The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was introduced into UK law on 25 May 2018. It supersedes our current data protection legislation (Data Protection Act 1998) and improves the rights of individuals to control the data held about them. GDPR requires organisations to be more transparent about the data they collect and how they use it.
We take our data protection responsibilities seriously. We only collect information needed to manage our business. We hold your information safely and only keep it for as long as is necessary. To reflect GDPR we have made some changes and updates to our Data Protection Policy, reviewed our processes and introduced a Privacy Notice.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued guidance to all organisations on how to implement the GDPR - this includes reviewing our reasons for collecting information and demonstrating our commitment to the confidentiality and security of this information.
A Privacy Notice is a way of communicating what information we hold, what our legal reason for collecting the information is and what we use the information for. It also lets you know what your rights are.
We have made every effort to simplify the wording of our Privacy Notice so that it easy to understand and we have made it available online, on display in our reception areas and in our Common Rooms.
We hold your information either securely within our online systems or on paper, which is held securely within our offices. We have data protection policies and procedures in place to manage this security and we regularly test and check our procedures.
Do you share or sell my information?
We will never sell your information to other organisations. We will only share your information as needed with partners providing services to you, with your agreement or in the case of an emergency. The Privacy Notice describes the types of ‘third party’ organisations with whom we need to share information.
In addition to service providers, it is important that you tell us who you wish us to share information with, for example, your family members. We will not share information with family members unless you have given us permission and their contact details.
No you do not have to do anything. We are legally required to make you aware of your rights under the new regulation. That’s why we have made the Privacy Notice available online, downloadable, on display and available in leaflet format on request from our offices.
How can I check what information you hold about me?
You can request to see what information we hold about you. This is known as a subject access request. You can request a Subject Access Request form from our offices or download a copy from the Data Protection section of the website.
Where can I find more information about GDPR?
You can find out more about the new data protection regulations from the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) website at www.ico.org.uk
How can I update my information?
You can do this by contacting a member of the Housing Team. Use the Get in Touch button at the bottom of this page or the Contact Us page.
What if I am unhappy with the way you manage my information?
You can contact the Data Protection Team as follows.
In writing to;
If you have serious concerns about the way your information is being managed by Habinteg, you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office directly at ni@ico.org.uk
