The use and protection of information held under the Argyll and Bute Council Refugee Resettlement Programme
When you become a beneficiary of the Argyll and Bute Council Refugee Resettlement Programme any documents relating to your family will be kept in your personal integration file. This file may include documents such as your UNHCR case file, information on applications for various benefits, medical notes, information on support with language, information on support with employment, information on housing and, information relating to your children’s education.
It is essential that we hold this information in order to provide you with an accurate, efficient and consistent service. The information can be held on our case management system, computer files and on manual records. We promise to ensure that:
- Your records are kept securely
- Your records are kept as up-to-date and accurate as we can control
- Only staff responsible for providing services to you can access information they need to ensure an accurate, efficient and consistent service
- When we no longer need the information we will dispose of your records securely and as soon as we are legally entitled to do so
You can ask to see any information we hold about you on computer or in our files. If we are not able to show your information we will tell you the reason for this.
Your records and you
We sometimes ask you for information about yourself and your family so that we can make sure that you get the right services. This guidance explains what happens to this information and what your rights are.
Processing your information
During your contact with us, we will explain how information about you will be used and who we might share it with. We will only process your information as detailed in the attached notice. If we need to obtain your express consent we will request this using a different process.
Your data may also be shared for the following reasons:
- If necessary in order for us to carry out our functions
- If we are legally bound to protect a child, yourself or the public
- For the prevention and detection of a crime
- If we are required to do so by any court or law
The information we need may include:
- Personal details which include your name(s), address(es) and family details
- Equalities monitoring information
- Financial information
- Health information
What do we use this information for?
- To support you to integrate into the community
- To make sure that the service you get is efficient and effective
- To help plan services for your future
- To account for our decisions and investigate complaints
- To meet our statutory obligations and to prevent and detect crime
We know that information you give us may be sensitive and we will respect your confidentiality. We will keep information about you securely, keep it up to date and control who has access to it. We will only keep the information for as long as is necessary. We will only share information where necessary and in line with Data Protection Law.
Here are some examples of who your information may be shared with:
- Within the Council or with other government services who provide services to you
- The private and voluntary sectors to deliver some of the services we have assessed as required
- Immigration Services
- Your next of kin or main carer, named advocate, enduring Power of Attorney
Sometimes, we must pass on information to Central Government Offices, the police and other agencies, in order to help them with their functions and responsibilities. If an organisation is delivering services on our behalf, we would need to share the information with them.
If you have difficulty understanding this document or you want to ask more questions, please speak to the Refugee Resettlement Team.
If you want any more information about data sharing or want to see the information held on you by the Council, please contact the “Data Controller”
In the UK, personal data is protected by the Data Protected Act 2018. This is enforced by the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner’s Office will also provide you with advice and guidance on Data Protection:
Information Commissioner's Office
45 Melville Street, Edinburgh EH3 7HL
Website: www.ico.org.uk
Email: scotland@ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1115
Argyll and Bute Council Refugee Resettlement Programme PRIVACY NOTICE
Argyll and Bute Council will act as the ‘Data Controller’ for the personal data you provide to us. The data protection officer can be contacted as follows:
Address: Iain Jackson, Governance and Risk Manager, Argyll and Bute Council, Governance and Law, Kilmory, Lochgilphead PA31 8RT.
Email: Iain.Jackson@argyll-bute.gov.uk or data.protection@argyll-bute.gov.uk
Telephone: 01546 604188 or 01546 605522
Your information is being collected to use for the following purposes:
- To ensure all requirements are in place for resettled refugees arriving in Argyll and Bute
- To ensure that all relevant services are in contact with resettled refugees
- To ensure that the complex resettlement needs of refugees are met in years one to five
We will not collect any personal data from you that isn’t needed for delivery of those services.
The legal basis for collecting the information is the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002
When we are using more sensitive types of personal information, including health information, our legal basis is usually that the use is necessary:
- for the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services; or
- for reasons of substantial public interest for aims that are proportionate and which contain appropriate safeguarding measures, or
- for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or in the case of a court order.
On rare occasions we may rely on your explicit consent as our legal basis for using your personal information. When we do this we will explain what it means, and the rights that are available, to you.
Your information could be shared with the following recipients or categories of recipient:
- Argyll and Bute Council Refugee Resettlement Team
- Argyll and Bute Health & Social Care Partnership (Health Services / Social Work Services) – for health and social care needs
- Rothesay Medical Centre – for health needs
- Argyll and Bute Council Education Services (Rothesay Joint Campus / Adult Learning) – for education, English language and employability support
- Rothesay Playgroup – for childcare
- Argyll College UHI – for college courses
- Police Scotland – for community safety and law and order
- Scottish Fire and Rescue Service – for volunteering opportunities and community safety
- Bute Advice Centre – for welfare, benefits and budgeting support
- Argyll and Bute Council Housing Service – for housing matters
- Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) – for housing matters
- Fyne Homes – for housing matters
- Department of Work and Pensions (Rothesay Jobcentre) – for benefits and employability
- Business Gateway and other employment support agencies – for employment and self-employment support
- Bank – for the provision of financial services
- Utility providers and Energy Advice Providers
- Argyll and Bute Council Finance Service – for budgeting
- UK Government, Home Office – overall responsibility of Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme
- UNHCR – for support with family links requests
All of the information we collect from you will be processed by staff in the United Kingdom. Your data will be stored on servers located in within the United Kingdom, the data will not be processed outside the European Union. We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your data is kept securely and more information on how we do this can be requested from the Data Protection Officer if required
The retention period for the data is:
Five years from your resettlement date after this period it will be destroyed under secure arrangements if it is no longer required for the lawful purpose(s) for which it was obtained. More information on our retention policy and procedure can be obtained from the Data Protection Officer if required.
Your Rights
When you provide information to the Council, you will have the following rights:
- to withdraw consent at any time, where the lawful basis specified above is consent
- to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office – see below for details
- to request access to your personal data – please contact the Data Protection Officer if you wish to submit a request.
- to data portability, where the Legal basis specified above is i) consent or ii) performance of a contract
- to request rectification or erasure of your personal data, as far as the legislation permits – please contact the Data Protection Officer and provide details of what data you wish to be rectified or erased.
You can find out more about your rights in relation to data protection here: www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/data-protection or from the Data Protection Officer by telephone or in writing, as detailed above.
Please note that we do not use automated decision making.
Please note that we will be unable to deliver all of the essential services included in the Refugee Resettlement Programme unless you confirm that you have read and understood this notice.