Privacy Notice Housing Options Service
 

Bristol City Council is the data controller for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 2018 and other regulations including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), which means it determines what your personal data is used for and why it is collected.

The purpose of this privacy notice is to tell you about how we collect and use personal data in connection with our service. We may update this privacy notice from time to time.  When we do this, we will communicate any changes to you and publish the revised privacy notice on our website.

Our main address is City Hall, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR and our contact details can be found on Bristol City Website

What data we need to collect and use?

To provide this service, we will collect and use some or all of the personal information below:

  • Name
  • Date of birth
  • Ethnicity
  • Religion/faith
  • Financial circumstances
  • National Insurance number
  • Address
  • Email address
  • Telephone number
  • Information relating to your housing
  • Information about your household
  • Information relating to your health and social circumstances insofar as they are relevant to your application for help with housing.
  • Reasons for your potential or actual homelessness
     
  • We may need to collect this data in relation to every member of your household in order to provide you with a service that meets your needs.

We get most of this information from you and from what we learn about you through your use of our services, but we may also get some information about you from: information you make public on social media, information from publicly available sources (press, electoral register, company registers and other public records, online search engines), health and education providers, commissioned partners, your legal representative, Police, other local authorities.

How do we use your personal information?

We use this information for one or more of the following reasons:

  • Ensure that you are appropriately and sustainably housed e.g. in supported, temporary, private rented or social housing
  • Prevent your homelessness
  • Ensure that you are advised and supported to ensure that your income is maximised
  • Address any problems and overcome any obstacles with the above.
  • For reporting to the Department for Levelling UP Housing and Communities
     

We are collecting this data because we are required to under homelessness prevention, housing and welfare reform legislation; and because it is necessary for us to provide the service that you wish to receive.

Where we use automated decision making or profiling

This data has been processed automatically and may be used to make non-legally significant decisions based on the information you supply. Where an applicant does not have a defined housing need (as set out in the Allocation Scheme) an automatic decision is made based on the information provided by the applicant in their rehousing application.

Who else might we share your personal information with?
 

Sometimes we may need to share your information, but we will only do so where we have a valid legal basis to share data. We will only share the minimum information for each circumstance.  We may share some of your personal information with one or more of the following:

  • BCC Revenues and Benefits
  • BCC Adult Social Care
  • BCC Children and Families
  • Housing Associations, supported housing and floating support providers
  • Private landlords.
  • The National Probation Service, including Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs)
  • HM Prison Service
  • National Health Service
  • Schools and children’s centres
  • The Department for Work and Pensions
  • Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs
  • The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)
  • Other Local Authorities, including Social Service Teams
     

Will my personal data be sent outside the UK?

No personal information is routinely sent or held outside the UK.  Should the transfer of personal information outside the UK become necessary, it will only take place if permitted by law, and then only where there are appropriate safeguards in place to protect the data.

What is the legal basis for our use of your personal information?
 

The information below shows the legal bases we are relying on to use your personal or special category (sensitive) personal information.

You can see a list of the full legal bases we may rely on by looking at our main privacy notice.  [Lawful basis guidance on the Source]

 

Personal information

Our legal bases for using your personal information are to meet our legal obligations, exercise our tasks in the public interest, perform our statutory service. We are collecting this data because we are required to under homelessness reduction, housing and welfare reform legislation; and because it is necessary for us to provide the service that you wish to receive.

 

Special category (sensitive) personal information

Our additional legal bases for using your special category information are:

substantial public interest,

Authorised by law

 

How long we will keep your personal information?
 

We will hold this information for as long as it is needed, or if we are required to do so by law.  In practice this means that your personal information may be retained for the relevant period listed below:

  • We will hold this information for 6 years after we cease to provide a service to you, unless the law says that we need to hold it for longer. After this, your information will be deleted or archived.

Your rights as a data subject
 

The law gives you a number of rights to control what and how personal information is used by us, including the right to access a copy of your personal information and withdraw your consent when we rely on your permission to use your personal data. 

Full details about your rights can be found in our main privacy notice.  If you are unable to access our digital Privacy Notice, please contact Citizens Services whom will be able to send a hard copy.

To update or correct your information if it is inaccurate please contact Citizens Services.

To access a copy of your personal information, more details and how to make a request can be found on the data protection subject access requests page on the council website.

You can exercise any of these rights, ask questions about how we use your personal data or complain by contacting us at data.protection@bristol.gov.uk or by writing to our data protection officer at:

Data Protection Officer

Information Governance

Bristol City Council

City Hall

College Green

Bristol

BS1 5TR

 

If you think we have dealt with your information inappropriately or unlawfully, you have the right to complain to the ICO at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Website: https://ico.org.uk/

Surveys

From time to time we will conduct surveys to establish information to assist us in gaining your direct thoughts and opinions on our public services.

Each Survey will invite you to participate; this will be classed as asking for your consent to participate; your information gathered at the time of the survey will be only used for that purpose of the survey and will not assume consent for any other purpose.  Where Consultant companies (3rd parties) are used by Bristol City Council for a specific survey, these will be specified in the Survey’s purpose statement.


Details of the purpose and scope of the Survey will be made clear for each Survey we may ask you to participate in, this will provide you with the details for you to clearly decide if you want to consent to participate in the Survey.

Personal data collected during the survey will be deleted upon the completion of the survey analysis and will not be stored or used for any other purpose.  Each Survey will request your consent each time you participate.

Participation in our surveys will not impact or influence any future mailing preferences in the future and unless otherwise stated your participation will be anonymous.