Privacy Notice

Property Pool Plus - Privacy Notice

Find out about the Property Pool Plus Privacy Notice here.

 

Who Will Own My Data Once I Submit It?

The Local Authority for the area that you live in will own the data you submit to Property Pool Plus. For example, if you are a Knowsley Council resident, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council will own your data. If you are not resident in any of the PPP Scheme Council areas your data will be owned by the Scheme Council who you have selected to manage your housing application.

 

The Partner authorities for Property Pool Plus are: -

 

  • Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

  • Liverpool City Council

  • Wirral Council

  • Halton Borough Council

  • Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

 

Why Do You Need My Information?

 

Providing your information allows you to sign up to the Property Pool Plus Housing Register. Your information will be used to make sure that your application is dealt with properly and that your application is banded appropriately based on your needs.

 

What Personal Information do we Collect?

  • Name
  • Current Address
  • Address History
  • Gender
  • Date of Birth
  • National Insurance Number
  • Contact Details
  • Immigration Status
  • Household Details
  • Health and Social Care status (e.g. care experienced young people)
  • Disability
  • Financial resources
  • Economic status
  • Unspent criminal convictions
  • Tenancy history
  • Ethnic origin; 
  • Religion 
  • Sexual orientation. 

 

What is my personal information used for?

Your personal information is used for the following reasons:

  • To authenticate and verify your identity
  • To establish eligibility and qualification for the PPP scheme
  • To assess your level of housing need under the PPP priority banding system
  • To provide appropriate accommodation and services based on your needs.
  • For equality monitoring purposes.

 

What is the Lawful Basis Which Allows You To Use My Information?

We collect and use your information:

  • where it is necessary for the performance of a contract you have with us (Art. 6(1)(b) of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)); or
  • is otherwise necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of our official authority (Art. 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR); or
  • it is otherwise required by law (Art. 6(1)(c) of the UK GDPR).

We use special categories of personal data:

  • for reasons of substantial public interest based on the council's functions to help assist vulnerable citizens maintain independence and to help address safety needs, and also to ensure equality of opportunity (Art 9(2)(g) of the UK GDPR);
  • where it is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims (Art 9(2)(f) of the UK GDPR).

We also process special category data where it is necessary for archiving, research, or statistical purposes (Art. 9(2)(j) UK GDPR).

 

Where has the personal information come from?

Most personal data we hold will have been provided to us directly from you.  There are occasions where personal data is collected about you in other ways.

This includes:

  • when partner agencies share information with us to provide a joined-up service to you
  • when we request information from partner agencies to help us assess your application for rehousing.

 

Who Will My Information Be Shared With?

The Partners to Property Pool Plus are bound by the Housing Act and other legislation to provide specific services to applicants, both within their area and from other parts of the country. This legislation allows the Partners to share relevant information to ensure that applicants are appropriately housed.

Your information will be stored on a system that can be accessed by all Partners to the Property Pool Plus scheme. This includes the five Local Authorities listed above and all Registered Provider Landlords who are partners to the scheme.  Your information may also be shared with non-partner Registered Providers with whom the Local Authority has a Nominations Agreement to nominate suitable tenants for properties becoming vacant.

Your information will not be accessed by anyone unless they have a genuine “need to know” basis to do so. This means, unless you have applied for a property, changed your circumstances, contacted a partner agency about progressing an application in any way, or you have been nominated for a suitable property for which the Local Authority has Nomination Rights, your data will not be accessed.

Your data will be shared in accordance with the Cabinet Office's National Fraud Initiative. This requires the local authorities participating in Property Pool Plus to provide social housing data (current tenants and individuals on a housing waiting list) to the Minister for the Cabinet Office for matching. The use of data for this data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority under part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under Data Protection legislation.

Data matching by the Cabinet Office is subject to the  Code of Data Matching Practice for the National Fraud Initiative.

You can view further information on the Cabinet Office's legal powers and the reasons why it matches particular information.

 

Do I Have To Provide This Information, And What Will Happen If I Don’t?

 

Submitting your information to the Property Pool Plus scheme allows to be added to the Housing Register and bid on properties. Without signing up to this scheme and providing necessary information, you will be unable to be considered for the properties advertised.

 

How Long Will You Keep This Data For And Why?

 

Your data will be kept for a minimum of six years from closure of your application. It will be needed should there be any claims or audits after your application is closed.

 

How Will My Information Be Stored?

 

Your information will be stored on the web based Civica system and held on their secure server.

 

Will This Information Be Used To Take Automated Decisions About Me?

Yes

Some automated decisions may be made using your information; however these are reviewed by an Officer before being finalised. For example: - The number of named applicants registered to your household address will be used to assess whether you are overcrowded at your current property or whether you could be considered to be under-occupying.

This decision is taken in line with the partners’ responsibilities under the Welfare Reform Act2012 to stop homes from being overcrowded.

 

Will My Data Be Transferred Abroad and Why?

