Privacy and Cookie Policy
Disclaimer
Calderdale Citizens Advice has tried to ensure that the information on this website is accurate. However, Calderdale Citizens Advice will not accept liability for any loss, damage or inconvenience arising as a consequence of any use of or the inability to use any information on this website.Calderdale Citizens Advice endeavours to provide a service of the highest quality. However, we cannot guarantee that our service will be uninterrupted or error-free. We are not responsible for claims brought by third parties arising from your use of this website.
Calderdale Citizens Advice assumes no responsibility for the contents of linked websites. The inclusion of any link should not be taken as endorsement of any kind by Calderdale Citizens Advice, of the linked website or any association with its operators. Further, we have no control over the availability of the linked pages.
Copyright
Material on this website, including text and images, is protected by copyright. It may not be copied, reproduced, republished, downloaded, posted, broadcast or transmitted in any way except for your own personal, non-commercial use. Prior written consent of the copyright holder must be obtained for any other use of material. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with Calderdale Citizens Advice and other copyright owner(s) as specified. No part of this site may be distributed or copied for any commercial purpose.
Privacy Policy
We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under Z5401054 and will process your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Act 2018.
Summary
At Citizens Advice Calderdale we collect and use your personal information to help solve your problems, improve our services and tackle wider issues in society that affect people’s lives.
We only ask for the information we need.
We always let you decide what you are comfortable telling us, explain why we need it and treat it as confidential.
When we record and use your personal information we:
- only access it when we have a good reason
- only share what is necessary and relevant
- don’t sell it to anyone
If you have given your personal information to another Citizens Advice office or the national Citizens Advice, you may want to check their privacy policy too as there may be extra information about how your data is stored or shared.
Exceptions
At times we might use or share your information without your permission. If we do, we will always make sure there is a legal basis for it. This could include situations where we have to use or share your information:
Legal Obligation – To comply with the law – for example, if a court orders us to share information.
Vital Interests – To protect someone’s life – for example, sharing information with a paramedic if a client was unwell at our office.
Legitimate Interests – To carry out our legitimate aims and goals as a charity – for example, to create statistics for our national research.
Public Task – To carry out a task where we are meeting the aims of a public body in the public interest – for example, delivering a government or local authority service. Contract – To carry out a contract we have with you – for example, if you are an employee we might need to store your bank details so we can pay you.
Defence of legal rights – for example, sharing information with our legal advisors if there was a complaint that we gave the wrong advice.
Legal basis
We handle and store your personal information in line with the law – including the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.
This page covers how we, as your local charity, handle your information locally in our offices.
How Citizens Advice Calderdale collect your data
We will obtain your permission to collect your data by asking you to either:
- Sign a paper consent form
- Tick a box online
- Provide agreement over the phone if you call our Telephone Advice Line.
- Read and agree to the consent information provided within our email advice.
Where contact is made by e-mail
When you contact us by e-mail, we store the initial copy of your e-mail and subsequent replies in our local e-mail system.
Copies of these mails are retained for a period of one month, so that if you contact us again we can refer back to the correspondence. After one month, all your e mails and associated replies are deleted
What information Citizens Advice Calderdale ask for
We’ll only ask for information that’s relevant to your problem. Depending on what you want help with, this might include:
- your name and contact details – so we can keep in touch with you about your case
- personal information – for example about family, work, or financial circumstances
- details about services you get that are causing you problems – like energy or post
- details of items or services you’ve bought, and traders you’ve dealt with
- information like your gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation
If you don’t want to give us certain information, you don’t have to. For example, if you want to stay anonymous we’ll only record information about your problem and make sure you’re not identified.
How Citizens Advice Calderdale use your information
The main reason we ask for your information is to help solve your problem. We only access your information for other reasons if we really need to – for example:
- for training and quality purposes
- to investigate complaints
- to get feedback from you about our services
- to help us improve our services
All advisers and staff accessing data have had data protection training to make sure your information is handled sensitively and securely.
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 such as Department of Work and Pensions.
