Housing assessment privacy notice

This notice explains how personal information is going to be used, what it is used for, who it might be shared with and why and for how long it is to be kept.

What information is collected?

  • Contact details (including telephone numbers and email address)
  • ID (including NI number, birth certificate, passport, marriage certificate)
  • Special category data (including ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, medical, criminal history)
  • Financial data (including income, savings, benefits)
  • Immigration status (based on entitlement to benefits within the UK)
  • Address history (including tenure, eviction, homelessness)

Why do we collect your personal information?

  • To provide advice and assistance and determine applications under homelessness legislation
  • Deliver services and support to you
  • Manage those services we provide to you
  • Train and manage the employment of our workers who deliver those services
  • Help investigate any worries or complaints you have about your services
  • Keep track of spending on services
  • Check the quality of services

Data Controller

Crawley Borough Council is registered as a Data Controller with The Information Commissioner’s Office (Registration Number Z5327706).

The Council (CBC) complies with The Data Protection Act 2018 and the GDPR. We ensure that your personal data is processed fairly, kept safe and secure and retained for no longer than is necessary.

The Data Protection Officer for CBC is Head of Legal, Democracy and HR Services. If you have any concerns or questions about how we look after your personal information please contact the Data Protection Officer.

The legal basis for processing personal data

  • Processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation
  • Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller

The legal basis for processing special category data

Processing is necessary for the reason of substantial public interest.

Who we share data with

We pass data to:

  • Internal departments
  • Local and county authorities (including education services, social services, children and adult services, and relevant housing and other services)
  • Central Government, including the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
  • Other third-party organisations, as allowed by law
  • Other partner agencies that provide services on our behalf
  • Agencies with whom we have a duty to co-operate, such as the police
  • Housing Associations
  • Benefits Agencies, including the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
  • HM Court Services
  • Health authority, general practitioners
  • We will not share data with third-parties for marketing purposes

Retention periods

Personal data will be retained for:

  • 6 years from date of last contact (for people seeking advice/assistance about homelessness); or
  • 6 years from tenancy start date (if an application for social housing is successful), or 6 years from date of application (if application is unsuccessful); or
  • 6 years from the end date of the tenancy (where no claim is made on a Crawley Deposit Service bond), or 6 years from the date the claim is repaid in full (where a CDS claim is made and repaid by the customer)

Rights

You have the right to:

  • Be informed of data processing (which is covered by this privacy notice)
  • Access information (also known as a Subject Access Request)
  • Have inaccuracies corrected
  • Have information erased
  • Restrict processing
  • Data portability
  • Intervention in respect of automated decision making
  • Withdraw Consent (see below)
  • Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (See below)

To exercise any of these rights please contact the Data Protection Officer.

Withdrawal of consent

The lawful basis upon which CBC process personal data is set out in this notice. However, where personal data is solely processed on the basis of consent, you will have the right to withdraw that consent.

Where can I get advice?

If you have any worries or questions about how your personal information is handled please contact our Data Protection Officer.

For independent advice about data protection, privacy and data rights, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

  • Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire DK9 5AF
  • Tel:  0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a national rate number
  • Visit ico.org.uk
  • Email casework@ico.org.uk