From awareness to action: meeting GDPR duties through effective staff training
La Touche Training wishes to offer a timely reminder to organisations across Ireland of their ongoing responsibilities under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
While GDPR has now been in force for several years, its obligations are far from static. Article 25 – data protection by design and by default – continues to serve as a cornerstone of compliance. This principle requires that data protection measures are embedded into every aspect of processing activities from the outset, and that only the minimum necessary personal data is processed.
For organisations, this isn’t merely a legal requirement – it’s a commitment to respecting the rights and freedoms of individuals. Ensuring that staff at every level are aware of, and act in accordance with, their data protection obligations is critical. Awareness measures such as physical or digital reminders in the workplace are helpful, but to truly meet the standard set out in legislation, structured and consistent training is essential.
At La Touche Training, we regularly work with a wide range of clients in both the public and private sectors whose staff are directly involved in handling personal data. This includes scenarios as varied as handwritten contemporaneous notes from interactions with service users, completion of forms, managing sensitive health records, and working with digital records and data collection systems.
Our training goes beyond surface-level instruction. We help staff understand the core rights of data subjects, the importance of lawful processing, data minimisation, and how to implement data protection principles in practical, real-world contexts. We also support organisations in embedding best practices around record keeping, data collection, and information governance.
In today’s regulatory climate, few things provoke greater concern than a data subject access request (DSAR) that spirals into an investigation by the Data Protection Commission. In such cases, the burden falls on the organisation to demonstrate that it has fulfilled its Article 25 obligations. That includes providing proof that staff have received appropriate GDPR training – a requirement that cannot be met retroactively.
At La Touche Training, we are proud to support organisations in meeting these critical responsibilities. Whether you are seeking to build foundational awareness or deliver targeted, role-specific training, we offer a range of expert-led courses designed to ensure compliance, reduce risk, and promote a culture of accountability.
If you’d like to discuss how we can support your team’s GDPR training needs, our team would be delighted to help, please contact us today.
