The identity and contact details of the company: Housing Needs, Oxford City Council, Oxford Town Hall, St Aldate's, Oxford, OX1 1BX
Contact details: dataprotection@oxford.gov.uk.
How Housing Needs services collects information
We collect information in a variety of ways including via the websites, on various forms, and contracts, and through our ongoing contact and correspondence with you, with other support agencies that relates to you, and from people associated with you.
If you provide us with personal information relating to members of your family or your associates, we will assume that you do so with their knowledge and consent. Information you give us relating to those that live with you will be retained and processed as this information is necessary for us to carry out our enquiries and investigations in line with the Housing Act 1996 (as amended).
It is important that you notify us of any changes to your personal information as soon as possible so that we can contact you easily and update our records where necessary.
What is the legal basis for the collection, use and storage of the data?
Data collected and stored by Housing Needs falls under two parts of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended); Part VI and Part VII.
Under Part VI, the Council has various duties in respect of the management of its housing register and the allocation of social housing.
The legislation requires the Council to have an allocation scheme for determining priorities and for defining the procedures to be followed in allocating housing accommodation; and they must allocate in accordance with that scheme. In framing its allocation scheme to determine allocation priorities, the Council must ensure that reasonable preference is given to the certain categories of people as set out in the legislation.
Obtaining and holding information regarding the household is therefore a necessary action by the Council in order for it to meet its legal obligations under this legislation.
Under Part VII, the Council has various legal duties in respect of households that are homeless or threatened with homelessness.
The legislation requires the Council to take action to prevent homelessness and to provide assistance to people threatened with or actually homeless. This may include the provision of interim (emergency/temporary) accommodation.
Obtaining and holding information regarding the household is therefore a necessary action by the Council in order for it to meet its legal obligations under this legislation.
We may also process your personal information where it is necessary for the performance of a public task based on relevant legislation
How long do we keep hold of your personal data?
Your information will be kept safe and confidential and handled with care in accordance with the law.
The Council will keep your information as long as necessary and will be deleted in line with the Limitation Act 1980 (Section 2) as laid out in our Retention policy. You can request a copy of our retention schedule if needed.
Security of your personal data
We will maintain the reliability, accuracy, integrity and completeness of personal data in our databases and protect the privacy and security of our databases.
What personal data is held?
- names
- address history
- date-of-birth
- protected characteristics
- contact details (email/telephone)
- next of kin details
- household information
- legal certificates
- bank details including statements
- income details including copies of pay slips
- benefit award letters
- other financial information such as debts and rent information
- physical/mental health conditions
- GP details
- nationality
- recourse to public funds
- NI number
- offending and other information relating to the criminal justice system
- support needs
- substance/alcohol misuse information
- employment details (name of employer)
The personal data to be processed includes special category of data and criminal offence data as defined in Articles 9 and 10 of the UKGDPR and the processing will ensure compliance with relevant parts of the UKGDPR.
How will the data be stored?
On secure encrypted laptops and Oxford City Council systems - data is stored on secure IT systems known as QL/Aareon (database) and NEC/Enterprise (document management system) as well as shared drives for which access is restricted to the team for which the data is necessary. This system is internet-based software.
Security
Any information sent externally is sent via a secure email.
Restricting access
QL/Aareon (database) and NEC/Enterprise all have user access restriction with the level of access determined through user roles.
Shared drive - access to the relevant areas of the shared drive is restricted to the teams/individuals for which the data is necessary.
Who will it be shared with and for what purpose?
Information held by Oxford City Council may be shared with but not limited to the following organisations pursuant to meeting its legal obligations to housing applicants and those who present as homeless or threatened with homelessness and to ensure that appropriate actions are taken and support services are offered where necessary:
- Other Oxford City Council departments including Environmental Health, Housing Benefit, Housing Management
- Adult Social Care
- Children’s Social Care
- Other local authorities
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
- Other Government bodies i.e. DWP, Home Office
- Criminal justice system i.e. Police, Probation and Prison services
- NHS
- Community/voluntary sector agencies
- Drug and alcohol support services
- Homelessness support services i.e. supported accommodation providers
- Emergency duty service
- Landlords/letting agents (RGS)
- Independent medical advisor
- Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) - for safeguarding concerns relating to children
- Fraud (including Housing Benefit) for concerns relating to fraud/misuse of council monies
- Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) - relating to ex-offenders for the purposes of risk management
- Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) and Domestic Abuse Repeat Incident Meeting (DARIM) – relating to cases of domestic abuse for the purposes of risk management and safeguarding
- Data may be shared with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to enable the ministry to monitor the actions taken and the housing assistance provided by Oxford City Council.
In addition to the above, information may be shared internally where there is a business need for the better performance and efficiency of Council services.
How can the service user get access to their personal data?
By making a subject access request through the online form available on the Council’s website or by contacting the Council.
State whether any data is to be transferred outside the EU
No.
Is processing based on consent?
Generally, we do not rely on your consent to process your personal data. In most cases, we process personal data because it is necessary for the performance of a public task or to comply with Oxford City Council’s legal obligations.
What other rights does the service user have that we have to make known to them?
Data subjects have other rights including the right to have their data corrected and their right to put a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). More information about your rights is available on the ICO’s website.
The right to be forgotten allows data subjects to withdraw their consent for information to be processed or stored. This is possible for information gathered and held as part of any housing application made under Part VI of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended). It is important to note that it may not be possible for personal data to be deleted if it is needed for legal reasons, for reasons of public health, public interest or for medical purposes. If the consent to process data is withdrawn, then the data subject will not be able to join the housing register and therefore would not be considered for social housing by Oxford City Council.
State if there will be any automated decision making
No.
Complaints process
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you can make a complaint.