Organisations we share your data with must store and use your data in line with data protection law.
Understanding people’s problems
We use some information to create statistics about who we’re helping and what problems are the most common. This information is always anonymised – you can’t be identified.
We share these with funders, regulators, government departments and publicly on our blogs, reports, social media and press releases.
The statistics also inform our policy research, campaigns, or media work.
How Citizens Advice Calderdale store your information
Whether you get advice face to face, over the phone or by e-mail, our adviser will log all your information, correspondence and notes about your problem into our secure case management systems.
Some of your information might also be kept within our secure e-mail and IT systems.
All paperwork relating to your case will be stored in a locked filing cabinet and destroyed securely after the relevant retention period.
We keep your information for 6 years and then it is deleted unless your case has been subject to a serious complaint, insurance claim or other dispute. In such circumstances, the data will be held for 16 years, after which time it will be deleted.
Our case management systems are hosted within the European Economic Area and wherever possible the UK.
How Citizens Advice Calderdale share your information
We will always tell you when we share your information. For example if we contact your creditors about your debts, we might need to share your name, address and financial details with them.
If we refer you to another organisation for more advice, we might share information about your problem with them so they can help you more quickly. We will always ask for your permission to do this.
Organisations we share your data with must store and use your data in line with data protection law.
With your permission, we’ll share your contact details with our trusted research partner so they can contact you for feedback on your experience with us. We use different research partners depending on how you accessed our services.
| Where you got advice | Research partner |
| a local Citizens Advice | Maru/edr |
Contact us about your information
If you have any questions about how your information is collected, used and stored you can contact our office on telephone 0300 330 9048.
Monday to Friday: 09:30 – 13:00 hours and additionally between 16:00 and 17:30 hours on a Tuesday afternoon.
You can contact us to:
- find out what personal information we hold about you
- correct your information if it is 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 or stop using your information
- ask us to give you a copy of the data we hold in a format you can use to transfer it to another service to change or update your details
Who is responsible for looking after your personal information?
The national Citizens Advice charity and Citizens Advice Calderdale operate a system called Casebook to keep your personal information safe. This means they are a ‘joint data controller’ for all your personal information that is stored in our Casebook system.
Citizens Advice Calderdale 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.
You can find out more about your data rights at: Information Commissioner’s website
If you want to make a complaint
If you’re not happy with how we’ve handled your data, you can make a complaint.
Privacy Policy: Using our website
When you use our website, we collect your information in a number of ways.
We use data called “cookies” to obtain information about how you are using our website. For example, the pages you are clicking on and the type of device you are using.
Further information can be found in our Privacy and Cookies Policy accessible at the footer of every page.
If you use e-mail to contact us you can find out more about how we use and store this information in our Privacy and Cookies Policy accessible at the footer of every page.
Storage of your information
We store your information securely on our internal systems and further details can be found within our Privacy and Cookies Policy accessible at the footer of every page.
Contact us about your data
You may contact us at any time and ask us:
- What information we have stored about you
- To change or update your details
- To delete your details from our records
Please contact us on e-mail using the website to access this facility or alternatively by telephone on 0330 333 9048.
Privacy Policy: Applying for a Job
If you apply to work or volunteer at Citizens Advice Calderdale, we will collect your personal information through your application form, interview or references so that we can process your application.
If you are offered a role, where applicable, we may ask you to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) form as part of mandatory background checks. A DBS form does request personal information and forms are stored and processed confidentially by Citizens Advice Calderdale and DBS. More information about DBS checks and processes can be found on the GOV.UK website.
Other than the DBS, we do not share your personal information with external organisations. It is shared internally so your application can be reviewed.
The information we request
We only ask for information which is relevant to the role you are applying for.
We will collect personal details such as name, address, telephone number and e-mail address, previous job history, experience, qualifications and information about any support needs that you may have.
We will also ask for diversity information like your gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
You do not have to provide this information. Where you do provide the information, it is always anonymised.
We may collect other information depending on whether you have applied for a staff or volunteer role.
