Cookies

What cookies are, why we use them, how you can manage them and what we do with the information.

2 About cookies

What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files downloaded by your web browser and stored on your computer, smart phone or tablet as you visit websites.

Some of the cookies we use are necessary for this website to function. For other cookies you can choose whether or not to allow them. This guide explains the cookies we use on this website.

How can cookies help a website?

Cookies help a website to operate correctly and aid user experience, and they are used by most websites. They have many purposes, including:

  • allowing a website to 'remember' you and your preferences, such as the font size, during visits
  • storing information, such as the items you have put in your online shopping basket
  • enabling the collection of analytical data that website owners can use, such as how many times a web page has been viewed
  • operating 'targeted' advertising.

Different types of cookie

  • Session cookies - These exist during your browsing session or visit to a website. They will normally be deleted when your browser window is closed.
  • Persistent cookies - These are stored on your device for a defined period of time.
  • First party cookies - These are set by the website you are visiting and can only be accessed and used by that website.
  • Third party cookies - These are set through a website by a party other than the one that owns the website, usually through applications or functions created by other companies that a website may implement on its pages. The importance of third party cookies is that they can be used to track users across websites.

Learn more about cookies

How to disable or enable cookies

You can use your internet browser (for example, Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari or Firefox) to manage cookies across all websites you use. This includes being able to block and delete cookies. 

The website Aboutcookies.org.uk provides instructions on how to manage cookies.

If you are using your browser's settings to block or delete cookies, whilst you will still be able to use our site you may encounter some issues.

Our use of cookies

When we provide services, we want to make them easy, useful and reliable. Where services are delivered on the internet, this involves the use of cookies.

The cookies we use cannot be used to identify you personally.

Our use of cookies:

  • helps us to make sure our site operates correctly and efficiently
  • provides accessibility and functionality
  • collects usage statistics that allow us to monitor how our site is used so that we can improve it.

3 Necessary cookies

The table below shows cookies used across www.westsussex.gov.uk.

Cookie type, description and the expiry.
Cookie Description Expiry
NSC_xxxx (name changes but prefixed NSC) Network load balancer cookie that ensures our servers do not become overloaded by requests by distributing workload. 1 hour
ASP.Net _SessionID Used to identify requests linked to the same browser session. Session (deleted when browser is closed)
JSESSIONID Used so website can identify requests linked to the same browser session. Session (deleted when browser is closed)
ai_session Microsoft Azure cookie and local storage item for Application Insights. Used for web application telemetry and performance monitoring. 30 minutes
ai_user Microsoft Azure cookie for Application Insights. Used for web application telemetry and performance monitoring. 1 year
AI_buffer Microsoft Azure session storage item for Application Insights. Used for web application telemetry and performance monitoring. Session
AI_sentBuffer Microsoft Azure session storage item for Application Insights. Used for web application telemetry and performance monitoring. Session
ARRAffinity Network load balancing cookie that ensures our servers do not become overloaded by requests by distributing workload (Windows Azure). Session
ARRAffinitySameSite Network load balancing cookie that ensures our servers do not become overloaded by requests by distributing workload (Windows Azure). Session
ASLBSA Microsoft Azure Front Door cookie used for session affinity when managing traffic. Session
ASLBSACORS Microsoft Azure Front Door cookie used for session affinity when managing traffic. Session
tab Used when browsing a guide page to determine which section to show. Session
.AspNetCore.Antiforgery. This cookie is set by Microsoft AspNet for the purpose of anti-forgery protection. Session
.AspNetCore.Mvc.CookieTempDataProvider ASP.NET cookie used set session state across page requests Session
UMB_SESSION Umbraco cookie used to preserve session state across page requests. Session
.wscc.consent Used to hide our cookie banner message and remember any cookie preferences you have set using the banner. 1 year
browserupdateorg Used to hide 'Update your browser' banner when you are using an out-of-date browser. 1 year

Job search

Our job search functionality is provided by Lumesse (Cornerstone). This sets a number of cookies to aid the search and application process. You can find out more about Lumesse's cookies on its Privacy Policy page.

Job search cookies: Showing cookie type, description and the expiry.
Cookie Description Expiry
AWSALB Used for load balancing on Amazon web services. Set by emea3.recruitmentplatform.com 7 days
AWSALBCORS Used for load balancing on Amazon web services. Set by emea3.recruitmentplatform.com 7 days
EXPIRE_TIMESTAMP Set by emea3.recruitmentplatform.com Session
lumesse.apply.countryCodes.en-GB Session storage item used on the application form. Session
lumesse.apply.version.en-GB Session storage item used on the application form. Session

Bots

We have added a new bot to our website as a trial of the functionality. These bots may set cookies on pages where the bot icon is visible and when the bot is launched.

4 Functional cookies

Analytics cookies

We use some external services to help us understand how our website is used so that we can make improvements. These services may use cookies which will be set on your device if you select 'Accept all cookies' from our cookie banner or if you update your preferences to accept functional cookies. 

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics (GA), a web analysis service from Google, to help us collect site use statistics. The following cookies related to this service may be set:

Google analytics performance cookies: Showing cookie type, description and the expiry.
Cookie Description Expiry
_ga_68W5Z874QE Used to track an individual session with your device (persist session state) 2 years
_ga Used to distinguish a user as unique. 2 years
_gat Used to throttle request rate. 10 minutes
_gid Used to distinguish users. 24 hours
_ga_Y3JWZB8XLW Used to track an individual session with your device (persist session state) (School jobs application) 2 years

Google Analytics uses first party cookies through our website to collect information about how visitors interact with our websites. This information is sent to Google and is analysed by us to evaluate how our websites are being used and how they can be improved.

