We take your privacy seriously and will only keep and use your personal information for reasons law requires or allows. We are the data controller for the personal information it holds about you in relation to assessing your housing needs. What follows is an explanation of how the council will use this information; who it will be shared with and how long we will keep it. 

Please read our general privacy notice as well as this notice.  

The personal information we hold for this service area 

We collects your personal data when you approach us for help with your housing circumstances. The personal data collected may include the following: 

• name 
• date of birth 
• gender 
• relationship status 
• religion 
• nationality 
• pets 
• telephone and mobile numbers 
• email address 
• third party contact information 
• address history for the last 5 years from date of approach including landlord details 
• national Insurance Number 
• household makeup including children 
• information about your health and that of your household 
• income including benefit entitlement 
• involvement of other agencies i.e. Childrens Services 
• income and expenditure information 
• identification 
• proof of any disabilities 
• proof of savings/stocks and shares 
• bank/building society/Credit Union statements 
• payslips 
• address history of immediate family members e.g. parents, siblings, and non-dependent children 
• support needs of the household 
• referrals to organisations/agencies you have provided consent for us to contact 
• information about your mortgage 
• information about any property that you own 
• outstanding debts including statements 
• legal action concerning your current or previous home 
• criminal convictions (not including spent convictions) 
• risk of harm to yourself or others.

We may also collect anonymous preferences, interests and favourites. Occasionally, we may ask you for more sensitive personal data. Where it does so, we will provide you with more information about why it is being collected at that time. 

As many of the ways in which you interact with us are through our website via electronic devices, we may automatically collect information about your device and the software on it. This information is capable of being personal data and can include unique identifiers such as your IP address, browser type, domain names, access times and referring website addresses. This type of information is used for the operation of the service, to maintain quality of the service, and to provide general statistics regarding use of our website. 

The purposes for which that personal information will be used 

Legal obligation or public task under various UK laws including but not limited to: 

• The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 
• The Children Act 1989 
• The Housing Acts 1988, 1996, 2002, 2004  
• The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017  
• The Landlord and Tenant Act 1987  
• The Protection from Eviction Act 1977.

We may share that personal information with: 

• judicial agencies, for example, courts  
• police 
• the Courts, law enforcement agencies and bodies undertaking the collection of debts 
• health agencies  
• education providers  
• other local authorities  
• immigration services 
• The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) 
• safeguarding boards 
• emergency accommodation providers, for example, bed and breakfast landlords  
• elected members and MPs (as your representative)  
• funding bodies  
• landlords – housing associations, registered providers and private landlords.

We may also share your personal information with service areas within the council or other relevant organisations for purposes which may include law enforcement. 

• The Probation Service 
• Third Sector Organisations 
• Community Land Trusts.

Finally, you should be aware that we have a duty to protect public funds. It may therefore use the personal information for the prevention or detection of fraud and may therefore share this personal information with other bodies for these purposes.  

The length of time that we may keep your information 

We will only keep this personal information for as long as is necessary, but generally this will be no longer than 6 years from the date on which the case was closed or as required by law. 

Your rights 

You have with certain rights with regard to your personal information, however not all of these rights will be available to you in all situations, particularly where the processing of your information is necessary for us to carry out its duties and powers. For more information about your rights, please read our general privacy notice. 

For information about how to contact us about data protection matters or how to make a complaint about how your personal information has been handled by us, please read our general privacy notice.