Application for a staff role
If we offer you a position, we will ask for:
- References in relation to your previous and current work
- Proof of your right to work in the UK such as a valid UK Passport or Visa
- Your national insurance number and P45.
- Your bank account details so that we can pay your salary.
Some roles require a DBS check and in such circumstances we might contact the Disclosure Barring Service for a criminal record check. Once the DBS is complete and you have received your certificate, we would expect you to share this information with us as part of the background check process.
This information would include your name, date of birth, place of birth, gender, position applied for and anything else disclosed on your DBS check.
Application for a volunteer role
If we offer you a volunteering position, we will ask your referees about your previous and current work and experience.
We might contact the DBS for a criminal record check depending upon the role to be undertaken.
Once the DBS check is completed and you have received your certificate, we would expect you to share this information with us as part of the background check process.
This information would include your name, date of birth, place of birth, gender, position applied for and anything else disclosed on your DBS check.
How the information is used
We will use the information you provide to decide whether or not you have the right skills for the role.
We will use the demographic information to make sure that we are employing a diverse workforce and volunteer community.
Staff members who access your information have had Information Assurance training to make sure that your information is handled sensitively and securely.
Storing your information
We keep your information securely on our internal systems and destroy records in line with our data retention policy.
Contact us about your data
You may contact us at any time and ask us:
- What information we have stored about you
- To change or update your details
- To delete your details from our records
Please contact us on e-mail using the website to access this facility or alternatively by telephone on 0300 330 9048.
Cookie Policy
Any information that we collect through the use cookies is completely anonymous and not personally identifiable. Our systems will not store your name, address, telephone number, or email address unless volunteered to us by you. This shall be treated as proprietary and confidential; we do not sell or share your details with any third parties. Additionally, none of the cookies we use gather any information that can be used to advertise services or products to you from our or any other website.
The Law
The EU Cookie Law (The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2011) is a new piece of privacy legislation that requires visitors to give consent before allowing a website to store or retrieve any information from any device through the use of cookies. By educating visitors on how information about them is collected through the use of cookies, and allowing them to decide for themselves if they wish to allow it to take place, the aim is to protect online privacy for everyone.
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files, downloaded to your computer by the browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox etc.) whenever you access a website. They enable websites to store such information as user preferences and login details. They may also be used to record how long you spend browsing each page on a site or what pages you visit most. Cookies can be thought of as providing a “memory” for the website, enabling it to recognise you and respond appropriately. Generally, cookies are most beneficial to you, the visitor, making your interaction with frequently-visited sites smoother and easier than they would be without them.
How This Website Uses Cookies
Website Statistics
We use Google Analytics, a third party service which creates its own set of cookies for the purpose of compiling a number of statistical reports. The information gathered is completely anonymous and is used to assess a wide variety of website activities, including how our site is navigated and what pages are most popular. If you would prefer that Google did not track about your browsing habits, you can install a browser add-on to opt-out.
Finding our Offices
We use Google Maps on our Contact Us page to provide detailed information on how best to visit our offices. Google set a cookie that allows them to remember which browser you are using and what preferences you have set when you view maps. We use Google Maps tools on the basis that Google adheres to its privacy policy and its terms of service.
Social Media
We may also use a number of third party, social media plug-ins including but not limited to Google’s ‘+1′ button, Facebook’s ‘Like Box’, Twitter’s ‘Follow Button’ and LinkedIn’s ‘Share’ and ‘Follow’ buttons. We use these services for the convenience of our visitors, allowing them to access up to the minute information as well as recommend our services to others. To learn more about each organisations’ privacy policies, please visit the links provided below:
How to Disable Cookies?
By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of cookies as described above. However you can still disable cookies at a browser level if you wish. You may experience reduced functionality if you choose to do so. The settings that decide how your browser handles cookies will typically be found in the ‘Options’ or ‘Preferences’ menu of your browser. In order to understand these settings, the following links may be helpful; otherwise you should use the ‘Help’ option in your browser for more details.