Introduction
We value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy notice will inform you about how we will treat your personal data if you choose to be referred for debt management support.
This privacy notice specifically covers our dedicated referral pathway for Lambeth residents into Step Change, a national charity helping people deal with their debt and set up solutions.
The support aims to meet the Borough Plan objective of being a borough of Equity and Justice by:
- responding to urgent need
- minimising residents’ costs
- maximising residents’ incomes
- building residents’ financial resilience and ability to manage debts.
Purpose of this privacy notice
This privacy notice aims to give you information on how we collect and process your personal data through your use of this website. It also covers the specific data handling practices associated with our project supporting Lambeth residents with debt advice through Step Change.
Lambeth Council is the controller and responsible for your personal data to make the referral into Step Change (collectively referred to as "we", "us" or "our" in this privacy notice).
Types of data collected
When you fill out a registration form for the service, we request the following information about your household to determine the best way the council can support you:
- Identity Data: This includes your full name, date of birth, national insurance number, gender, any disabilities, and languages spoken.
- Personal Data: This includes details about your household type, tenure type, homelessness status, caring responsibilities, whether you have a social worker or care worker, your employment status and any barriers to work, benefit status, and whether you are in training or education.
- Contact Data: This includes your address and postcode, email address, telephone numbers, and whether you are digitally excluded.
How your personal data is collected
Participation in this service is voluntary. Information will only be collected if you seek assistance from the council and opt to be referred to the service.
How we use your personal data
The information that we collect is used to deliver support for residents that approach us and choose to be referred to Step Change. The information provided will help determine eligibility, and the support required. Information from this referral pathway will help us to better understand the issues of debt within the borough, and what support is required.
We may contact you by post, email, phone, or text to tell you about the services that are available.
Disclosures of your data
The information collected for the purposes of the referral will only be shared with Step Change. However, if we identify additional support that could benefit the resident e.g. support with employment opportunities, we may share the information provided through the Lambeth registration form with other services within the Local Authority, such as:
- Revenue and Benefits teams
- Services with education, training, and employment opportunities
- Organisations commissioned by the council to deliver financial advice and guidance or public health support
- Some of the information that you provide might be shared with public bodies responsible for the administration or auditing of public funds, including the Department of Work and Pensions. The council will not share this information with these bodies without your consent.
We occasionally have a legal duty to provide personal information regarding safeguarding to organisations such as social care or the police.
As part of this referral, Lambeth Council will receive anonymised information about the number of residents supported and the nature of the support.
Data security
We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered, or disclosed. We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.
Your legal rights
You have a right to withdraw consent and the right to object and restrict further processing of your data, however, this may affect your ability to receive continued support.
You have a right to request to have your data deleted where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing and provided there are no legitimate grounds for retaining it.
You have a right to request your data be rectified if it is inaccurate or incomplete.
You can talk to Lambeth about how your data is being used, without it affecting your legal rights or routine care, and can contact us by email at infogov@lambeth.gov.uk.
More information about how the council will protect your privacy is available on our website via the Privacy notice pages.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this privacy notice, please contact us by:
Mail:
Tackling Poverty
London Borough of Lambeth
Lambeth Townhall,
1 Brixton Hill
SW2 1RW
Email: costofliving@lambeth.gov.uk
Telephone: 020 7926 5059
Or you can visit our website.