Citizens Advice Swindon Privacy Policy
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 Citizens Advice Swindon collect your data
We collect data in line with the national Citizens Advice privacy policy. Please ask us if you need help to access the national policy on-line, or if you would like us to give you a paper copy.
We ask your permission to collect information from you by asking you to complete a Permission and Consent form when you first visit our office or over the telephone if you use the Adviceline service. Further data may be collected in the course of our contacts with you with your permission.
If you’ve been referred to us from another agency, they will send us your information using a referral form. They will get your permission before sending us your information.
What Citizens Advice Swindon ask for
‘To find out what information we ask for, see our national Citizens Advice privacy policy
We will only ask for information that’s relevant to your problem. Depending on what you want help with, this might include:
- your name and contact details – so we can keep in touch with you about your case
- personal information – for example about family, work, or financial circumstances
- details about services you get that are causing you problems – like energy or post
- details of items or services you’ve bought, and traders you’ve dealt with
- information like your gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation
If you don’t want to give us certain information, you don’t have to. For example, if you want to stay anonymous we’ll only record information about your problem and make sure you are not identified.
How Citizens Advice Swindon use your information
‘To find out how we use your information, see our national Citizens Advice privacy policy’.
The main reason we ask for your information is to help solve your problem.
We only access your information for other reasons if we really need to – for example:
- for training and quality purposes
- to investigate complaints
- to get feedback from you about our services
- to help us improve our services
All advisers and staff accessing data have had data protection training to make sure your information is handled sensitively and securely.
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 will need to share information with that third party.
Examples of third parties who we commonly share information with in order to act on your behalf include Swindon Borough Council, Sovereign Housing Association, DWP, Tribunals Service, your Creditors, Debt Relief Order Service, Home Office, Swindon Foodbank,
How Citizens Advice Swindon store your information
We hold your information in the secure National Citizens Advice case management system. Occasionally when there are large amounts of paperwork that need to be stored, these are stored securely (locked cabinet) on the premises or in secure archive premises.
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.
Citizens Advice Swindon hold all local information on our server which has restricted access depending on job role. Our policy is to minimize all data collected and we aim to transfer all personal information to casebook during the course of your case.
In addition Citizens Advice Swindon using G Suite as its productivity suite and your personal data may be stored there while your case is active. Our policy is to minimize all data collected and we aim to transfer all personal information to casebook during the course of your case. For more information read G Suite & GDPR.
How Citizens Advice Swindon share your information
We share information only for some specific services such as Money Advice with the Money Advice Service. We work with other local specialist providers and will share your information with them with your consent if we feel that you would be better supported by their specialism.
We share statistical information with our funders to show the help we give and any case studies used are anonymised to retain confidentiality.
Contact Citizens Advice Swindon about your information
If you have any questions about how your information is collected or used, you can contact our office.
Citizens Advice Swindon
Sanford House
Sanford Street
Swindon
SN1 1HE
Telephone: 01793 402110 Monday to Friday 9am-4pm
Email: bureau@swindoncab.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.
You can check our main Citizens Advice policy for how we handle most of your personal information.
By using our email advice service, you agree to the following statement: “I give my consent for the Citizens Advice service to process and use my personal information. I understand that this information will be kept confidential to the Citizens Advice service”.
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