What is this consent form template?
The basics: This consent form template is a legal document that is used to obtain and record consent from an individual. It can be used for a variety of consent purposes.
Consent for photos: if the consent relates to the use of photos/images by your business, check out our photo consent form template instead.
How can my business benefit from using this consent form template?
Ensure data protection law compliance: Where personal data is collected or used by a business, that business must have a lawful basis to use the personal data. One of the lawful bases that can be used by businesses to process personal data is consent. Without a lawful basis for processing, your business will be in breach of data protection laws.
Get your consent request right: UK data protection laws contain strict requirements on what constitutes valid consent. Failure to obtain valid consent could lead to a breach of data protection laws if another lawful basis for processing is not in place. For consent to be valid, it must be specific, granular and unambiguous. To meet these requirements, a consent request should:
- be separate from your general terms and conditions;
- use clear, straightforward language;
- adopt a simple style that your intended audience will find easy to understand;
- avoid technical or legal jargon and confusing terminology; and
- be concise and specific, and avoid vague or blanket wording.
Ensure consistency across your business: Using Docue’s consent form template will ensure that consent is obtained in a consistent way across your business. Having a consent form can be a great way to ensure that there is a clear process in place when obtaining consent, that meets the requirements of data protection laws.
Keep clear records of consent: The UK GDPR states that "where processing is based on consent, the controller shall be able to demonstrate that the data subject has consented to processing of his or her personal data". This means that businesses must have an effective audit trail of how and when consent was given, so there is clear evidence of valid consent if ever challenged. A consent form is an easy way to keep such an audit trail. This evidence should be kept for as long as the business is still processing in reliance on the consent, so that it can demonstrate compliance with UK data protection laws.
What does Docue's consent form template include?
- Consent - wording is included that obtains individuals' consent for a particular purpose. For consent to be valid under the UK GDPR, you must give individuals separate distinct (‘granular’) options to consent separately to different purposes and types of processing. This means that you cannot get one generic consent from individuals that applies to all purposes of processing - the specific purpose of the processing must be made clear so that the individual knows what the specific purpose they are consenting to is;
- Privacy notice - the consent form template includes the option to attach your privacy notice or include a link to an online privacy notice, so that the individual is given details about how their personal data is being used (which is required by data protection laws);
- Withdrawal of consent - where consent is being used as the lawful basis for processing personal data, it is a requirement of data protection laws that you give individuals the option to withdraw their consent and tell them how they can do this. The consent form template includes this wording.
How can using Docue help my business?
Drafted by privacy lawyers: Docue's consent form template has been prepared by privacy lawyers, in consideration of UK data protection law requirements. It will be constantly monitored and kept up to date if there are any changes in the law.
Dynamic and easy to use: The consent form template can be prepared in just a matter of minutes, so that your business can prepare a consent form in the most efficient way.
Full contract process: Signatures can be collected electronically, and all contracts you make are securely saved in your company's own account, Docue Drive, to ensure you always have quick and easy access to your contracts in one place.
Tags: consent form template, model consent form
