Privacy Notice

 

Your Privacy

 

The privacy notice below explains how we use your information and how we protect your privacy.

 

More detail on how your information is used is given when you register or apply for social housing.

 

What is personal information?

Personal information is information that identifies a living person, such as their name, or a National Insurance Number.

 

Some information about you is much more personal, and because of that it needs more protection. This ‘special’ information is usually the information that is very personal to you like:

 

  • Your sexuality
  • Your religious or philosophical beliefs
  • Your ethnicity
  • Your physical or mental health
  • Your political opinions or whether you are a member of a trade union
  • Your genetic or biometric data (such as fingerprints)
  • Your criminal history

 

Why we use your personal information

In order to use the services on Home-Link you will need to complete an application to register for housing and bid on a property.

 

The personal information provided by you is required in order to enable you to bid for a home online in accordance with the Council's obligations under Part 6 of the Housing Act 1996. We respect and protect the privacy of anyone who visits the website. All information will be held on a secure computer data base and managed in accordance with relevant data protection legislation.

 

Who we share your information with

The Home-Link service collects information from you on behalf of councils and housing associations which have housing stock in Cambridgeshire and West Suffolk. A list of Home-Link Partners can be found here.

 

The information that you provide is used by the Council you have a local connection with and is managing your application to assess applications of homelessness or those at risk of becoming homeless, and to assess your housing need within the choice-based lettings service.

 

If you fill in an online form, or bid for a home online, the personal information you give will be recorded, held, organised and used as part of the rehousing process by the relevant Council or housing association.

 

The Council or housing association will only disclose the information you give to certain relevant people or organisations as part of the rehousing process, including to verify the information you provide - such as other Home-Link Partners; health and social care authorities; the police; probation services.

 

If you contact your local councillors or your M.P. or any other persons for help with your housing application we will consider that you have given your consent for Home-Link organisations to share your information with them in order to help you.

 

Your rights over your information

The law gives you a number of rights over your personal information

 

  • You can ask for access to the information we hold about you
  • You can ask to have information that is inaccurate changed
  • You can ask to have your information deleted – if we no longer have a legal reason to use your information we must comply with your request.
  • You can ask us to limit what we use your information for - if it is not accurate or we have no legal reason to use the information.
  • You can ask to have the information you have provided to be passed to another provider – if we are using your information with your consent and decisions are being made by a computer and not a human being.
  • If decisions about you are made by computers, you can ask to have these decisions explained to you and question these decisions.

 

Your data is handled by the Council that you have selected as having a local connection with. You can find out more about how your information is used by contacting these councils directly.

 

Cambridge City Council

 

East Cambs District Council

 

Fenland District Council

 

Huntingdonshire District Council

 

South Cambs District Council

 

West Suffolk Council

 

If you have a query regarding your rights, please contact the Data Protection Officer of the council you have a local connection with and is managing your application.

 

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

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

 

Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a national rate number.

Alternatively, visit ico.org.uk