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Ashfield Homes Privacy Policy

Who we are

Ashfield Homes is a wholly owned, not for profit, housing company.

Go to our About Us pages Find out more about us
Go to our Contact Us pages Contact us

How we use your information

This privacy notice tells you what to expect when Ashfield Homes collects personal information. It applies to information we collect about:

• Visitors to our website
• Website services
• People who use our services
• Job applicants

It also provides information about:

• Sharing of your information
• Keeping your information secure
• Access to your information
• How to complain
• Finding out more

Visitors to our website

When someone visits this website, we collect information about the numbers of visitors and visitor behaviour patterns to the site which helps us provide a website that is relevant and up-to-date. We collect this information through Google Analytics, in a way that does not identify individuals. Also, we do not combine any data gathered from our website with any other source in order to identify individual people.

Go to Google Analytics Opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites

Website services

Some particular functions provided through our website are delivered by third parties. The Open Ashfield functionality is provided by Capita Software Services and on-line reporting of repairs and defects by M3H. All personal data provided or submitted through these functions is held solely and securely by Ashfield Homes.

For Ashfield District Council tenants, the on-line payment of rent is made directly through the Ashfield District Council website, which this website links to.

Go to the Capita website Capita Software Services

Ashfield District Council

M3H

Use of cookies

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer by websites that you visit. They are widely used to make websites work, operate more efficiently as well as provide information to the owners of the site.

You can control how cookies are used through the settings on your internet web browser. Please be aware that changing these settings can prevent some website services from functioning as you would expect and you should read the help files provided by your web browser before deciding if you wish to make any changes.

From the 25 May 2011 all websites must comply with new rules concerning the use of cookies. Below is a table of all the cookies used by our website:

Cookie	Description of cookie and its use	Further information
ColdFusion session identification	This cookie only exists until your browser window is closed. After this, the cookie is removed and when you return to our website a new one is issued for that connection only. A session is needed to hold temporary data while you are browsing the site – for example when storing the job application form information. No personal data is stored through the use of this cookie.
Poll Cookie	When you complete an on-line poll or survey, a cookie is stored on your pc/device. This simply records which survey or polls you have taken part in so as not to duplicate responses. It does not contain any personal information. Users who wish to answer our surveys or polls, but do not wish to do so under the terms above can email their responses to our head office via: ahlmail@ashfieldhomes.co.uk
On-line job application	If you fill out an online application form and select to ‘save’ your progress, a cookie is stored on your pc/device which lasts until the job vacancy deadline. This stores the application form identification number so that the system can retrieve your data when you return to the site to complete the application. The cookie does not contain any personal information. You can chose not to click the save button and complete the application in one visit. However, it should be stressed that the form requests many entries and should you fail to complete the form in one session, the application identification number will not be saved and you would have to complete the application from again from the beginning. As an alternative, you can download a copy of the application form this website and submit this to us via email: ahlmail@ashfieldhomes.co.uk or by post. A hardcopy form can also be obtained by contacting our head office.
Google Analytics cookies, which are named: _utma _utmb _utmc _utmz	These cookies are used to collect information about how visitors use our site. We use the information to compile reports and to help us improve the site. The cookies collect information including the number of visitors to the site, where visitors have come to the site from and the pages they visited. Although this service does not collect any information that could be used to identify individuals, it does use cookies. At the time of writing it is not clear whether websites using this service will have to seek their users’ permission. To prevent information about your visit to the Ashfield Homes website visit being sent to Google Analytics you can use a browser add-on: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. (Note - this add-on is not available for all browser versions).	See google analytics privacy policy:
Open Ashfield	The cookie used by this service only exists until your browser window is closed. After this, the cookie is removed and when you return to the website a new one is issued for that connection only. No personal data is stored through the use of this cookie.	See Capita privacy policy:
Reporting repairs/defects through the diagnostic tool supplied by M3H	To allow users to follow up on previous repair requests, M3Housecall provides a quick way of sending reminders or further information about a previously reported repair problem. This feature uses cookies which save the last 9 repair report reference numbers, allowing M3Housecall to look them up when you return to the website. This feature is optional and can be turned on or off as you wish. You also have control over whether it stores the information as the system only creates these cookies if you have previously allowed M3Housecall to save personal details.	See M3H Privacy Policy
Repairs reporting (via M3H) – personal details form	The personal information cookie fills in the personal details form automatically and is only saved if you explicitly grant permission.	See M3H Privacy Policy

