Homechoice

Why are we collecting your data?

• We need to collect your personal information in order to provide you with advice about your housing options.

What personal information are we collecting from you?

• The Council need to collect from you
• Name
• Gender
• Date of Birth
• Phone number – home & mobile
• Ethnicity
• National Insurance Number
• Disability
• Medical and health details
• Support needs
• Marital Status
• Criminal convictions
• Committed or alleged offences
• Current Address and or previous settled accommodation address
• Circumstances of the Household
• Names and dates of birth for household members resident with you and or who wish to be re-housed with you.
• Characteristics of Main Applicant and Partner
• Passport details/immigration documents/ID card details
• Details of present and or previous landlords and or their agents
• Parents and or relatives
• Mortgage Suppliers
• Employers
• Financial details
• Benefit entitlement details

What is the legal basis for collecting your data?

• Where ever the Council processes personal data, we need to make sure we have a legal basis for doing so in data protection law. The Council understands our legal basis for processing personal data in relation to your application as Article 6(1)(e) of the General Data Protection Regulation. This means that the personal information we collect is necessary under our public task to allow us to meet our obligations to provide housing options advice under section 2 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 which states that:
• Every local authority must secure that advice and information about:
• (a) homelessness and the prevention of homelessness, and
• (b) any services which may assist a homeless person or assist in the prevention of homelessness.

Is available free of charge to any person in the authority’s area.

• In delivering our service, the Council may process special category personal data. The Council understands our legal basis for doing so as Article 9(2)(g) of the General Data Protection Regulation. This is because we consider that it is in the substantial public interest to fulfil our obligations that we have considered all relevant information when making decisions relating to your housing situation, we do this under the Housing Scotland Acts 1987 & 2001 and the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003.
• Where we correspond with the Home Office about the status of your visa this is to comply with our duties under the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999 (s118).

If the data we collect  is a statutory, contractual requirement or necessary to enter a contract, if you do not provide your personal details the following may happen:

• Should you not provide your personal details we will be unable to provide you with details of the housing options available to you and potentially unable to prevent homelessness from occurring.

What will we do with your information?

• To give you housing options advice.
• To determine your housing needs, priority, and type of tenancy
• To give you advice on your legal rights and responsibilities.
• To assist and manage any allocation of suitable housing.
• To provide support to enable you to maintain your tenancy
• To determine and evidence your eligibility for housing with other councils and Registered Social Landlords.

The information you provide regarding previous or current tenancies will be shared with relevant landlords to check whether the tenancies were conducted satisfactorily and to verify your current circumstances.

In order to give advice on your current housing situation we may be required to verify your relevant personal information with the following.

• Social work and NHS services where you have reported that your living situation is affecting your health.
• Revenues and Benefits Services to assist in accessing Housing Benefit to assist with rental obligations for Temporary Accommodation and or to assist with applications to the Scottish Welfare Fund.
• All third sector agencies if you have also approached or been referred to their services.
• Legal professionals who may have been dealing with you prior to your current situation
• Registered social landlords with whom you have applied for housing
• Current or former landlords where your tenancy details may affect your housing situation going forward
• Lettings agents and legal professionals involved in arrangements to let a property to you
• The Department of Work and Pensions regarding any ongoing benefit claim relating to you or your household
• The Home Office to confirm the status of your visa in relation to accessing social housing
• Police Scotland where you have reported criminal activity is affecting your living situation

• Scottish Fire and Rescue Service where you have reported issues relating to the fire safety of your home.
• Scottish Prison Service, if you are or have been in prison.
• Your information may be shared with Audit Scotland, the Auditor General, the Accounts Commission or one of the audit firms appointed by them to ensure fairness and transparency in data processing.

How long will your data be stored in the Council?

• Your information will remain on our system while we assist you to obtain a sustainable housing solution and for a period of 5 years from the date of last active contact with the Housing Options & Homeless Service.

How will we secure your data?

• Your information will be stored electronically and will remain on our system while we assist you to obtain a sustainable housing solution.

Your Individual Rights

You have the right to:

• Be informed
• Withdraw your consent at any time
• Request access to your personal data
• Data Portability (this is to move your data where the legal basis is consent or performance of a contract)
• Request your data to be corrected
• Object to the processing of your data
• Request your data to be forgotten (deleted) where the legal basis is consent
• Object to processing of your data
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

Your responsibilities

• To contact the data controller (Dumfries and Galloway Council) to update your information if it changes. Example: You are a parent of a child enrolled in a school in Dumfries, if you move house and do not inform us; this will prevent us from sending vital school information to the correct address.
• Example: You are an employee of Dumfries and Galloway Council, your emergency details have changed but you have not informed the Council. Should an emergency arise, the Council will be unable to contact your emergency contact as the details are incorrect.

Should you wish to lodge a complaint, provided are the details of the supervisory authority; the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Address: Information Commissioner’s Officer, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire

Telephone: 0303 123 1113