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HOMESEARCH PRIVACY NOTICE

The purpose of this notice is so that citizens and customers of Monmouthshire County Council are aware of their privacy rights. In this notice we will explain how we collect, use and store the data we hold about you when you apply for a housing in the county.

 

Contact Details

Monmouthshire County Council is a Data Controller, the contact details for the Council’s Data Protection Officer are:

Data Protection and Information Manager

Digital Programme Office

County Hall

The Rhadyr

Usk

NP15 1GA

Email: dataprotection@monmouthshire.gov.uk

01633 644644

 

Monmouthshire Homesearch

Our Common Housing Register is managed on behalf of Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) by Monmouthshire Housing Association (MHA) via Monmouthshire Homesearch (www.monmouthshirehomesearch.co.uk). Monmouthshire Homesearch is a partnership between the Local Authority and four housing associations that operate in Monmouthshire:

 MCC                           https://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/

 Melin Homes              https://www.melinhomes.co.uk/

 United Welsh              https://www.unitedwelsh.com/

 Pobl                            https://www.poblgroup.co.uk/

 MHA                           https://www.monmouthshirehousing.co.uk/

All affordable social rented accommodation is advertised and allocated via this scheme.  In addition, some private rental properties at affordable prices are available through Capsel (a trading subsidiary of MHA), Pobl Living (a trading subsidiary of Pobl), United Welsh Housing Association & Melin Homes

Applicants who are interested in getting on the property ladder can register on a separate Low Cost Home Ownership Register.   These properties will be advertised by the individual Housing Association and Monmouthshire County Council.

The Homesearch team is responsible for the maintenance of these waiting lists, validating applications, assessing medical and welfare applications and offering general housing advice.

The responsibility of advertising, shortlisting and allocating properties will be with the individual Housing Association. Additional information on how the Homesearch Scheme works is available through the ‘Homesearch Scheme User Guide/Handbook’, Common Allocations Policy or frequently asked questions on the Homesearch website

 

How Homesearch collect your data

Monmouthshire Homesearch collect personal information about housing applicants (and members of their household) in a variety of ways, including: 

  • Online applications.
  • Relevant information given by other agencies including Housing Benefit, Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), The Police, Fire Service, Social Service, The National Health Service (NHS), Probation – or ‘criminal Justice agencies’ and Support Agencies or advocates acting on your behalf
  • Via their  website and sometimes through the use of cookies
  • When a customer interacts with them Twitter
  • Via complaints or compliments are made about one of our customers/staff by a third party 
  • Telephone recordings system (all calls to and from Homesearch are recorded)
  • Via use of Live Chat

What data do they collect?

When you apply for a home, information will be required to process your application and assess your suitability for a new home.

The information collected may include the following:

Details about you and your household including:

  • Names
  • Address
  • Telephone number
  • Email Address
  • Dates of birth
  • National Insurance number
  • Copies of any relevant identification documents
  • Employment details
  • Current living conditions
  • Details about your home, your housing needs and tenancy agreement
  • Rent & service charge information, including details of any arrears
  • Financial Information, including, if appropriate
  • Credit Checks
  • Details of outgoings & any Housing debts (e.g. rent arrears, court costs, rechargeable repairs etc)
  • Any proceedings for any offence you have committed or are alleged to have committed, the disposal of such proceedings or the sentence of any court in such proceedings 
  • Income details
  • Bank details if required
  • Housing benefit information
  • Emergency contact details, next of kin and any advocate
  • Audio recordings of calls made to & from the Homesearch team
  • References received about you from your previous landlords

This list is not exhaustive and they may request other information from you. However this will only be to enable them to process your application in the most efficient manner.

What is meant by “Special Category Personal Data”?

Under Data Protection legislation, certain personal information is also classed as “Special Category Personal Data”. This is any information relating to:

  • Your racial or ethnic origin 
  • Your political opinions 
  • Your religious beliefs or other beliefs of a similar nature 
  • Whether you are a member of a trade union 
  • Your physical or mental health or condition 
  • Your sexual orientation 
  • Your commission or alleged commission of any offence 

Details of your medical and welfare conditions are needed to ensure that your housing application is given the appropriate priority and to ensure that you are provided accommodation that is best suited for your needs. Criminal conviction history is required to ensure we can appropriately assess your application to meet your needs and those of other parties.

Monmouthshire Homesearch seek to minimise the amount of Special Category personal information we hold about an individual.  They will ensure this information is kept secure at all times. 

 

Lawful Basis for processing your information

Data protection legislation sets out a number of different reasons why we may collect and process your personal information. Additional information can be found here:

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/lawful-basis-for-processing/   

When you apply for a home via Monmouthshire Homesearch we will rely on your Consent to process and share Personal data.  Special Category data will be processed on the basis of your Explicit Consent.  In addition we rely on your Consent to process details of any criminal convictions you may have. You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting the Homesearch team.

Telephone calls to and from the Homesearch team are recorded. We rely on our Legitimate Interests to process this data which include:

  • To enable us to resolve complaints
  • For training & monitoring purposes

 

Live Chat

If you use our live chat service we’ll collect the contents of your live chat session and if you choose to provide it your name and email address. We rely on:

  • Our legitimate interests in managing your communications  

 

Data Sharing

Your data will be shared with the partners to the Monmouthshire Homesearch scheme to enable your application to be processed and, if applicable, an allocation of accommodation to you.

