New rules relating to how we collect and process personal data - the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - will come into effect in the UK from 25 May 2018.
https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-data-protection/
At Citizens Advice we collect and use your personal information to help solve your problems, improve our services and tackle wider issues in society that affect people’s lives.
We only ask for the information we need. We always let you decide what you’re comfortable telling us, explain why we need it and treat it as confidential.
When we record and use your personal information we:
- only access it when we have a good reason
- only share what is necessary and relevant
- don’t sell it to anyone
At times we might use or share your information without your permission. If we do, we’ll always make sure there’s a legal basis for it. This could include situations where we have to use or share your information:
- To comply with the law - for example, if a court orders us to share information. This is called ‘legal obligation’
- To protect someone’s life - for example, sharing information with a paramedic if a client was unwell at our office. This is called ‘vital interests’
- To carry out our legitimate aims and goals as a charity - for example, to create statistics for our national research. This is called ‘legitimate interests’
- For us to carry out a task where we’re meeting the aims of a public body in the public interest - for example, delivering a government or local authority service. This is called ‘public task’
- To carry out a contract we have with you - for example, if you’re an employee we might need to store your bank details so we can pay you. This is called ‘contract’
- to defend our legal rights - for example, sharing information with our legal advisors if there was a complaint that we gave the wrong advice
We handle and store your personal information in line with the law - including the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. You can check our main Citizens Advice policy for how we handle most of your personal information. This page covers how we, as your local charity, handle your information locally in our offices.
How Middlesbrough Citizens Advice collect your data
We normally collect your data in the ways described in the national policy. However, for some of our services the process is different. In all of the three services listed below we work with other agencies to jointly deliver a service.
Advocacy
We normally collect your information from a Referral Form that is sent to us by a social or health care professional. Whenever possible the person making the referral will do so with your consent. However, in some circumstances it is not possible for people to give their consent (e.g. because of a health condition or disability). In these circumstances the law allows us to collect the information on the basis of
For this service we store some information about you on a web-based system called Charitylog. Charitylog meets all of the requirements of the Data Protection legislation.
We use this information to help us decide which is the best advocacy organisation to provide you with the support you need. The other organisations to which we may provide your information are Middlesbrough & Stockton MIND and Skills for People. The information is provided to them via Charitylog.
Hub/Take up Campaign
Your information may be collected by us or by one of the other organisations that run this service with us. The other organisations are Actes, Age UK Teesside, Cleveland Housing Advice Centre and Middlesbrough Council Welfare Rights Unit. Whichever organisation collects the information will only do so with your consent. The information is shared via Charitylog. For this service we store some information about you on a web-based system called Charitylog. Charitylog meets all of the requirements of the Data Protection legislation.
What Middlesbrough Citizens Advice ask for
To find out what information we ask for, see our national Citizens Advice privacy policy
How Middlesbrough Citizens Advice use your information
To find out how we use your information, see our national Citizens Advice privacy policy
Working on your behalf
When you give us authority to act on your behalf, for example to help you with a Universal Credit claim, we’ll need to share information with that third party.
Depending on the type of issue this may be, for example, the DWP, the local authority or your creditors.
Contact Middlesbrough Citizens Advice about your information
If you have any questions about how your information is collected or used, you can contact our office.
Telephone: 01642 802282, open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm
Email: middlesbroughcab@cabnet.org.uk
You can contact us to:
- find out what personal information we hold about you
- correct your information if it’s wrong, out of date or incomplete
- request we delete your information
- ask us to limit what we do with your data - for example, ask us not to share it if you haven’t asked us already
- ask us to give you a copy of the data we hold in a format you can use to transfer it to another service
- ask us stop using your information
Who’s responsible for looking after your personal information?
The national Citizens Advice charity and your local Citizens Advice operate a system called Casebook to keep your personal information safe. This means they’re a ‘joint data controller’ for your personal information that’s stored in our Casebook system. Each local Citizens Advice is an independent charity, and a member of the national Citizens Advice charity. The Citizens Advice membership agreement also requires that the use of your information complies with data protection law.
You can find out more about your data rights on the Information Commissioner’s website.
