We gather information about you, like your name and how to reach you, to help us provide services and follow the rules. Sometimes, we might need to know things like your health too.

We get information about the people who live in our houses, like tenants, people who own homes, and others who use our services. This includes people who need help with housing or gardening. We also collect information about the people who work with us, like our staff, board members, contractors, and helpers.

We look after personal data responsibly and securely. We follow the principles of UK GDPR (The General Data Protection Regulations) which states that personal data must be:

1. processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner
2. collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes
3. adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary
4. accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date
5. kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary
6. processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security

You can learn more about these rules on the special website of the Information Commissioner.

Our Privacy Notices tell you about the things we collect, how we get them, why we need them, and who we talk to about them.

They also include important information about data rights. This includes your:

1. Right to be informed
2. Right of access
3. Right to rectification
4. Right to erasure
5. Right to restrict processing
6. Right to data portability
7. Right to object
8. Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling.

You can read our Privacy Notices by clicking on the links below:

• CBH Main Customer Privacy Notice
• CBH Homelessness and Temporary Accommodation Privacy Notice

In addition, we may share data with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) for research and statistical purposes. The CORE Privacy Notice can be accessed below:

• Continous Recording of Social Housing lettings and sales (CORE) – Privacy Notice

For further information about how we handle personal data please click on the links to the relevant policies below:

• CBH Data Protection Policy
• CBH Data Retention Policy
• CBH Information Security Policy
• CBH Processing of Special Category and Criminal Convictions Personal Data Policy

Subject Access Requests

You have the right to ask for a copy of information about you (it’s called a subject access request). To do this, we need you to:

• Write a letter or email to us.
• Give us enough details so we know what information you’re asking for.
• Show us something like a photo ID (like a driver’s license) and a bill or a letter with your name on it, so we can be sure it’s you.

You can fill out a special form to ask for this information. Or you can send an email to governance@cbhomes.org.uk with what you need, or write a letter to:

Information Governance Officer
Colchester Borough Homes
Rowan House
33 Sheepen Road
Colchester
CO3 3WG

Remember, if you want data that the Colchester City Council has, you’ll need to ask them. You can find more about that on their website: https://www.colchester.gov.uk/your-data/.

If you have questions or worries about your data or rights, email us at governance@cbhomes.org.uk first. You can also talk to our Data Protection Officer at dpo@colchester.gov.uk.

And if you want more information or help, you can check out this website: https://ico.org.uk/.

DATA PROTECTION – SUBJECT ACCESS REQUEST

• Application for a copy of personal data held by Colchester Borough Homes. If you require information from Colchester City Council, please email info@colchester.gov.uk.
• Fields marked with * must be filled in.
• The information you provide in this form will be used solely for the purposes of processing your subject access request.

By submitting the form, I declare that I am the person identified above and that I will provide to CBH when requested, a photographic ID and a bill, or other official correspondence which shows my name and address.