Welfare Services - Privacy Notice
Who we are
Slough Borough Council (“the Council”) is the data controller for information we process to deliver the Appointee and Deputyship Service.
Address:
25 Observatory House
Windsor Road
Slough
SL1 2EL.
Email: Data Protection Officer (DPO): DataProtectionOfficer@slough.gov.uk
What this notice covers
This notice explains what personal information we collect, why we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and your rights.
What information we collect and use
- Names and titles, date of birth, addresses and postcodes, email and phone numbers, National Insurance number, nationality and time in the UK.
- Financial details (e.g., income, benefits, bank/account details required for assessment or payment).
- Housing/tenancy details (rent charged, property type, landlord details), household composition (names, ages, relationships).
- Special category data (where relevant): disability/health information needed to assess eligibility or provide support; other sensitive details you provide as evidence.
- Offence/fraud information (where relevant): information used to prevent and detect fraud or other unlawful acts.
How we get your information
- Directly from you: online forms, uploaded or paper evidence, email, telephone, or face-to-face.
- From someone acting for you: with your knowledge/authority (e.g., representative or support worker).
- From other sources when necessary and proportionate to assess eligibility or deliver support, including: Housing Benefit/Council Tax systems, Council Tax, Adult Social Care, Slough Children First, Housing services, other councils, fraud teams, police (where applicable), and other support agencies.
Why we use your information (purposes)
- Assess eligibility, make decisions, and provide Welfare Services to Slough residents experiencing crisis, emergency, disaster or financial difficulty.
- Support related applications (e.g., disabled facilities grants; discretionary housing payments; residential/domiciliary care; food and other support programmes).
- Help identify and support people at risk of homelessness.
- Prevent and detect fraud and protect public funds.
- Monitor and improve the service (including auditing and reporting).
Lawful bases for using your information
Under the UK GDPR we rely on:
- Article 6(1)(e) public task – to perform our functions and deliver Welfare Services.
- Article 6(1)(c) legal obligation – where a specific law requires processing (e.g., fraud prevention, record-keeping).
- Article 6(1)(d) vital interests – in emergencies to protect life.
For special category data (e.g. health/disability):
- Article 9(2)(g) substantial public interest, with DPA 2018 Schedule 1 conditions including (as applicable):
- para 6: statutory and government purposes;
- para 10/11: preventing/detecting unlawful acts / protecting the public against dishonesty;
- para 16: support for individuals with a particular disability or medical condition;
- para 18: safeguarding of children and individuals at risk.
- where appropriate, Article 9(2)(b) social security and social protection may also apply.
For criminal offence data (where processed):
- processed under DPA 2018 s.10 and the relevant Schedule 1 conditions (e.g., para 10/11 as above).
We only rely on consent for optional activities (not for core deputyship/appointeeship functions). If we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
Who has access to your information
Access is limited to staff who need it to carry out their duties, including the Appointee and Deputyship Service and relevant Adult Social Care teams.
Who we share your information with (where necessary)
- Government bodies: Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue & Customs.
- Local partners: other councils, Adult Social Care, Slough Children First, Housing services, fraud teams.
- Law enforcement: Thames Valley Police (where legally justified).
- Delivery partners and suppliers: money and Pensions Service, Immigration and Refugee Services, organisations providing goods/services under the Welfare Scheme, auditors, and our IT/software providers (who may access data incidentally for technical support).
We will also disclose information where the law requires it, to prevent/detect crime or fraud, or to protect someone’s vital interests.
International transfers
We do not routinely transfer Welfare Services data outside the UK. If a transfer is necessary (e.g., a supplier uses overseas support), we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (such as adequacy regulations or standard contractual clauses).
How long we keep your information
We keep your data only as long as necessary for the purposes above and in line with our records retention schedule. When it is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymise it. (If helpful, insert/link the specific retention period here.)
Automated decision-making
We do not make decisions about you based solely on automated processing that have legal or similarly significant effects. If that changes, we will tell you and explain your rights.
Your rights
You have rights to:
- access your data
- have inaccurate data corrected
- request erasure or restriction in certain circumstances
- restrict or object to processing (especially where we rely on public task)
- data portability (where applicable)
- complain to the ICO.
Some rights may be limited where we process data for our public tasks or for legal obligations.
How to exercise your rights
Email: DataProtectionOfficer@slough.gov.uk
You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.
Service adjustments
If you need service adjustments please email _debtandwelfare@slough.gov.uk.
Keeping your data secure
We use technical and organisational measures to protect your information and limit access to those who need it.
Updates to this notice
We may update this notice from time to time and will publish the latest version on our website.