Privacy

What information do we collect from you?

We may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you which we have grouped together follows:

• Identity Data; includes first name, maiden name, last name, username or similar identifier, marital status, title, nationality, date of birth and gender.
• Contact Data; includes email address and telephone numbers.
• Special Category; includes special needs, social and disability requirements, financial information, and criminal offence data.
• Communications Data; includes your communications with us and our third parties including registration of services, complaints and compliments.

We use different methods to collect data from and about you including through:

Referrals from third parties who have referred you for housing requirements.

Direct interactions. You may give us your [Identity, Contact and Financial Data] by filling in forms or by corresponding with us by post, phone, email or otherwise. This includes personal data you provide when you:

• apply for housing or services;
• subscribe to our service;
• give us some feedback
• to register you as a new customer
• To respond to queries or complaints

Purposes for which we will use your personal data 

We have set out below, in a table format, a description of all the ways we plan to use your personal data, and which of the legal bases we rely on to do so. We have also identified what our legitimate interests are where appropriate.

Note that we may process your personal data for more than one lawful ground depending on the specific purpose for which we are using your data. Please email data.protection@surreyheath.gov.uk (link sends email) if you need details about the specific legal ground we are relying on to process your personal data where more than one ground has been set out in the table below.

Who we will share your data with?

We may have to share your personal data with the parties set out below for the purposes set out in the table above. Specific third parties include;

• Housing Association Organisations (a full list can be found on the SHBC Housing website)
• NHS
• Social Services
• Other Local Authorities
• Prisons
• Police
• Private Landlords
• National Probation Service
• Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities - Homelessness Data England Project - Specific Data Privacy Notice can be viewed on GOV.UK website (external link)

The Council is responsible for placing individuals in housing and works with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Services (HMPPS) in regard to housing, safeguarding, and community support for offenders, this may include risk information to ensure the housing placement is appropriate. We may also share data about you between HMPPS, and the Office of the Public Guardian if the Council need to confirm or request identity of an individual that has been granted a Lasting Power of Attorney, this is done via a Sharing Agreement with the Ministry of Justice.

Where we do share your information we will only do so where we have your consent or where we are required to do so under additional legal requirements for example Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and the Criminal Justice Act 2003.

We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes and only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.  We will only ever share the minimum information.

Transferring data outside of the EEA

We do not transfer your personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

How we handle data security

We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a need to know. They will only process your personal data on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.

How we handle data breaches

We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.

How long will we retain your information for?

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements.

In some circumstances you can ask us to delete your data. 

In some circumstances we may anonymise your personal data (so that it can no longer be associated with you) for research or statistical purposes in which case we may use this information indefinitely without further notice to you.

What are my rights with regards to data?

Please see your legal rights section of the main Surrey Heath Borough Council privacy notice.