Google Analytics doesn't identify who you are, but does track your movements on our websites.

You can find out more about the cookies Google Analytics sets on its cookie usage page. You can also read Google's overview of safeguarding data

Google provide a browser-based tool that you can install and use to opt out of all GA data collection. You can install it from their Google Analytics opt-out page

Siteimprove analytics

We use Siteimprove's analytics service to collect site use statistics. We have configured this service to use Siteimprove's 'cookieless tracking' feature which means statistics can be collected without having to set cookies on visitors' devices. This feature also includes enhanced IP address anonymisation. 

Siteimprove analytics will respect 'do not track' browser settings.

Hotjar

We are trialling the use of an analytics service provided by Hotjar to help us analyse how our website is used. Hotjar uses the following cookies:

Hotjar cookies: Showing cookie type, description and the expiry.
Cookie Description Expiry
_hjSessionUser_{site_id} Ensures data from subsequent visits to the same site are attributed to the same user ID. 1 year
_hjHasCachedUserAttributes Enables Hotjar to know whether the data set in _hjUserAttributes Local Storage item is up to date or not. Session
_hjUserAttributesHash Enables Hotjar to know when any User Attribute has changed and needs to be updated. 2 minutes (extended every 30 seconds)
_hjUserAttributes Local storage item that stores user attributes sent through the Hotjar Identify API. No explicit expiration
hjViewportId Session storage item that stores user viewport details such as size and dimensions. Session
hjActiveViewportIds Local storage item that stores user active viewports IDs Stores an expirationTimestamp that is used to validate active viewports on script initialization.
_hjSession_{site_id} Ensures subsequent requests in the session window are attributed to the same session. 30 minutes (extended on user activity)
_hjCookieTest Checks to see if the Hotjar Tracking Code can use cookies. If it can, a value of 1 is set. Deleted almost immediately after it is created.
Under 100ms duration, cookie expiration time set to session duration.
_hjLocalStorageTest Checks if the Hotjar Tracking Code can use Local Storage. Data stored has no expiration time, but it is deleted almost immediately after it is created.
Under 100ms duration.
_hjSessionStorageTest Checks if the Hotjar Tracking Code can use Session Storage. Data stored has no expiration time, but it is deleted almost immediately after it is created.
Under 100ms duration.
_hjTLDTest Enables Hotjar to try to determine the most generic cookie path to use, instead of page hostname. Session

Hotjar's website gives full information about how Hotjar uses cookies. You can also opt out of Hotjar cookies by enabling do not track.

Third party services

We use a variety of third party functions and applications to enrich and improve our content. While we try to limit the setting of cookies by these applications where possible, some cookies are unavoidable. Where these third party services are used on the website they may also receive the IP address of the device you are using.

West Sussex County Council does not collect personally identifiable information of visitors to our site. We will not:

  • associate any data gathered with any personally identifying information
  • link or seek to link an IP address with the identity of a computer user.

Below is an outline of third party functionality used across our websites and how to find out more information.

These services may use cookies which will be set on your device if you select 'Accept all cookies' from our cookie banner or if you update your preferences to accept functional cookies. 

YouTube

We embed our video content using YouTube. Information on how this website uses cookies can be found on Google's privacy pages. We have used YouTube's no-cookie domain to stream videos on our site.

GovDelivery

The GovDelivery signup overlay, which displays on some pages on our site, uses your browser's local storage to store when you last saw the overlay and when it should be shown again. By default you should only see the overlay once a month when using the same browser on the same device. 

Twitter and Facebook

A small selection of pages have Twitter or Facebook activity streams and badges embedded in them. These use cookies, set by the respective service. 

Google Maps

Where we have embedded Google Maps in our pages, cookies may be set by Google. Information on how Google uses cookies can be found on the Google privacy pages.

Soundcloud

Some of our pages have audio clips embedded. These are hosted by Soundcloud, which sets a number of cookies.

Matterport

Our library booking pages contain videos created by Matterport which uses local storage when loading the video and using the options available.

PowerBI

On some pages we have embedded data visualisation reports using Microsoft PowerBI, which may set cookies through app.powerbi.com. You can view Microsoft's Privacy Statement

5 Marketing cookies

We may sometimes use third party marketing tools on select pages to help us understand how our marketing campaigns are working. These will set cookies on your device if you select 'Accept all cookies' from our cookie banner or update your preferences to accept marketing cookies.

Simpli.fi

We have used a targeted advertising service provided by Simplifi Programmatic Network on a small number of pages. You can learn more through Simplifi's privacy policy.

Facebook

We have used Facebook's targeted advertising service on a small number of pages. You can find out more on Facebook's Cookie use page.

6 Other services

Open Street Map

On some pages we use mapping services provided by Open Street Map.

Sharing buttons

Most of our web pages feature buttons to allow you to share the content on social media. Using these buttons will take you to the relevant social media website, which may set cookies.

Booking Bug

We use a service provided by Booking Bug for some of our appointment booking functionality.

GovDelivery newsletters

We use GovDelivery to send out our email alerts. Its sign-up process uses a session cookie relating to the subscription concerned and also sets a tracking cookie so it can understand activity in order to improve the product. This cookie expires after a year. Information on GovDelivery's use of cookies can be found on the Legal and privacy page of its website.

Carto

We use a mapping system from Carto to display some highways related data. 

Statmap Earthlight

On some pages we have embedded maps created using Statmap Earthlight.

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