How we use cookies

Cookies are small files that our websites place on your computer to help make it easier to use. By using our websites, we assume you consent to our use of cookies.

Providing services via our websites means that we sometimes need to place small amounts of information on your device. This information is stored in small text files that are known as cookies. Most websites do this to improve how they work and respond to you, for example:

  • remembering settings, so you don’t have to keep re-entering them on each new page
  • remembering information you’ve given, so you don’t need to keep entering it
  • measuring how you use the website, so we can make sure it meets your needs

Our cookies aren’t used to identify you personally. They just make the site work better for you. You can manage and/or delete these small files as you wish.

To learn more about cookies and how to manage them, visit the About Cookies website.

Necessary cookies

We use cookies to enable us to provide some of the more complex functionality on our websites.  For example, where we aren't just providing a web page of information.  But one that's interactive, such as an electronic form. In these instances, cookies are essential for those elements to work. They don't contain any personal information and can't be used to identify you.

We also use cookies to monitor how you use our website so that we can make sure it’s meeting your needs. Also to give us an understanding of what we can change to make it better. To do this, we use tools which gather details about the pages you visit.  Along with how long you remain on them, how you got to them (eg via a search or through our navigation menus). Also what you click on when you're on them. We don't collect or store any personal details, such as your name, address or IP address. This information can't be used to identify you. 

Name Purpose Expires
ApplicationGatewayAffinity To ensure a visitor's page requests are routed to the same server throughout a browsing session when you close your web browser
.AspNetCore.Antiforgery.w5W7x28NAIs To improve security between your browser and our servers as you are completing eForms. when you close your web browser
.AspNetCore.Session To maintain session information when browsing the website. Necessary to support multiple page eForms and to remember your progress until you complete the eForm. when you close your web browser
ASPSESSIONIDQGDSSAQT To maintain session information when browsing the website, necessary to support multiple page eForms and to remember your progress until you complete the eForm. when you close your web browser
close-cookie-notice Records consent to cookies and closes the cookie preference popup. one year
cookie-consent-necessary Records the date the visitor gave consent to necessary cookies. one year
_ga Helps to record visitors' use of the website without collecting personally identifiable data. two years
_gat Helps to record visitors' use of the website without collecting personally identifiable data. when you close your web browser
_gat_BarnsleyCouncil Helps to record visitors' use of the website without collecting personally identifiable data. when you close your web browser
_gid Helps to record visitors' use of the website without collecting personally identifiable data. 24 hours
nmstat Helps to record visitors' use of the website without collecting personally identifiable data. 1000 days
siteimproveses Helps to record visitors' use of the website without collecting personally identifiable data. when you close your web browser
whoson Helps to record visitors' use of web chat against their web chat visitor record.  |Which contains browser information and IP address. 13 month

We also use inferred anonymous demographic data to help us improve our services. To do this we have enabled the Google Analytics Advertising cookie. Our website does not use any details for advertising purposes. For more advice read the Google policy on advertising cookies.

To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites (not just ours).  Then visit the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Changing your cookie preferences

You can change your cookie preferences below.

Change your cookie preferences