A data sharing framework is in place and your data will be treated securely by each organisation. Details of their privacy arrangements can be found on the websites listed above. If you have given us your prior consent we will also share your data with a third party acting on your behalf who may be assisting you with your application.

 

Fraud & Safeguarding & Threat of harm

Safeguarding means protecting someone’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. Homesearch will work with other agencies such as social services or the police and share information to support safeguarding, as our work activities mean staff will sometimes encounter both adults and children at risk. We share this information to ensure our legal obligations to any other bodies involved with your care and support are met. In addition we may share information where there is a serious threat to the applicant or a third party including staff or contractors.

Our Lawful basis for this include:

  • To comply with legal obligations
  • To protect your vital interests

We would like to make you aware that the partnership is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers and to this end may use the information that you have provided on your housing application for the prevention and detection of fraud. We may also be required to share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.

 

Communications

Homesearch may contact you via text or e-mail to alert you regarding the availability of properties that may be suitable for you.  You can opt out of these communications at any time by contacting Homesearch via email or by telephone.

The Privacy & Electronic Communications Regulations sit alongside the Data Protection Act & GDPR and outline privacy rights in respect of electronic communications. To find out more about these regulations, please visit https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/guide-to-pecr2-4.pdf Please note: we will never share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.

 

International Transfers 

Neither Monmouthshire County Council nor Monmouthshire Homesearch will transfer data overseas.

 

How do we secure your data?

Monmouthshire Homesearch is operated by MHA on behalf of MCC. MHA are data processors. Both organisations are committed to ensuring that your data is managed and secured in a suitable manner. Additional information is available on from both organisations. Contact details for MCC can be found at the start of this notice. Data protection queries for MHA can be sent to GDPR@monmouthshirehousing.co.uk

 

How long do we hold your information?

We will only keep your data for as long as necessary and will follow our retention schedule.

 

What are your individual rights?

Under data protection legislation you have a number of rights in relation to your personal information:

(a) The right to access the personal information we hold on you

You have a right to ask us what personal information we hold about you, and to request a copy of your information, free of charge. This is known as a subject access request (SAR). We have one calendar month within which to provide you with the information you’ve asked for or tell you why if we cannot provide the information.

(b) The right to ask for your personal information to be corrected if you think it is wrong.

You have the right to ask us to correct your personal information if you believe it is wrong. We have one calendar month to deal with your request or let you know why if we can’t.

(c) The right to erasure (right to be forgotten)

You may have the right, in certain situations, to ask us to delete your data. If we are unable to do this for you we will always let you know why. 

(d) The right to restrict us processing your personal information

In some cases, you may be able to ask us to restrict our processing of your data. When processing is restricted, we are allowed to store the information, but not do anything with it. 

(e) The right to object to processing

You have the right to object to processing where we say it is in our legitimate business interests. We must stop using the information unless we can show there is a compelling legitimate reason for the processing, which override your interests and rights or the processing is necessary for us or someone else to bring or defend legal claims.

(f) The right to withdraw consent

Whenever you have given us your consent to use your personal information, you have the right to change your mind at any time and withdraw that consent. If the basis on which we are using your personal information is your consent, then we must stop using the information and your application for a home will not be processed.

(g) The right to data portability

The right to data portability allows you to obtain and reuse your personal information for your own purposes across different services. It allows you to move, copy or transfer personal information easily from one IT environment to another in a safe and secure way. The right only applies to personal information you have provided to us where the reason we are relying on to use the information is either your consent or for the performance of a contract. It also only applies when processing is carried out by us using automated means which does not apply in our case.

(h) (i) The right to object to automated decision making and profiling

You have the right to object to us making a decision about you which is made by automated means only. When you apply for a home, your application may be automatically allocated into the most appropriate banding based on the information you have submitted.  If you disagree with this you can contact a member of the Homesearch team who will undertake a review.

     (ii) Profiling

We may analyse data from the register to help us analyse demand for our properties and allocate resource appropriately

Please note that additional exceptions apply to a number of these rights and not all will be applicable in all circumstances. Further detail regarding your rights can be found at: https://ico.org.uk/

 

If you would like to exercise any of the above rights, please contact us using the details above.

Please provide as much detail as you can about your request and specifically what personal information you want to access. We will endeavour to respond fully to the request within one month of receipt. If we are unable to do so for any reason we will contact you with reasons for the delay. If we are not able to fully complete your request (due to conditions set out by the UK GDPR Regulations and Data Protection Act 2018) we will explain why.  

 

Contacting Monmouthshire County Council

If you have any queries or concerns connected to our use of your personal data or any other data protection questions not already covered in this notice, please contact us on the details provided at the top of this notice.

 

Contacting the regulator

If you feel that your personal information has not been handled correctly, or you are unhappy with our response to any requests you have made to us regarding the use of your personal information, you have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

You can contact them by:

  • Calling 0303 123 1113  
  • Or by writing to: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
  • Online www.ico.org.uk/concerns   

 

 

Last Updated: 26th March 2021