Section 16 — How we use information about you

What information we keep

We keep some information about you. For example:

• your name and your date of birth
• your address
• your telephone number
• your tenancy agreement
• your rent account
• repairs you have told us about
• letters and emails between us
• notes about anything we have agreed with you

We also keep some information that is more private. For example:

• the help you need, so that we can do things in the right way for you
• any adjustments we have agreed, like sending letters in a bigger size
• information about your health, but only if we need it
• information about a safeguarding concern, if there has been one

We only keep what we need.

Why we keep it

We keep information about you so that we can:

• look after your home and do repairs
• keep you safe
• deal with your rent and your Housing Benefit
• answer your questions and deal with complaints
• do the things the law says a landlord must do
• make sure we treat you fairly

We do not use your information to sell you anything.

Who we share it with

Sometimes we have to share your information with other people. We only do this when we have a reason.

We may share information with:

• your support provider, so they can help you and so we can work together about your home
• workers who come to do a repair, so they know where to come and what to do
• the council, about your Housing Benefit
• the council or the police, if we are worried that someone is being hurt
• a solicitor or a court, if there is a legal matter
• the Housing Ombudsman, if you make a complaint to them

If someone else wants to speak to us on your behalf — like a relative or a friend — we will usually need you to tell us that first. This is to keep your information safe. Your support worker can help you do this.

When we might share without asking you

Most of the time we would ask you first, or you would already know.

There are sometimes when we may have to share information without asking you. For example:

• if we are worried that you or someone else is being hurt or is in danger
• if the law says we must
• if a court tells us to

Section 12 explains more about what happens if we are worried someone is being hurt.

We will always try to tell you what we have done and why, unless telling you would put someone in danger.

Keeping your information safe

We keep your information safe. For example:

• we keep paper files locked away
• our computer systems have passwords
• only staff who need to see your information can see it
• we train our staff about looking after information

If something ever went wrong and your information was lost or seen by the wrong person, we would investigate it. If it was serious, we would tell you, and we would tell the Information Commissioner's Office.

How long we keep it

We do not keep your information for ever.

We keep it for as long as we need it, and for a while after your tenancy ends. Then we destroy it safely.

We have a policy that says how long we keep each kind of information. You can ask us for a copy.

CCTV

Some Harbour Light homes have CCTV cameras outside or in shared corridors. There are no cameras anywhere else in the home.

We only use the recordings to keep people and buildings safe.

Your rights

The law gives you rights about your information. You can:

• ask to see the information we keep about you
• ask us to correct it, if something is wrong
• ask us to delete it, in some cases
• ask us to stop using it in a certain way, in some cases
• complain if you are not happy

Asking to see your information is free. It is sometimes called a subject access request, but you do not have to use those words.

How to ask to see your information

1. Tell us that you want to see the information we keep about you.
2. Tell us in whatever way is easiest — telephone, email, letter, or in person.
3. Your support worker, a relative, a friend or an advocate can ask for you, if you have told us that is OK.
4. We may need to check who you are, to keep your information safe.
5. We will reply within one month. If your request is complicated, we may need longer. If that happens, we will tell you.
6. There is no charge.

Ask us by email at hello@harbourlight.org.uk, or ask your support worker to help you.

If you are not happy

If you are not happy with how we have used your information, please tell us first. We will look into it. Section 14 explains how to complain.

You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office. They are the organisation that makes sure everybody follows the rules about information. You can go to them yourself. You do not need our permission.

Information Commissioner's Office Telephone: 0303 123 1113 Website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint Address: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Your support provider keeps information too

Your support provider is a different organisation from Harbour Light. Section 2 explains this.

They keep their own information about you, about your care and support. They have their own rules about it.

If you want to see what your support provider keeps about you, ask them. We cannot show you their records, and they cannot show you ours.

Getting help to understand this

If any of this is hard to understand, that is OK. Ask your support worker. You can also ask a relative, a friend or an advocate to help you.

You can ask us for this information on paper, in a bigger size, or in another format. Just ask us or ask your support worker.