Sheltered Housing Service privacy notice

Portsmouth City Council is the data controller for the personal information described in this notice (registration number Z5578313). We collect and use personal information to deliver the Sheltered Housing Service.

This notice explains:

• what we collect
• why we collect it and our lawful basis
• who we share it with
• how long we keep it
• your information rights and how to contact us

We use your personal information to:

• deliver sheltered housing support and provide support appropriate to your needs
• contact you about your support and any changes that may affect it
  help you access other related services (for example Housing Options and Money Advice)
• support service development
• process payments for services that may be available (such as meals and laundry)
• enable delivery of personal care where this is provided by council staff

We collect information such as:

• your name, address, date of birth
• your contact details (phone number and email)
• information about your family and next of kin / emergency contacts
• information about your mental and physical health, and housing / social care / support needs
• information about your financial circumstances (including payments made in connection with your tenancy and relevant charges)
• records we create and hold, such as letters, records of phone calls, and information we receive from other people (for example your doctor)
• other information needed to help support you to remain independent in your home

We only collect and use what we need for the purposes described in this notice.

We collect information:

• directly from you (for example when you contact us or as part of your tenancy/support arrangements)
• from people you ask us to contact (for example your next of kin)
• from other professionals or organisations involved in your support where relevant and lawful (for example health or social care professionals)

UK GDPR requires us to tell you the lawful bases we rely on.

For most personal information, we rely on:

• Article 6(1)(e) — processing is necessary for a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority (providing sheltered housing services)
• Article 6(1)(b) — processing is necessary for the performance of a contract (your tenancy agreement)

When we use health/support information (special category data)

Some information we use (for example mental/physical health and support needs) is special category data. In addition to an Article 6 basis, we also rely on a condition under Article 9 UK GDPR.

• Article 9(2)(h) — health or social care (where applicable), and/or
• Article 9(2)(g) — substantial public interest (for safeguarding and protecting individuals), where applicable.

We only share personal information when the law allows or requires it, and we share only what is necessary.

We may share information with:

• police or emergency services in safeguarding or life-threatening situations, or where needed to prevent/detect crime, fraud, or to meet a statutory duty
• family members/carers, usually where you have given permission, and only the appropriate information
• contractors working for us (for example to carry out repairs on our behalf)
• other organisations that support you, such as health or social care providers, or other housing providers/local authorities where needed to help meet your housing/support needs

We may share or withhold information where sharing would place any individual at risk.

Data processors (organisations acting on our behalf)

Where organisations process personal data on our behalf (for example contractors), we ensure appropriate contracts are in place requiring them to act securely and only on our instructions.

International transfers

If it is necessary to transfer personal information outside the UK, we will do so only in accordance with UK GDPR.

We use technical and organisational measures to keep personal information secure. Access is restricted to staff who need it to do their job, supported by training and regular checks. Anyone processing data on our behalf is required to keep it secure and use it only for the purposes we specify.

We keep records no longer than necessary. Retention periods depend on the type of record and are set out in the Council’s retention information published on our website.

Under UK GDPR, you have rights over your personal information. Depending on the lawful basis, these can include:

• the right to be informed (which this notice provides)
• access to your personal data
• rectification (to correct inaccurate data)
• erasure (in some circumstances)
• restriction of processing (in some circumstances)
• objection to processing (particularly where we rely on public task)
• data portability (in limited circumstances, usually where processing is based on consent/contract and carried out by automated means)

Some rights are not absolute and may not apply in every case (for example where we must keep information to meet legal duties, or where disclosure would reveal confidential information about other people).

You can ask whether we hold personal information about you and request a copy by making a Subject Access Request. We will provide:

• a description of the data
• why we hold it
• who it may be shared with
• a copy in an understandable form

There are some legal exemptions (for example where disclosure would reveal confidential information about another person, or where a professional believes disclosure would cause serious harm).

We do not intend to make decisions about you that have a legal or similarly significant effect solely by automated means as part of delivering sheltered housing support. If this changes, we will update this notice and explain your rights in relation to automated decisions.

If you have a complaint or query about how we collect and use personal information, if you would like a change to be made to your record, or want to object to processing, please contact us using the details below.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

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

Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 (national rate)

Data Protection Officer
Portsmouth City Council
Civic Offices,
Portsmouth,
PO1 2AL

Email: DataProtection@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Telephone: 023 9282 2251

This privacy notice was last updated on 8 August 2025. It may be updated to reflect changes in law or service delivery.