Privacy
Your personal information
We take your privacy very seriously. You have the right to expect that the personal information we hold about you is managed properly and fairly.
The list below contains some of the information that we need so that we can carry out our duties to you.
- Your name, address and the names of people who live with you.
- Your contact details.
- Your gender and date of birth.
- Your bank details.
- Your rent or service charge details.
- Your benefits and other entitlements.
- Details of any contact you might have had with us for example, by phone, email or letter.
There are other types of information that may only apply in special cases these include:
- Health and care details.
- Other agencies who may be helping you.
- Complaints.
- Records of anti-social behaviour or criminal activities.
Most of the information comes directly from you. We get most of it from your application form, other forms we ask you to fill in or when you contact us. Some of the information we have about you may come from other organisations. For example, housing benefit departments, social services, or health professionals.
We want to make sure that the information we hold about you is accurate and up to date. You can help by telling us about any changes to your personal information. We will also update some of your information every two years by asking you to complete a survey or by asking you questions on the phone.
How your information isused when you apply for a home
So that we can process your housing application, we will ask you to provide information about you and the other people who will be living with you. We will also ask for information about your financial circumstances, including any benefits you may be getting and details of any rent or mortgage arrears. We will ask about where you are living at the moment and where you have lived in the last five years. We will need to carry out some checks with your previous landlord and, in certain circumstances, contact other agencies, such as the housing benefit department, the police or the probation service.
We will also ask about any health problems, disabilities or special family circumstances. You do not have to provide us with this information, but it will help us find you the right home and give you the right service.
How your information will be used during your tenancy
We may use your information to help us:
- Collect your rent or service charge.
- Keep in touch with you about things that affect you.
- Arrange repairs or servicing to your home.
- Improve our services to make sure they meet your needs.
In special cases we may need to use your information for other reasons. These might include:
- Dealing with anti-social behaviour.
- Investigating fraud or other criminal activity.
- Protecting children and vulnerable adults.
- Making sure that utility bills associated with your home are paid and up-to-date.
This may involve sharing your information with, and getting information about you from, other organisations.
When you give us permission, we may use your photographs in our magazines, newsletters and annual reports, and on our website and our Facebook pages.
If we need to use your information for any other purpose we will where possible, tell you beforehand.
When your tenancy ends, we’ll keep your information for a specified time. This allows us to provide any further services that may be required, for example, giving references to another landlord. It also helps us deal with any follow up issues relating to your tenancy, such as helping you settle any rent or service charge arrears. Once this time has passed, your information will be destroyed securely.
Sharing your information
We often need to share your information with other organisations. The table shows the sort of information we share and who we share it with.
|
Rent, service charges, address, occupant's details, tenancy dates, other
information to prevent fraud.
|
Housing Benefit, council tax and other council departments. |
| Details about your housing application. |
Local council. |
| Details you give us about any past tenancies. |
Past housing providers. |
| Name, address, contact details, repairs information |
Our repairs and service contractors |
|
Name, address, tenancy dates, copy of your tenancy
agreement or lease.
|
Electricity, gas, water or telephone suppliers. |
| Details of any pending eviction. |
Homeless department. |
| Information about crime, alleged crime and anti-social behaviour. |
Police and local council. |
| Supporting people funding details |
Supporting People authorities. |
| Details to support you in your tenancy. |
Our support partners. |
| Enforcement action details. |
Our solicitors and the courts. |
| Insurance claim details. |
Our insurers and their agents. |
| Details of any arrears, forwarding address. |
Debt recovery agents. |
| Details needed for the sale of your home. |
Estate agents. |
| Regulatory information (statistics). |
Tenant Services Authority and auditors. |
We share your information from time to time as part of the National Fraud Initiative. This exercise matches data between public and private sector organisations to prevent and detect fraud. The information we provide is not used for any other purpose. You can find out more information about the National Fraud Initiative by visiting the Audit Commission website.
We may also share your information if it is needed in connection with legal proceedings or if we have to do so by law.
Keeping your information safe
Any information we hold about you will be stored securely in line with the Data Protection Act 1998.
When you contact us by telephone, we will ask questions to make sure we are speaking to the right person. We might ask you to confirm your date of birth or tenancy number before we discuss personal information with you. We may also ring you back on the number we have on our records to make sure we are speaking to the right person.
If you would like someone to deal with us on your behalf, we will ask you to fill in a consent form with the person’s details.
How can I find out more about my personal information?
You have a right to know what information we have about you and who we share it with. If you would like to see your personal information or have a copy of it, or you would like to know more about how your information is used, you can get in touch with our business assurance team by:
- Writing to: Business Assurance Team, Accent Group, Charlestown House, Acorn Park Industrial Estate, Otley Road, Baildon, Shipley, BD17 7SW.
- Emailing: businessassurance@accentgroup.org.
- Phoning: 01274 717561.
Links to other websites
Our website contains links to other websites that we feel might be useful to you. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, we are not responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you give to other sites while visiting them, as they are not governed by this privacy statement. You should be cautious and look at the privacy statement relating to the website in question.