 

No

 

What Rights Do I Have When It Comes To My Data?

 

You have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation with regard to your persaonal data:

  • The right to subject access – you have the right to see a copy of the personal data that the council holds about you and find out what it is used for
  • The right to rectification – you have the right to ask the council to correct or remove any inaccurate data that we hold about you
  • The right to erasure (right to be forgotten) you have the right to ask the council to remove data that we hold about you, although in certain circumstances this can be refused
  • The right to restriction – you have the right to ask for your information to be restricted(locked down) on council systems
  • The right to data portability – you have the right to ask for your data to be transferred back to you or to a new provider at your request.
  • The right to object – you have the right to ask the council to stop using your personal data or to stop sending you marketing information, or complain about how your data is used
  • The right to prevent automated decision making – you have the right to ask the council to stop using your data to make automated decisions about you or to stop profiling your behaviour (where applicable)

To find out more about your rights under the GDPR, please visit the Information Commissioner’s Office Guide to the GDPR Individual Rights .

Recording Registered Provider Management Lets through PPP

Some of the Registered Provider Landlords (RPs) record their Management Lets through the PPP system. A Management Let is where a property is allocated by an RP, but this is outside the PPP Allocations Policy rules. In other words, an RP selects a suitable tenant independently of PPP.

Why are Management Lets Recorded in the PPP System?

Even if a property is let outside the standard Choice-Based Lettings (CBL) bidding queue (e.g., emergency rehousing, direct transfers, supported housing, or urgent safety moves):

  • Statutory Monitoring and Nomination Rights - Local authorities (Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, Wirral, and Halton) are legally required to track overall social housing allocations across the sub-region
  • Central Register Accuracy - Recording the information ensures active applications on the register are updated or closed, preventing duplicate housing offers
  • National Reporting and Fraud Prevention - Data is matched with national databases (e.g., the Cabinet Office’s National Fraud Initiative) under statutory powers to prevent housing fraud

Privacy and Data Protection Framework

  • Data Controllers - The local authority for the area where the application occurs, along with the participating Registered Provider dealing with the application
  • Legal Basis for Processing - Public Task (Article 6(1)(e))/ Legal Obligation (Article 6(1)(c)) - (under Part VI of the Housing Act 1996 and local authority statutory duties) and Contractual Necessity (entering into a tenancy agreement)
  • Access Controls - Registered providers and local authority staff are only permitted to access applicant data relevant to active lettings, nominations, or application updates, on a ‘need-to-know@ basis
  • Retention Period - Data recorded in the system is kept in accordance with retention policies following the closure of an application or tenancy entry for audit and legal compliance
  • System Security - Information is stored on the secure web-based central Civica database and is not transferred outside the UK/ EEA without appropriate safeguards

Key Rights of the Applicant/ Tenant

  • Under UK GDPR and the PPP Privacy Policy, individuals whose details are processed in the system for management lets retain the right to:
  • Access (Subject Access Request) - Request copies of the personal data held about them within the PPP database
  • Rectification - Request correction of inaccurate personal or housing-need information
  • Lodge a Complaint - Raise concerns with the relevant Local Authority Data Protection Officer or the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

 

Where can I find more Information about how my data is used?

For more information about how the participating Council’s in Property Pool Plus use your personal data and how we comply with the General Data Protection Regulation please see the individual Council's Privacy Notice:

Halton Council Privacy Notice

Knowsley Council Privacy Notice

Liverpool City Council Privacy Notice

Sefton Council Privacy Notice

Wirral Council Privacy Notice

To request a copy of your data or to ask questions about how it is used please contact the Local Authority area where you currently live using the contact details below. If you are registered on Property Pool Plus but live outside the five Local Authority areas you can contact the five Local Authority who manages your application.

 

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

Data Protection Officer

Knowsley Council

Westmorland Road

Huyton

L36 9GL

data.protection.officer@knowsley.gov.uk

 

Liverpool City Council

Divisional Manager

Cunard Building

Liverpool

L3 1AH

dpo@liverpool.gov.uk

 

Wirral Council

Records and Information Manager

PO Box 192

Brighton Street

Wallasey

CH27 9FQ

informationmanager@wirral.gov.uk

 

Halton Borough Council

Divisional Manager - Service Improvement and Governance

Municipal Building

Kingsway

Widnes

WA8 7QF

informationgovernanceservice@halton.gov.uk

 

Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

Information Management and Governance Lead (Data Protection Officer

Commissioning Support & Business Intelligence)

Magdalen House,

Trinity Road,

Bootle

L20 3NJ

ino.information@sefton.gov.uk

 

Who Can I Complain To If I Am Unhappy About How My Data Is Used?

 

You can complain directly to the Local Authority’s Data Protection Team by writing to one of the contacts above in the Local Authority area where you currently live. If you are registered on Property Pool Plus but live outside the five Local Authority areas you can contact any of the five Local Authorities.

 

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office using the following details: -

The Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45

Website: www.ico.org.uk