Client Hardship Service privacy notice

What this document is for

This privacy notice provides information on how Norfolk County Council's Client Hardship Service uses your personal information. By 'use' we mean the various ways it may be processed, stored and shared.

Further details

We also provide the following details in our general privacy notice on our website:

• Who we are
• How long we use your information for
• Your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (the GDPR) and
• How to exercise them 

You can also ask us for a copy of this information.

What we use your personal information for

We use your personal information primarily

• To support with money management and budgeting; and 
• To provide vouchers in accordance with the eligibility and assessment process

What personal data we collect and use about you

The information we collect and use may include:

• Basic personal details such as name, address, telephone number, email address and date of birth
• National Insurance number
• Financial details including income, bank details, employment information, benefits in payment and details of savings and debts
• Family and social relationship information including partners, children and other family that may live in your home
• Accommodation and housing situation
• Social care services and support including social care assessments/reviews and care and support plans

We may also collect and use information about:

• Physical or mental health including details of disabilities/medical conditions and mental health wellbeing
• Nationality

This information is classed as "special category data" under the GDPR. We may only collect these data when it is relevant and for the purposes described above.

Who provides the information

The information we hold includes information you (or your support worker) have submitted to us from the hardship support request form.

We may also receive information from:

• Relevant teams within the council, such as Adult Social Services and Childrens Services
• District councils as housing authorities and administering housing benefits and council support benefits
• The voluntary sector such as support organisations
• The Department for Work and Pensions

Who we share your information with

We may share your personal information with individuals and other organisations, in particular:

• Teams within the County Council who provide services to you, such as Adult Social Services or Children's Services, or could provide services to you, such as the Welfare Rights Team
• Client Hardship Service support partners i.e. voluntary organisations providing support to you as part of Client Hardship Service 
• District councils as housing authorities and administering housing benefits and council support benefits
• Housing associations and housing support providers
• Voluntary sector that are, or could, provide you a service
• Norfolk Adult Safeguarding Board
• Norfolk Safeguarding Childrens Board
• Advocacy services
• Police

Your personal information will also be given to third parties contracted by the County Council to provide a service to the County Council. These service providers are known as data processors and have a legal obligation under GDPR and to the County Council to look after your personal information and only use it for providing that service. In particular, the County Council has entered into a contract with Client Hardship Service reuse partners i.e. organisations providing items as part of the Client Hardship Service e.g. washing machines. The Reuse Partners are:

• Emmaus
• Hughes Electrical
• Benjamin Foundation
• First Move Furnish Aid 

How the law protects you and the legal basis for processing your information

We have legal grounds under the GDPR to process this information because it is necessary:

• For the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and the task or function has a clear basis in law. The statutory power is the Welfare Reform Act 2012

We have legal grounds to process (including share) special category data because it is necessary:

• For reasons in the substantial public interest and in the exercise of a statutory function

(The statutory functions are the same as the statutory powers and duties referred to above.)

How long will we keep your personal information for

Any documents you supply to us such as bank statements, benefit letter or payslips etc, will be deleted 28 days after your hardship support request has been dealt with.

All other personal data will be stored for seven years before secure deletion in line with the Council's data retention and audit policies.

If we need to use your information for research or reports, your information will be anonymised and any information taken from notes (handwritten or typed) during any consultation sessions will be securely destroyed. The information will continue to be used in a summarised and anonymised form in any research reports or papers that are published. The anonymised information in the papers may be of historic interest and may be held in public archives indefinitely.

How we keep and store your information

The information is securely stored electronically on the Council's management systems known as CRM and the Norfolk Vulnerability Hub. Information is also securely stored in other mediums, such as email accounts and on the Council's record management system, known as Liquid Logic.

We do not process your information outside of the United Kingdom.

Automated decision making

We do not operate any automated decision making.

Changes to this notice

We may amend this privacy notice at any time so please review it frequently. The date below will be amended each time this notice is updated.

This notice was created on 1 April 2024.