When you live in, visit or access temporary accommodation managed by Lichfield District Council, we may collect and use personal information about you. This may include your name, contact details, access credentials (such as fobs, access cards, PIN codes or app-based entry accounts), a reference photograph/s of you to enable access, records of access to the building, and, where CCTV is in operation, images of individuals entering, leaving or using communal areas.
We process this information to help us manage temporary accommodation safely and effectively, protect residents, staff and visitors, control access to buildings, investigate security incidents, respond to maintenance and support issues, and meet our legal obligations as a housing authority.
How we willl process your data
The law allows us to process your personal information because it is necessary for us to perform a task carried out in the public interest and in the exercise of our official authority as a local authority.
The information we hold may include:
- Name, address, telephone number and email address.
- Temporary accommodation or property details.
- Access control information such as fob numbers, access card details, app-based entry accounts, PIN codes and entry/exit logs.
- A reference photograph/s of you to enable access.
- Visitor and contractor records.
- Correspondence, support requests and service communications.
- CCTV images where cameras are in operation.
- Vehicle registration details where parking management arrangements are in place.
We do not seek to process special category personal data through access control systems. However, if such information is provided to us incidentally, it will be handled in accordance with data protection legislation and our information governance policies.
Will we share your data?
We may share information internally with authorised council officers who need access to the information to perform their duties. This may include housing services, homelessness services, customer services, community safety, ICT and information governance officers.
We may also share information with external organisations where necessary and lawful to do so, including:
- LWMTS who manage the temporary accommodation on behalf of the council.
- Emergency services, including the Police and Fire and Rescue Service.
- Staffordshire County Council and other public authorities where safeguarding or statutory functions apply.
- Contractors and maintenance providers working on the accommodation.
- Security providers and access control system providers.
- Urban Stream Ltd, who operate the EasyBM property-management platform on behalf of the council.
- Other approved service providers who support the operation, maintenance and security of the accommodation.
Information will only be shared where there is a lawful reason to do so, such as safeguarding individuals, preventing or detecting crime, protecting public funds, managing the accommodation safely or complying with legal requirements.
How long will we store your data?
We will only keep your personal information for as long as it is needed for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law.
Retention periods will vary depending on the type of information being held. Access control records, correspondence and CCTV images will be retained in accordance with the council's retention schedule and operational requirements. When information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or destroyed.
Your rights in brief
If we process your personal data, depending on your circumstances you may have the following rights:
- A right of access to your information.
- A right to correct inaccurate information.
- A right to restrict our processing of your data.
- A right to have your personal data erased.
- The right to object to processing carried out in the public interest.
If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact our customer services team on 01543 308000.
General
The provision of some information may be necessary for us to provide accommodation, manage access to buildings safely and fulfil our legal obligations. If you do not provide information needed to manage your accommodation or building access, we may be unable to provide certain services or grant access to facilities.
Who is the data controller?
Lichfield District Council (District Council House, Frog Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6YY, telephone 01543 308000) is the data controller.
Urban Stream Ltd acts as a data processor on behalf of the council for the operation of the EasyBM platform.
Personal data breaches
The council does all it can to keep your personal data confidential, available for use and intact.
A personal data breach is a breach of security leading to the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, personal data that is transmitted, stored or otherwise processed.
If you believe there has been a breach involving your personal information, please contact us at dpo@lichfielddc.gov.uk. The Data Protection Officer will investigate the matter and, where required, report it to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Where there is a high risk to your rights and freedoms, we will also inform you directly.
Any questions or concerns?
If you have any questions about how we use your information, please contact our Data Protection Officer in the first instance.
If you remain dissatisfied with the way we have handled your personal information, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).