Who we are

The Homes First Team is a partnership made up of the following agencies:

• North Lanarkshire Council Housing Service
• North Lanarkshire Health & Social Care
• NHS
• Barnardo’s
• Blue Triangle Housing Association
• Glasgow Simon Community
• Registered Social Landlords (within North Lanarkshire)

Each partner agency is known as an independent data controller as defined under the Data Protection Act 2018. Each partner processes personal information in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDRP) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

North Lanarkshire Council delivers support to a wide range of service users relating to housing support, homelessness (including prevention of), temporary accommodation and advice and assistance in relation to Health & Social Care, as well as the direct provision of support services relating to tenancy management, rent arrears management, income maximisation, estate management and antisocial behaviour.

Commitment to privacy

We are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of any personal information that we hold about you.  This privacy notice will tell you how we look after your personal information and tell you about your rights. 

We will ensure that your personal information is kept secure, in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (“UKGDPR”) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We will only collect the minimum information necessary to provide you with rapid rehousing support and services, including provision of Homes First service delivery. When we no longer need to keep information about you, it will be disposed of in a secure manner.

Information Commissioner’s Office

You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”), the UK data protection regulator who can be contacted via the contact details below. We would, however, welcome the opportunity to discuss your concerns with you before you do so. The ICO can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 or visit their website.

Data Protection Officer

We have appointed a Data Protection Officer (DPO) who is responsible for overseeing questions in relation to this privacy notice.  If you have any questions about this privacy notice, including any requests to exercise your legal rights, you can contact the DPO via the contact details below:

Data Protection Officer                                       
North Lanarkshire Council                                  
Civic Centre
Windmillhill Street
Motherwell
ML1 1AB

Email: DataProtection@northlan.gov.uk

The personal information we may hold about you

We may collect, store, and use the following kinds of personal information about you for the purposes of providing Homes First Support:

• Personal details (such as name, address, date of birth, email address, telephone number, mobile telephone number)
• Family details
• Lifestyle and social circumstances
• Health
• Financial/Income details
• Education and employment details
• Housing information including current accommodation type.
• Visual images, personal appearance, and behaviours
• Case file information
• National Insurance number

We may collect, store, and use technical data including internet protocol (IP) address, your login data, browser type and version, time zone setting and location, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform and other technology on the devices you use to access this website and usage data including information on how you use our website and services.

We may collect, store, and use the following special categories of more sensitive information, namely:

• Information about your racial or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation
• Health data, and
• We may also collect, store, and use information about your criminal convictions and offences.

Where we need to collect personal information by law, or under the terms of a contract we have with you and you fail to provide that data when requested, we may not be able to perform the contract we have or are trying to enter with you (for example, to provide you with services). In this case, we may have to cancel a service you have with us, but we will notify you if this is the case at the time.

Keeping your information up to date

It is important that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and current.  Please keep us informed if your personal information changes during your relationship with us.

How is your personal information collected? 

Our Housing Service will collect personal data from you for the purposes of the provision via a completed Homes First Referral Application Form.

Purposes for which we will use your personal data

We will only use your personal information when it is lawful to do so. 

We will use your personal information to comply with our legal responsibilities. This includes:

• Providing rapid residential rehousing support services - Homes First, and
• Maintaining our accounts and records.

We may retain personal information for evidential and historical reasons or use it for research and statistical purposes.

We may also use your personal information:

• For the prevention and detection of crime;
• For the apprehension or prosecution of offenders;
• To prevent or detect unlawful acts;
• To protect the public against dishonesty, malpractice, or other seriously improper conduct; and
• To prevent fraud (including data matching under local and national fraud initiatives and the Housing Benefit Matching Service).

We may also use your data to do anything which we consider is likely to promote or improve your wellbeing under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, Power to Advance Well-Being.

Basis of processing

Processing of information you provide for the purposes of rapid rehousing or under the Homes First referral application process is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in us; Personal data relating to your health, or any criminal convictions are processed for statutory and government purposes necessary for reasons of substantial public interest.

Sharing your personal information

• North Lanarkshire Council Housing Service
• North Lanarkshire Health & Social Care
• Barnardo’s
• Blue Triangle Housing Association
• Glasgow Simon Community
• Registered Social Landlords(“RSL’s") within North Lanarkshire
• NHS

We will provide information to the Scottish Government in relation to the uptake and delivery of services under Housing First for statistical purposes, but you will not be able to be personally identified from any information provided. We may also be required to provide information to the Care Inspectorate or other regulatory bodies upon request.

We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal information and to treat it in accordance with the law. 

How long will we hold your information?

We will only retain the personal information you provide for as long as necessary for the provision of rapid rehousing services and in accordance with our retention schedule.  

Further Information

For further information about how North Lanarkshire Housing Service may collect and process personal data for housing services more widely, the purposes for which that data may be used, who data may be shared with, how long data will be retained and your legal rights of access to your personal data please see our Housing Services Privacy notice.