Our Contact Details
Name: Diane Downing
Address: Seabrooke House, Church Road, Ashford Kent TN23 1RD
Phone Number: 01233 626185
E-mail: contact@ashfordadvice.org
ABCA is an independent advice organization est. in 1941 and is a member of Advice UK
ABCA is NOT associated with Nat. Assoc. of Citizens Advice Bureaux or Citizens Advice Ltd
The type of information we collect
We currently collect and process the following information:
- Personal identifiers, contacts and characteristics (for example, name and contact details)
- National Insurance number
- Date of Birth
- Special Category Personal Data
General
ABCA is the controller which determines the purposes and means of processing your personal data – contact details as above.
Your data is securely stored in the UK within a robust, secure operations centre compliant with Information Security Code of Practice ISO27001, and automatically backed up daily.
The period for which your personal data will be stored is usually six years.
You have the right to request from ABCA access to and rectification or erasure of your personal data and, in certain cases, to request a restriction of processing or to object to processing.
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
You are not under a statutory or contractual requirement to provide your personal data.
How we get the information and why we have it
Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you:
We collect and use information about you to help solve your problems, improve our services and tackle wider issues in society that affect people’s lives.
We always let you decide what you’re comfortable telling us, explain why we need your information and keep it confidential. When we keep something you tell us, we:
- only access it when we have a good reason
- only share what is necessary and relevant
- don’t sell it to commercial organisations
We also receive personal information indirectly, from the following sources in the following scenarios:
- Credit Reference Agencies for debt advice
We may share this information with the Insolvency Service or the Money Advice Service
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the lawful base we rely on for processing this information is your consent. You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting Diane Downing
Personal data
The purpose of the processing is to facilitate the provision of an independent advice service supplying confidential and impartial advice to clients of ABCA.
The legal basis for processing is that the processing is Implicit Consent for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by ABCA, namely the provision of an independent advice service.
The processing is necessary – it is targeted and proportionate to achieve the intended purpose and ABCA cannot reasonably achieve the purpose by some other less intrusive means.
The legitimate interests of ABCA are not overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the client which require protection of personal data.
The data will not be used in ways that the client would not reasonably expect or that would cause harm.
Special categories of personal data (health and disabilities, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, union membership)
The purpose of the processing is to facilitate the provision of an independent advice service supplying confidential and impartial advice to clients of ABCA.
The legal basis for processing is that the processing is carried out in the course of the legitimate activities pursued by ABCA, namely the provision of an independent advice service.
The processing is carried out with appropriate safeguards, namely use of a secure case management system including encryption, passwords protection and regular back-ups.
ABCA is a not-for-profit body with a philosophical aim – its objects are to promote any charitable purpose for the public benefit.
Processing relates solely to persons who have regular contact with ABCA, namely the community in Ashford Borough, in connection with the intended purpose.
When processing special categories of personal data, such data will not be released to a third party without the consent of the client.
You can decide exactly what information you are happy to tell us. We’ll use the information because we have a ‘legitimate interest’ to do so for the purpose of providing you with advice and carrying out research.
When we ask for more private information about you, like any health conditions or ethnicity, we will need to get your consent. This is because this information is treated in a special way by the law. You can always withdraw this consent and request we remove what you told us.
Some of our specialist services, such as our Money Advice service, are provided on the basis of your consent. We will ask your consent to use your personal information with these services.
How we use the information
First and foremost, your information will be used to provide you with advice. We also use information in a way that doesn’t directly identify you to understand how different problems are affecting society and to take action to tackle these problems. As this is used for research it is kept separate from your case record.
How we store your personal information
The record of your case will be stored securely in an electronic case management system. Ashford Advice responsible for keeping it safe. As part of solving your problem, we might also make written notes, download copies of your case or send emails containing your information. We will make sure any information is stored securely and only accessed when there’s a good reason by staff and volunteers of Ashford Advice.
How long we keep records for?
We keep records for 6 years. We may keep records for 16 years if the advice given could have serious consequences if it was not stored for a longer period. After which the records will be permanently deleted or destroyed
Your data protection rights
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 are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.
Please contact us at Seabrooke House, Church Road, Ashford TN23 1RD, contact@ashfordadvice.org or phone 01233 626185 if you wish to make a request.
How to complain
If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at Seabrooke House, Church Road, Ashford TN23 1RD, contact@ashfordadvice.org or phone 01233 626185
You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.
The ICO’s address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk