At CABR, 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.

This privacy policy explains how we use your information and what your rights are. We handle and store your personal information in line with data protection law and our confidentiality policy. The following pages tell you more about how we use your information in more detail.

Our network

Citizens Advice is a membership organisation made up of the national Citizens Advice charity and many local offices across England and Wales, including CABR. CABR is an independent charity and a member of the national Citizens Advice charity.

All members of the Citizens Advice network are responsible for keeping your personal information safe and making sure data protection law is followed.

Members of the network also run some jointly designed services and use some of the same systems to process your personal data. In these instances we are joint data controllers for these activities.

Jointly controlled data

All offices in the Citizens Advice network use some joint systems to carry out our activities. These include joint case management systems, telephony platforms and more.

Staff from a different local Citizens Advice can only access your personal information in a joint system if they have a good reason. For example when:

• you go to a different office to seek advice
• more than one office is working together in partnership
• they need to investigate a complaint or incident

We have rules and controls in place to stop people accessing or using your information when they shouldn’t.

Tell an adviser if you’re worried about your details being on a national system. We’ll work with you to take extra steps to protect your information – for example by recording your problem without using your name.

National Citizens Advice has a privacy notice available on their website that covers general advice and nationally managed systems, including our case management systems. This policy covers the processing we carry out in our office.

How we use your data for advice

This section covers how we use your data to provide you with advice.

For general advice and nationally funded advice programmes please see the national Citizens Advice privacy notice.

How we collect your information

We collect information from you, either directly during the interview process, or via documentation you have submitted. We may also gather data from third parties, where you have given us permission to contact them, or they have been given permission by you to contact us.

What information we collect

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.

What we use your information for

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
• to prevent fraud

All advisers and staff accessing data have had data protection training to make sure your information is handled sensitively and securely.

Our confidentiality policy

At Citizens Advice we have a confidentiality policy which states that anything you tell us as part of advice will not be shared outside of the Citizens Advice network unless you provide your permission for us to do so.

There are some exceptions to this such as needing to share:

• to prevent an immediate risk of harm to an individual
• In select circumstances if it is in the best interests of the client
• where we are compelled to do so by law (e.g. a court order or meeting statutory disclosures)
• where there is an overriding public interest such as to prevent harm against someone or to investigate a crime
• to defend against a complaint or legal claim
• to protect our name and reputation for example to provide our side of a story reported in the press

Who we share your information with

We only share data with organisations where you have given us permission such as the DWP in a benefits issue or the local Council for a Council tax matter. Where a contract requires us to share information, such as the Household Support Fund, this will be made clear at the outset of the process so you can choose to withdraw from that support.

Our lawful basis for using your information

When processing your data we mainly rely on the principle of legitimate interest.  UK GDPR Article 6(f).

There are some areas where legal obligation, article 6(c), will apply, such as obligations around the Equality Act 2010 or in the processing of rights requests you may make.

In matters of safeguarding we rely on the principle of Public Task, Article 6(e), and where life may be at risk we reply on the principle of Vital Interests, Article 6(d).

In relation to criminal activity and some special category data we rely on the principles of Establishment, Exercise or Defence of Legal Claims, Article 9(2)(f); and Substantial Public Interest (Statutory), Article 9(2)(g).

How we use your data for research, feedback and statistics

This section covers how we use your data to carry out our research, feedback and statistical work.

National Citizens Advice covers their use of data for this purpose in their privacy notice.

How we collect your information

We collect information from you, either directly during the interview process, or via documentation you have submitted. We may also gather data from third parties, where you have given us permission to contact them, or they have been given permission by you to contact us. Data may also be provided by yourself in a follow up request after the advice has been provided.

What information we collect

In addition to the data provided to allow us to support you with your query, we may also seek data and information on whether our support helped you solve your issue, along with information about what it was like to use our service.

What we use your information for

Such information is used to evidence the work we do for our funders and for the service to monitor where there may be room for improvements in its service delivery.

Who we share your information with

Funders receive anonymised data relating to the volume and nature of issues dealt with. We may include fully anonymised case studies as part of this.

Internally, anonymised data is shared with the management team and the Trustee Board to enable services to be analysed and improvements identified.

Our lawful basis for using your information

For this work, we rely on the principles of Legitimate Interests, Article 6(f); and Archiving, Research and Statistics, Article 9(2)(j).

How we use your data when applying to work or volunteer

How we collect your information

Data will be collected from your application form, your interview, your references and induction paperwork.

What information we collect

Data will include previous experiences, reasons for applying, interview answers, criminal records information and proof of your right to work in the UK. There will also be an opportunity to provide equalities data and information on any health conditions you may have.

What we use your information for

Data is used to determine suitability for the applied for role and to ensure appropriate support is available, should it be needed.  Data is also used to monitor our processes to see if they can be improved.

Who we share your information with

Data is not shared externally, other than high level anonymised data (number of volunteer recruited). Internally health data is only shared on the basis of consent.

Our lawful basis for using your information

When processing your data we mainly rely on the principle of legitimate interest.  UK GDPR Article 6(f).

There are some areas where legal obligation, article 6(c), will apply, such as obligations around the Equality Act 2010.

How we use your data when using our website

What information we collect

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 we collect your information

You will enter the information directly so you remain in control of what we receive. Cookies are collected automatically, but only if you give consent for this to happen..

What we use your information for

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
• to prevent fraud

All advisers and staff accessing data have had data protection training to make sure your information is handled sensitively and securely.

Who we share your information with

We only share data with organisations where you have given us permission such as the DWP in a benefits issue or the local Council for a Council tax matter. Where a contract requires us to share information, such as the Household Support Fund, this will be made clear at the outset of the process so you can choose to withdraw from that support.

Our lawful basis for using your information

When processing your data we mainly rely on the principle of legitimate interest.  UK GDPR Article 6(f).

There are some areas where legal obligation, article 6(c), will apply, such as obligations around the Equality Act 2010 or in the processing of rights requests you may make.

In matters of safeguarding we rely on the principle of Public Task, Article 6(e), and where life may be at risk we reply on the principle of Vital Interests, Article 6(d).

In relation to criminal activity and some special category data we rely on the principles of Establishment, Exercise or Defence of Legal Claims, Article 9(2)(f); and Substantial Public Interest (Statutory), Article 9(2)(g).

How we use cookies on our website

Our website is designed to collect cookies but only if you give permission for it to do so.

How long we keep your data for

National Citizens Advice is responsible for managing any data in joint client case records. For more information please see their privacy notice.