Housing demand privacy notice

The housing demand department primarily deals with the assessment and processing of applications for homelessness to the council and subsequent with placing households into temporary accommodation. The department also oversees the assessment of applications to the council’s housing register and lettings of and nominations to social housing which become available to residents. When you apply to the council, you provide consent for the council to undertake reasonable investigations to allow for an assessment to be undertaken for the council to consider what level of assistance it is required to provide depending upon on our statutory duties within the Housing Act 1996, the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, other relevant legislation and codes of guidance in relation to the service activities within housing demand. Therefore, the processing of personal information is in compliance with a legal obligation.

What kind of information do you collect about me?

As part of the assessment process for homelessness and housing applications, the council will request and assess personal data provided by applicants and/or their advocates which includes but is not limited to household member defined characteristics, personal financial circumstances, evidence of identification, health, medical and welfare social conditions, evidence of and from other organisations work with you. 

Your personal information is collected, for the purpose of delivering the service to you, from:  

  • Application form
  • Additional information you provide 
  • Correspondence you send us
  • Information you or your representative provides in respect of legal action 
  • Information collected by our staff on the phone, via email or in face-to-face interviews
  • Third party agencies e.g., DWP, NHS, Home Office
  • External referrals to the council. 

From these, we would collect and process personal and special categories information such as:

  • Name, date of birth, address, gender, ethnicity 
  • Health e.g., disabilities and special educational needs
  • Family details lifestyle and social circumstances 
  • Financial details 
  • Employment and education details 
  • Housing needs.

What do you do with information about me?

We process your personal information:

  • For the particular purpose(s) specified at the point data is provided by you or by another person on your behalf
  • Assess your housing needs and consider what level of housing assistance we are required to provide to you
  • Manage services we provide to you
  • To monitor and improve performance in relation to those services
  • To help inform research and planning of new services
  • Referring you to other housing providers and suppliers in accordance with our housing duties, for example a nomination to a housing association for an offer of social housing.
  • To communicate and consult with you in order to provide services appropriate to your needs
  • To assist with the planning of future service provision
  • For the prevention and detection of fraud. We may also share your information with other bodies responsible for the auditing or administering of public funds for these purposes
  • For the maintenance and improvement of the services which we deliver, this includes the development and upgrading of the systems which we use to process your information.

How do I know the information about me is kept safely?

All the information we collect is stored securely on our IT systems and manual filing systems. We have strict procedures for the way this is done. All information about you is treated as confidential and with respect. There are also clear rules and guidance about storing, recording, and sharing information which staff receive training on.

We take information sharing very seriously. Appropriate council and health staff are Disclosure and Barring Service checked. Any member of staff who is found to be breaking the rules will be dealt with through appropriate disciplinary procedures.

For how long are records held?

Records are kept only for as long as necessary; this is either by law or good practices or in accordance with the council’s retention rules. 

For more information regarding records retention, please see the privacy notice.

Don't you need my permission to keep and share information about me?

We would need your consent if the council's legal basis for collecting and processing your personal information is consent. 

Although your information is confidential, we may have to share information about you/your family without your permission. Where this is necessary, we are required to comply with all aspects of the data protection legislation.  

We may need to share your information in the following circumstances:

  • To protect you from harm, neglect, abuse or significant threat
  • When you may need urgent medical treatment
  • To prevent or detect a crime
  • To comply with a legal obligation. 

You can withdraw your consent by contacting the service area you are working with by email or email the regen housing complaints team regenhousingcomplaints@ealing.gov.uk 

Are there any laws applicable in the processing and protection of my information?

There are a number of laws which allow for the protection, collection and processing of your personal information for this purpose, such as:

  • UK General Data Protection Regulation and The Data Protection Act 2018
  • The Human Rights Act 1998.

Can I see the information you have collected about me/my family?

Yes, you can request a copy of the information held. This is called a subject access request under the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation which contain certain rights of individuals and their personal data. 

For more information regarding your rights, please see the privacy notice.

Who should I contact if I want further information or to complain about the use of my personal information?

More information on how we use your information 

The council’s data protection officer is Mrs L Cox, who you can contact by emailing dataprotection@ealing.gov.uk or telephone 0208 825 5124 during office hours.