Privacy notice - Gypsy and Traveller Team
Overview
This privacy notice covers the collection of data by the Gypsy and Traveller Team.
The collection of data is required to:
- ensure residents on East Sussex County Council’s (the Council) permanent and transit sites can maintain a licence giving them permission to reside
- maintain a waiting list of those wishing to reside permanently at any of the Council’s 4 permanent gypsy and traveller sites
- record the number of transient individuals and unauthorised encampments within the area
- allow support work provided by the Gypsy and Traveller Team and external support organisations
CCTV is also present on our transit site and this is line with the Council’s existing Surveillance privacy notice.
East Sussex County Council takes data protection seriously. Please be assured that your information will be used appropriately in line with data protection legislation, will be stored securely and will not be processed unless the requirements for fair and lawful processing can be met.
What information is being used?
- name
- address
- date of birth
- gender
- telephone number
- National Insurance number
- financial information (licence holders only)
Special category personal data will include:
- race or ethnicity (anonymised for transient members)
- mental health (anonymised for transient members)
- physical health (anonymised for transient members)
We may also request utility bills or other documentation on request in order to provide support functions. This will be obtained with your knowledge and consent.
How will your information be used?
Your data will be used to enable the Gypsy and Traveller Team to fulfil its statutory duties to the following categories of service users and to support the community and improve outcomes for its service users.
Licence holders. This is to ensure the Council are aware of who is residing on their sites and the resident can hold a valid site licence. Personal information is required to ensure collection of rents, effective management of sites and provide necessary support to residents.
Waiting list applicants. A database of all applicants will be maintained and updated as and when applicants submit or withdraw their applications. Information is required in order for applications to be assessed and checks carried out so that pitches are accurately allocated as per the the Council’s Gypsy and Traveller Permanent Pitch Allocations Policy 2014.
Gypsies and travellers transient in the community. Information is required for the Council to report on the number of unauthorised encampments in East Sussex which is a requirement under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act (1994).
Service users receiving support work. Your data will be processed to provide support with homelessness, medical support, health and well-being.
CCTV. Please see our Surveillance privacy notice.
We aim to maintain high standards, adopt best practice for our record keeping and regularly check and report on how we are doing. Your information is never sold for direct marketing purposes.
Our staff are trained to handle your information correctly and protect your confidentiality and privacy.
Your information is processed in the UK or in a country with an adequacy agreement with the UK.
What is the legal basis for processing your information?
Licence holders. Your personal information is processed under contract and your explicit consent is required for processing of any special category data through the licence holder agreement.
Waiting list applicants. Your personal information is processed with your consent and your explicit consent is required for processing of any special category data.
Gypsies and travellers transient in the community. We are under a legal obligation to process your data under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act (1994).
Service users receiving support work. Your data will be processed with your consent and explicit consent for special category data.
CCTV. Please see our Surveillance privacy notice.
How long will your information be kept for?
Information is stored as per the Gypsy and Traveller Team Retention Schedule.
Financial (rental) information will be kept in line with the finance retention schedule which can be found on the link above.
Sharing your information
Information will be shared as necessary with the following teams and organisations on your behalf in order to achieve statutory objectives and fulfil any support plans that might be put in place:
- other Council teams
Government agencies:
- district and borough council partners, for example, Universal Credit, housing options team
- voluntary sector
Third party support organisations:
- Sussex Police
- NHS partners
Any sharing of personal data is always done:
- on case-by-case basis
- using the minimum personal data necessary
- with the appropriate security controls in place
- in line with legislation.
Information is only shared with those agencies and bodies who have a "need to know" or where you have consented to the sharing of your personal data to such persons.
We may use the information we hold about you to assist in the detection and prevention of crime or fraud. We may also share this information with other bodies that inspect and manage public funds.
Use of third party organisations
East Sussex County Council may share your information with trusted external organisations to process your data on our behalf.
Unauthorised encampment data will be provided to district and borough councils to provide an accurate picture to planning departments of the number of encampments and to assist service users with housing and Universal Credit applications. Unauthorised encampment data is also required by Sussex Police for the management of encampments and for the prevention and detection of crime and or prosecution of offenders. We are also required to supply this information to central government. Information is shared with third party support organisations to provide homelessness, medical, health and wellbeing support to residents, those in housing and transient members of the community.
Any organisation commissioned by the Council will be under contractual obligation to comply with data protection legislation.
Your rights
Under data protection legislation, you have the right:
- to be informed why, where and how we use your information
- to ask for access to your information
- to ask for your information to be corrected if it is inaccurate or incomplete
- to ask for your information to be deleted or removed where there is no need for us to continue processing it
- to ask us to restrict the use of your information
- to ask us to copy or transfer your information from one IT system to another in a safe and secure way, without impacting the quality of the information
- to object to how your information is used
- to challenge any decisions made without human intervention (automated decision making)
Please visit data subject rights for further details.
How to find out more or complain
Should you have any further queries on the uses of your information, please speak directly to our service:
Jim Alexander
Gypsy and Traveller Team Manager
East Sussex County Council
County Hall
St Annes Crescent
Lewes
BN7 1UE
Email: Jim Alexander
Mobile: 07740 517096
To complain about the use of your information, please contact our Customer Services Team or our Data Protection Officer.
Further information on making a complaint.
You can also contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for further information or to make a complaint:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Phone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate)