How we use your personal information
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
When you use our website, we collect a type of data called cookies which tell us what you’re clicking on. Find out more about how we use cookies.
The national Citizens Advice charity and local Citizens Advice are both responsible for keeping your personal information safe and making sure we follow data protection law. This means we’re a ‘joint data controller’ for your personal information.
The local Citizens Advice will record your personal information on a national computer system. Staff from a different local Citizens Advice can only access your personal information if they have a good reason – for example if you go to them for advice or call our national phone line.
We have rules and controls to stop people accessing or using your information when they shouldn’t.
Tell an adviser if you’re worried about your details being on a national system. We’ll work with you to take extra steps to protect your information – for example by recording your problem without using your name.
At times we might use or share your information without your permission. If we do, we’ll always make sure there’s a legal basis for it. This could include situations where we have to use or share your information:
- to comply with the law – for example, if a court orders us to share information. This is called ‘legal obligation’
- to protect someone’s life – for example, sharing information with a paramedic if a client was unwell at our office. This is called ‘vital interests’
- to carry out our legitimate aims and goals as a charity – for example, to create statistics for our national research. This is called ‘legitimate interests’
- for us to carry out a task where we’re meeting the aims of a public body in the public interest – for example, delivering a government or local authority service. This is called ‘public task’
- to carry out a contract we have with you – for example, if you’re an employee we might need to store your bank details so we can pay you. This is called ‘contract’
- to defend our legal rights – for example, sharing information with our legal advisors if there was a complaint that we gave the wrong advice
We handle and store your personal information in line with the law – including the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
You can check our main Citizens Advice policy for how we handle most of your personal information.
Working on your behalf
When you give us authority to act on your behalf, for example to help you with a Universal Credit claim, we’ll need to share information with that third party.
These may include:
- Halton Borough Council
- Department for Work and Pensions
- Creditors, for example banks, utilities or loan companies
- Local Housing providers
How Citizens Advice Halton store your information
The national Citizens Advice charity and your local Citizens Advice operate a system called Casebook to keep your personal information safe. This means they’re a ‘joint data controller’ for your personal information that’s stored in our Casebook system.
Each local Citizens Advice is an independent charity, and a member of the national Citizens Advice charity. The Citizens Advice membership agreement also requires that the use of your information complies with data protection law.
Some of your information might also be kept within local secure email and IT systems. We use Google services for email. Generally, Google products as used by us will mean they are acting as a data processor under our instruction as a data controller. Citizens Advice Halton has opted into the Model contract clauses and data processing amendment agreement with Google.
Where you have given us your agreement and contact details, we, or in some instances a trusted research partner, may contact you to ask you for feedback on the service you received and your overall experience of Citizens Advice.
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.
Text Messaging and WhatsApp
SMS Text Messaging:
We use SMS to send appointment reminders and important updates about your case. Our policy is to minimize all data collected and we aim to transfer all personal information to our secure case management system during the course of your case. Data associated with our text messaging platform is held securely within our own IT systems.
WhatsApp: (not currently active/in development)
When using our WhatsApp contact number our policy is to minimize all data collected and we aim to transfer all personal information to our secure case management systems during the course of your case. Messages sent over the WhatsApp service are encrypted end to end. Facebook will also store your data in accordance with the Terms of Service of your WhatsApp account.
How Citizens Advice Halton share your information
Before we share any of your information, we will always obtain your agreement, explain who the information is being shared with and the reason that the information is being shared.
What if I have a question about how my information has been used?
You can contact us and ask us:
- find out what personal information we hold about you
- correct your information if it’s wrong, out of date or incomplete
- request we delete your information
- ask us to limit what we do with your data – for example, ask us not to share it if you haven’t asked us already
- ask us to give you a copy of the data we hold in a format you can use to transfer it to another service
- ask us to stop using your information
If you have any questions about how your information is collected or used, you can contact us at Citizens Advice Halton, Widnes Office, Unit 3, Victoria House, Lugsdale Road, Widnes, WA8 6DJ. Tel: 0151 257 2443. Email office@citizensadvicehalton.org.uk
You can read more detailed information about how some of our services use information on our national site: citizensadvice.org.uk/privacy-policy
If you’re not happy with how we’ve handled your data, you can make a complaint. Email us at office@citizensadvicehalton.org.uk
You can also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office to raise a concern about how we have used your information. Web: ico.org.uk Tel: 0303 123 1113