Homes in Somerset
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Privacy Policy

What information we store, and how we use it

Privacy Notice

This privacy policy explains how Homes in Somerset use any personal information we collect about you and your household whilst you are a Homes in Somerset customer, including former customer information for a period of twelve years following termination of their tenancy. This also includes information from our stakeholders, partners, job applicants, board members and staff.

What information do we collect about you?

We collect information about you and your household via the following activities:

  • To manage your tenancy
  • Maintenance activities such as reporting a repair, planning for improvement works
  • Operational activities, such as managing your rent account and providing appropriate support to do so
  • Surveys
  • Tenancy management
  • Attendance at events
  • Referring for legal action

We collect information from our stakeholders and partners during partnership/stakeholder working and events. Information is also collected via the job application process and in managing employment and governance in Homes in Somerset.

How will we use the information about you?

We collect information from you to fulfil our legal obligation to you. There are a number of legal reasons why we need to collect and use your personal data. Generally we collect and use personal information where:

  • You, or your legal representative, have given consent
  • You have entered into a contract with us
  • It is necessary to perform our statutory duties
  • It is necessary to protect someone in an emergency
  • It is required by law
  • It is necessary for employment purposes
  • You have made your information publicly available
  • It is necessary for legal cases
  • It is to the benefit of society as a whole
  • It is necessary to protect public health

We will share information about your tenancy with the Department of Work and Pensions if you make a claim for Universal Credit as part of their verification procedure. We will share tenancy information with Somerset Council if legal action is taken.ncy information with Somerset Council if legal action is taken.

Marketing

We will send you information about our services and events that may be of interest to you and will help you maximise your tenancy. You may withdraw from marketing at any time. We do not disclose your personal information to third parties for their marketing and advertising purposes without your explicit consent.

Cookies

When visiting our website, some information may be stored on your computer in the form of cookies, but these contain no personal data. Refer to Cookies and Documents on this site for more information.

How long do we hold your information?

We hold your information for the length of your tenancy plus twelve years after your tenancy has ended. For further information, please refer to our retention schedule.

Access to your information and correction

You have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you. If you would like a copy of some or all of your personal information, please email InformationGovernance@somerset.gov.uk or write to us at Homes in Somerset, Bridgwater House, King Square, Bridgwater, Somerset TA6 3AR.

We want to make sure that your personal information is accurate and up to date. You may ask us to correct or remove information that you think is inaccurate.

Organisational Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

We are committed to transparency and the responsible use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in our business processes. This notice aims to inform you about how we implement Artificial Intelligence and your rights regarding its use. We are dedicated to safeguarding your privacy and ensuring that our AI implementations are ethical and transparent. If you have any questions or concerns about how Artificial Intelligence is used within our organization, please do not hesitate to contact us. At no point will Artificial Intelligence be used as a purely automated decision-making tool. We have considered the impacts of utilising this technology, and a Data Protection Impact Assessment has been completed.

For any queries relating to our use of AI , please contact us at InformationGovernance@somerset.gov.uk.

Artificial Intelligence in Business Processes

For any Artificial Intelligence implementation that assists a business process, we ensure that individuals are informed of its use before their user journey begins. This means that if Artificial Intelligence is being used to facilitate or enhance a business operation that you are involved in, you will be notified at the outset. Our goal is to provide clarity and maintain trust in our AI -driven processes. When using Generative Artificial Intelligence tools, we will never train any Artificial Intelligence model with end user data.

Artificial Intelligence for Personal Productivity

If Artificial Intelligence is used solely as a drafting or research tool by a member of staff for personal productivity or accessibility benefits, disclosure is not required. These tools are designed to aid individual tasks and do not impact broader business processes or decision-making. Therefore, no specific notification will be provided for such uses.

Your rights

You have certain rights under the Regulation and this includes the right to request access to your own data, the right to request your information to be erased and the right to request that your information is corrected. For more information or to make a complaint about the handling or your data, contact the Data Protection Officer at InformationGovernance@somerset.gov.uk

How to make a complaint regarding Data Protection

If you have completed the internal complaints process and are still not satisfied, you may complain to the Information Commissioner at www.ico.org.uk.