Citizens Advice Woking Privacy Policy
At Citizens Advice Woking 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.
This privacy policy explains how we use your information and what your rights are. We handle and store your personal information in line with data protection law and our confidentiality policy. The following pages tell you how we use your information in more detail.
Our network
Citizens Advice is a membership organisation made up of the national Citizens Advice charity and many local offices across England and Wales, including Citizens Advice Woking. Citizens Advice Woking is an independent charity and a member of the national Citizens Advice charity.
All members of the Citizens Advice network are responsible for keeping your personal information safe and making sure data protection law is followed.
Members of the network also run some jointly designed services and use some of the same systems to process your personal data. In these instances, we are joint data controllers for these activities.
Jointly controlled data
All offices in the Citizens Advice network use some joint systems to carry out our activities. These include joint case management systems, telephony platforms and more.
Staff from a different local Citizens Advice can only access your personal information in a joint system if they have a good reason. For example, when:
- you go to a different office to seek advice
- more than one office is working together in partnership
- they need to investigate a complaint or incident
We have rules and controls in place to stop people accessing or using your information when they shouldn’t.
Tell an adviser if you’re worried about your details being on a national system. We’ll work with you to take extra steps to protect your information – for example by recording your problem without using your name.
National Citizens Advice has a privacy notice available on their website that covers general advice and nationally managed systems, including our case management systems. This policy covers the processing we carry out in our office.
How we use your data for advice
This section covers how we use your data to provide you with advice.
For general advice and nationally funded advice programmes please see the national Citizens Advice privacy notice.
How we collect your information
We may collect your data over the phone, in person or via a third-party referral.
What information we collect
We collect general information such as your name and address, date of birth, email and phone numbers. This information is held under the lawful basis ‘legitimate interest’.
We also collect personal data relevant to your enquiry, which we record under various lawful bases, depending on the purpose we use it for.
In addition, we will ask you if you are happy to share some information about your background with us. To record this information, we will need your permission.
What we use your information for
We will use general information to provide you with advice as well as to improve our service and inform our campaigns.
We will use personal data relevant to your enquiry to provide the correct advice for your circumstances.
For example, we would record your health details to advise on disability benefits. For this purpose, we would record your health details under the lawful basis of substantial public interest – provision of confidential counselling, advice or support.
The information we record about your background with your permission will be used to ensure we are delivering our service in a way that supports everyone and that we are reaching people from all backgrounds.
Our confidentiality policy
At Citizens Advice we have a confidentiality policy which states that anything you tell us as part of advice will not be shared outside of the Citizens Advice network unless you provide your permission for us to do so.
There are some exceptions to this such as needing to share:
- to prevent an immediate risk of harm to an individual
- In select circumstances if it is in the best interests of the client
- where we are compelled to do so by law (e.g. a court order or meeting statutory disclosures)
- where there is an overriding public interest such as to prevent harm against someone or to investigate a crime
- to defend against a complaint or legal claim
- to protect our name and reputation for example to provide our side of a story reported in the press
How we use your data for research, feedback and statistics
This section covers how we use your data to carry out our research, feedback and statistical work.
National Citizens Advice covers their use of data for this purpose in their privacy notice.
How we collect your information
Occasionally we ask you to provide feedback to Citizens Advice Woking about the service you have received by completing a local feedback form.
What information we collect
This could include:
- your general information,
- details of the issue we have advised you on including personal details relevant to the issue,
- information about your background which you have given us and
- your feedback on the advice provided.
What we use your information for
This feedback is used to improve our services.
Who we share your information with
We do not share any feedback information with third parties or use it in our publicity materials unless it is anonymised.
Our lawful basis for using your information
- Your general information will be recorded under legitimate interest.
- Personal details relevant to the issue will be recorded under various lawful bases.
- Information about your background will be recorded with your permission.
How we use your data for fundraising and donations
This section covers how we use your data to carry out our fundraising activities.
National Citizens Advice covers their use of data for fundraising in their privacy notice.
How we collect your information
If you kindly donate to us, we are sent a record of the donation, however we don’t store this record, neither do we keep your information in a database.
What information we collect
We will receive notification of a donation, your name and general information such as your address and/or phone number. This information is not stored by Citizens Advice Woking.
If you complete a Gift Aid donation form as part of your charitable giving, we will keep this on record for as long as you have given us permission to do so.
What we use your information for
We use the information given by you in the Gift Aid form to claim gift aid on your donation.
Who we share your information with
If you complete a Gift Aid form, we share your information (your name only) with HMRC.
Our lawful basis for using your information
Our lawful basis for using your information is legitimate interest.
How we use your data when applying to work or volunteer
How we collect your information
We collect the information provided in your application to us and we store this securely in our Sharepoint folder in the cloud. Your application will only be accessible to staff involved in the recruitment process.
What information we collect
We collect information about your previous roles, education and skills, as provided by you in your application. We ask your referees to provide references.
What we use your information for
We use this information for recruitment purposes, and we gather your EDI information in a diversity monitoring form.
Who we share your information with
We share your information with your referees and with the Disclosure and Barring Service, if needed.
Our lawful basis for using your information
We use the general information provided in your application under legitimate interest and we gather your EDI information under the lawful basis substantial public interest – equality of opportunity or treatment.
The ICO has more information on processing data for employment purposes.
How we use your data when using our website
What information we collect
We don’t collect any information on your use of our website.
How we collect your information
We collect data about you if you complete our website forms.
What we use your information for
This information will be used for advice, employment or volunteer purposes.
Who we share your information with
We do not share this information with third parties.
Our lawful basis for using your information
Our lawful basis for processing this information depends on its purpose, as described above under How we use your data for advice and How we use your data when applying to work or volunteer
How long we keep your data for
National Citizens Advice is responsible for managing any data in joint client case records. For more information please see their privacy notice.
| Data | Purpose | Retention |
| Client data | Advice | 6 years |
| Employee applications | Recruitment | 1 year |
| Volunteer applications | Recruitment | 1 year |
Your data protection rights
You have rights in relation to your personal data that we hold. Your rights include being able to request:
- Access to copies of your data
- Corrections are made to inaccurate data
- Deletion of your personal data
- Object to how we use your personal data
These rights are not absolute and may not apply in every circumstance. For more information about your rights you can visit the ICO website.
To make a data protection rights request you can do so by emailing wokingca@gmail.com
Raising a concern about how we use your information
If you are concerned about how we have handled your personal information please contact us at complaints@wokingcab.org
You can also contact the national charity if you are unhappy with how we have used your personal data or wish to raise a concern about how a local office has handled your personal data. To do so you can email us at DPO@citizensadvice.org.uk
Contacting the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
You can also raise your concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office which regulates data protection law in the UK. if you are unhappy with how we have used your personal information. They will normally expect you to have made a complaint to us directly in the first instance.
- Address: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
- Helpline number: 0303 123 1113