Privacy Policy

This notice explains what information we collect, when we collect it and how we use this. During the course of our activities we will process personal data (which may be held on paper, electronically, or otherwise) about you and we recognise the need to treat it in an appropriate and lawful manner. The purpose of this notice is to make you aware of how we will handle your information.

Who are we?

Rural Housing Association, a Registered Charity (NI Charity Number NIC100886), a Registered Society under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act (Northern Ireland) 1969  (Registered Number IP 345) and having their Registered Office at 2 Killyclogher Road, Omagh, BT79 0AX (“we” or “us”) take the issue of security and data protection very seriously and strictly adhere to guidelines published in the Data Protection Act of 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 which is applicable from the 25th May 2018, together with any domestic laws subsequently enacted.

We are notified as a Data Controller with the Office of the Information Commissioner under registration number X3917434 and we are the data controller of any personal data that you provide to us.

Our point of contact for all aspects of Data Protection is:

Mr Stephen Fisher
Email:  sdfisher@ruralhousing.co.uk
Address: Rural Housing Association, 2 Killyclogher Road, Omagh, BT79 0AX
Tel: 02882246118

Any questions relating to this notice and our privacy practices should be sent to Mr Stephen Fisher as detailed above.

We collect information about you:

when you apply for housing with us, become a tenant, request services/ repairs, enter in to a factoring agreement with ourselves howsoever arising or otherwise provide us with your personal details when you apply to become a member; from your use of our online services, whether to report any tenancy/ factor related issues, make a complaint or otherwise; from your arrangements to make payment to us (such as bank details, payment card numbers, employment details, benefit entitlement and any other income and expenditure related information);

We collect the following information about you:

name;
address;
telephone number;
e-mail address;
National Insurance Number;
Next of Kin;
Family structure details
Date of Birth
Bank Details
CCTV images if you visit the public spaces of our Head Office

Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are stored on your browser or device by websites, apps, online media and advertisements. We use cookies to:

  • Analyse site visits and trends
  • Determine the frequency of accessing our content
  • Validate users
  • Remember user preferences and setting

We receive the following information from third parties:

  • Benefits information, including awards of Housing Benefit/ Universal Credit
  • Payments made by you to us;
  • Complaints or other communications regarding behaviour or other alleged breaches of the terms of your contract with us, including information obtained from the Police Service for Northern Ireland.
  • Reports as to the conduct or condition of your tenancy, including references from previous tenancies, and complaints of anti-social behaviour.
  • Information on support requirements e.g. from support workers.

We need your information and will use your information:

  • to undertake and perform our obligations and duties to you in accordance with the terms of our contract with you
  • to enable us to supply you with the services and information which you have requested;
  • to enable us to respond to your repair request, housing application and complaints made;
  • to analyse the information we collect so that we can administer, support and improve and develop our business and the services we offer;
  • to contact you in order to send you details of any changes to our or supplies which might affect you;
  • for all other purposes consistent with the proper performance of our operations and business; and
  • to contact you for your views on our products and services.

Sharing of Your Information

The information you provide to us will be treated by us as confidential /[and will be processed only by our employees within the UK/EEA. We may disclose your information to other third parties who act for us for the purposes set out in this notice or for purposes approved by you, including the following:

  • If we enter into a joint venture with or merged with another business entity, your information may be disclosed to our new business partners or owners;
  • If we instruct repair or maintenance works, your information may be disclosed to any contractor;
  • If we are investigating a complaint, information may be disclosed to the Police Service for Northern Ireland, Local Authority or Northern Ireland Housing Executive departments, Northern
  • Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and others involved in any complaint, whether investigating the complaint or otherwise;
  • If we are updating tenancy details, your information may be disclosed to third parties (such as utility companies, Local Authority, Land and Property Services NI, the Northern Ireland
  • Housing Executive or the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations);
  • If we are investigating payments made or otherwise, your information may be disclosed to payment processors, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Department of Work & Pensions;
  • If we are conducting a survey of our products and/ or service, your information may be disclosed to third parties assisting in the compilation and analysis of the survey results
  • We may use  third party data processors to process personal information about you. This may cover the processing and storage  and backup of data of any of the items listed above. In using a third party the association will ensure that they are compliant with the requirements of GDPR Unless required to do so by law, we will not otherwise share, sell or distribute any of the information you provide to us without your consent.

Transfers outside the UK and Europe

Your information will only be stored within the UK and EEA

Security

When you give us information we take all necessary  steps to make sure that your personal information is kept secure and safe.

How long we will keep your information

We review our data retention periods regularly and will only hold your personal data for as long as is necessary for the relevant activity, or as required by law (we may be legally required to hold some types of information), or as set out in any relevant contract we have with you.

We will generally keep your information for the following minimum periods as outlined in our Data Retention Policy after which this will be destroyed if it is no longer required for the reasons it was obtained.

Our full retention schedule on request to sdfisher@ruralhousing.co.uk

Your Rights

You have the right at any time to:

  • ask for a copy of the information about you held by us in our records;
  • require us to correct any inaccuracies in your information;
  • make a request to us to delete what personal data of your we hold; and
  • object to receiving any marketing communications from us.

If you would like to exercise any of your rights above please contact us at :

Mr Stephen Fisher
Email:  sdfisher@ruralhousing.co.uk
Address: Rural Housing Association, 2 Killyclogher Road, Omagh, BT79 0AX
Tel: 02882246118

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office in relation to our use of your information. The Information Commissioner’s contact details are noted below:

The Information Commissioner’s Office – Northern Ireland
3rd Floor, 14 Cromac Place, Belfast BT7 2JB
Telephone: 028 9027 8757 / 0303 123 1114
Email: ni@ico.org.uk

The accuracy of your information is important to us
Please help us keep our records updated by informing us of any changes to your email address and other contact detail