Housing and communities – tenant engagement team: data privacy notice

The identity and contact details of the company

Reading Borough Council Housing & Communities – Tenant Engagement Team

Contact details of the Data Protection Officer

Nayana George – IGTeam@reading.gov.uk

What Personal Data is held?

• Name
• Address
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Dietary requirements (for catering purposes)
• Transport support requirements
• Access requirements & personal evacuation plans for venues
• Access requirements for printed materials and access to technology
• Childcare or other care requirements

Photos of tenants taking part in various tenant involvement activities (to promote tenant involvement in Housing’s publications to RBC tenants, e.g. Your Housing magazine, Housing Annual Report to Tenants).

How will the data be stored?

On a secure drive with access restricted to members of the Tenant Engagement team. The secure drive is accessed via Reading Borough Council encrypted laptops and secure smartphones issued to staff.

Email communications are stored securely using individual staff email accounts or the Tenant Participation email in-box which is accessible only to staff in the Tenant Engagement team.

What is the legal basis for the collection, use and storage of the data?

To enable tenants to be consulted about their Housing services and to provide their feedback. To enable tenants to participate in monitoring and improving the Housing Service according to their rights under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 and the Building Safety Act 2022. To support tenants’ access needs in line with the Equality Act 2010.

Give details of how long the data will be stored and criteria used to determine this?

The data will be stored for a period of two years. We will seek your consent to continue to hold your data after this time period by writing to you.

Who will it be shared with and for what purpose?

The information will be shared internally within the Directorate of Communities and Adult Social Care for the better performance and efficiency of Council services. Your photo may be shared in our publications (e.g. Your Housing, ‘Love Your Block’ building cleaning newsletter, Housing Annual Report to tenants) to promote the benefits of tenant involvement and to encourage other tenants to take part. Your photo will be used only if you sign a photo consent form.

Your name, address and contact telephone number may be shared with a local taxi company to enable us to book transport for tenants who need assistance in travelling to tenant participation meetings, consultations and other events.

Your contact information may be shared with a third party market research company conducting the annual Tenant Satisfaction Survey, which is a statutory activity under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.

We may contact you from time to time with information about local events and Council initiatives from the Directorate of Communities and Adult Social Care.

How can the service user get access to it?

Subject Access Requests can be made by following the link: www.reading.gov.uk/dataprotection.

State whether any data is to be transferred outside the EU?

No.

Is processing based on consent?

Yes.

By returning a data consent form you agree for the Tenant Engagement Team to hold your details on our ‘Sounding Board’ involved tenant mailing list.

By signing a photo consent form you agree for your image to be used in one of Housing’s publications to tenants, and you can specify restrictions on the use of your image. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by writing to us free of charge at: Business Reply Licence Number RTHLS-CKGX-RKLL, Reading Borough Council Tenant Participation Unit, Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading RG1 2LU or via email to: tenant.participation@reading.gov.uk.

What other rights do you have?

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

• Your right of access – You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.
• Your right to rectification – You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
• Your right to erasure – You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to restriction of processing – You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to object to processing – You have the the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to data portability – You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

You have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how your personal information has been handled by RBC.

They can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk

State if there will be any automated decision making.

No.