and update its internal and external privacy information
- Refresh its data protection policies and introduce a formal subject rights policy
- Assess, record and manage smaller breaches and near misses
- Respond to a reportable breach involving a third-party organisation
Putting a new policy into practice
Within about a week of introducing its new subject rights policy, the Globe received subject access requests.
The People Team had a clear written framework to guide its response, building on the procedures and established practice it had previously relied on. It was an early opportunity to put the policy to work on real requests.
Making retention rules clearer
Working through those requests also brought wider information management questions into focus. How long should emails and Teams messages be kept? What should happen to archived mailboxes when someone leaves?
This gave the Globe practical evidence to help develop clearer retention rules.
It also helped the team explain its requirements to its external IT provider, so retention periods could reflect the Globe’s legal and operational needs rather than simply following system defaults.
The result
- The Globe now has stronger policies, a subject rights process that has been used in practice and a clearer approach to information retention.
- The team has more documented guidance to draw on, alongside experienced support when an incident needs a quick decision.
- Its Governance Manager described appointing DPAS as one of the best things the organisation has done. The Globe is now in its second year with us and expects to renew.
What the client had to say
“What we value most is having knowledgeable and approachable experts available when we need them. DPAS has helped us strengthen our policies, respond confidently when issues arise and turn data protection requirements into practical improvements across the organisation.”
— Iwona Bainbridge, Shakespeare’s Globe
Need expert support alongside your team?
If you want to keep data protection in-house but would value someone to talk things through with, we’re here to help.
We’ll work alongside your team, offer clear advice and support you with the questions and decisions that need extra expertise.
Explore our Data Protection Consultancy or book a call with us.