People who use our services

As Ashfield Homes we provide a wide range of services to our customers, through our website, our offices, property shops and call centers.

We must hold the details of people who have requested our services in order to provide them. However, we will only use this information for providing the services requested and for other closely related purposes. For example, if you report an incident of anti-social behaviour to us, we may use this information to carry out a survey afterwards to see if you are satisfied with the service provided.

We provide publications to our customers, such as the Tenants Magazine, which is posted out to all Ashfield District Council tenants. We use a third party to distribute this and some other publication requests, but they are only allowed to use the information to send out the publications.

The application forms that we provide both on-line and on paper clearly indicate if information requested is mandatory or voluntary. If you do not supply information that is mandatory we will be unable to provide you with the service requested. If you choose to provide voluntary information, it may help us provide a service to you more efficiently or effectively. For example, providing us with your post code may result in a reply letter reaching you sooner.

We may ask our customers for personal details about potentially sensitive information, including ethnic origin, disability, sexuality and religious beliefs. This information is gathered primarily for monitoring purposes, to ensure that we do not discriminate against any groups of people that are protected in law by the Equality Act 2010. It may also be used to help tailor the services we deliver to better meet the needs of services users. For example, offering a suitably adapted property for a disabled person. The data collected in this way is not published in any way that allows for any individuals to be identified.

Job applicants

When individuals apply to work at Ashfield Homes, we will only use the information they supply to us to process their application and to monitor recruitment statistics. Where we want to disclose information to a third party, for example where we want to take up a reference or obtain a ‘disclosure’ from the Criminal Records Bureau we will not do so without informing them beforehand unless the disclosure is required by law.

Personal information about unsuccessful candidates will be held for 6 months after the recruitment exercise has been completed, it will then be destroyed or deleted. We retain statistical information about applicants to help inform our recruitment activities, but no individuals are identifiable from that data.

Once a person has taken up employment with the Ashfield Homes, we will compile a file relating to their employment. The information contained in this will be kept secure and will only be used for purposes directly relevant to that person’s employment. Once their employment with Ashfield Homes has ended, we will retain the file in accordance with the requirements of our retention schedule and then delete it.

Sharing your information

In many situations we will not disclose personal information without consent. However, there are some exceptions:

In order to provide services to you, we will sometimes have to share information with other organisations. For example, with our construction partner Frank Haslam Milan for the purpose of carrying out improvement works to the Council’s homes. However, only the personal data that is necessary for the fulfillment of this contract is disclosed. Data such as names, addresses and contact details have to be provided in order for the work to be carried out.

If you make a complaint to us about a third party providing services on our behalf then we will have to discuss the details of the complaint with them in order to provide a full and informed response.

We are also under a duty to provide personal data to other organisations, such as the police, under certain circumstances, especially in relation to prevention and detection of crime or fraud.

Keeping your information secure

Ashfield Homes takes care to ensure that your data is kept secure, through:

• application of firewall and other IT security measures to protect data
• a policy covering the secure transfer of data outside the Company.
• agreements with other organisations for sharing information.
• regular review of data to ensure that it is accurate and up-to-date
• encryption of portable devices such as laptops and USB sticks.

Your rights to access your information

You can request access to the personal information we hold about you. To do so please contact our Head Office in writing. If we hold information about you we will:

• Give you a description of it
• Tell you why we are holding it
• Tell you who it could be disclosed to
• Let you have a copy of the information