Homes for Ukraine scheme privacy notice for guests - Privacy notices

The council provides services for local communities and the people who live in them. Undertaking this work means that we must collect and use information about the people we provide services to and keep a record of those services. Because we collect and use personal information about individuals we must make sure that they know what we intend to do with their information and who it may be shared with.

This privacy notice covers the Homes for Ukraine scheme as enacted by the UK Government.

Purpose of the data processing

This scheme will support Ukrainian people with housing, education, health and integration into the community. As well as supporting the people who volunteer to sponsor Ukrainian people and their families.

It must be noted that during this time councils have to quickly change the way in which they are working to continue to provide you with the support and services you need. We will always follow advice and guidance from the UK Government when making any changes to the way in which we provide you with the support you need.

Information held about you

To enable Herefordshire Council to co-ordinate and deliver appropriate and suitable housing and accommodation offers provided by vetted sponsors, to visa-cleared applicants to the scheme fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, we will process the following information.

"Guest" or "guests" refers to an individual or household previously resident in Ukraine, before 1 January 2022, who have secured a visa under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, which enables them to be housed by a sponsor.

• Name
• Address
• Contact details including telephone number, email address
• Date of birth
• Visa / passport information
• Family members information, including any children
• Disability and health information
• Ethnicity
• Information relating to any safeguarding concerns
• Religion

We receive most of this information from you, but we may also get some of this data from:

• The Home Office (central government)
• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (central government)
• Other central government agencies
• Disclosure and Baring Service providers

All personal data held, is processed in accordance with data protection law. The data controller for the information outlined in this privacy notice is Herefordshire Council.

We will use the information you provide to:

• Facilitate the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme within Herefordshire
• Undertake assessments to establish what support we can put in place for you and your family, as well as assessing the sponsor household
• Keep a record of the support that we will be providing to you
• Undertake regular reviews to establish whether the programme is working for you, or whether we need to change anything to help you

This will include:

• Developing post arrival support plans involving organisations such as health and support services

We also use this information to assess the quality of our services and evaluate and improve our policies and procedures.

We may also use information in other ways compatible with the above.

We have legal grounds under the GDPR to process this information because it is necessary:

• For the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Controller (Immigration and Asylum Act 1999)
• To exercise a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown or a government department

We have legal grounds to process (including share) special category data and criminal convictions data because it is necessary:

• For the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Controller (Immigration and Asylum Act 1999)
• To exercise a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown or a government department

We may need to share your information with:

• The Home Office
• The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
• Other Herefordshire Council departments
• Other local authorities, including district councils
• Other central government agencies
• Charities and other voluntary organisations who may be able to provide services to you

Any information which is shared will only be shared on a need to know basis, with appropriate individuals. Only the minimum information for the purpose will be shared.

Your personal information may also be given to third parties contracted by the council to provide a service to the council. These service providers are known as data processors and have a legal obligation under GDPR and to the council to look after your personal information and only use it for providing that service.

Your personal information will be securely deleted and destroyed within two years from the closure of the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme, unless the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and/or the Home Office identifies that information should be securely deleted and destroyed before then.

If we need to use your information for research or reports, your information will be anonymised and any information taken from notes (handwritten or typed) during any consultation sessions will be securely destroyed. The information will continue to be used in a summarised and anonymised form in any research reports or papers that are published. The anonymised information in the papers may be of historic interest and may be held in public archives indefinitely.

Individuals have a number of rights under data protection law, including the right to request their information, please refer to our access to information page. You also have a right to make a complaint about our handling of your personal data to the Information Commissioner's Office.

Information you provide will only be used for the stated purpose. You can find further information about the processing of your data on our data protection page.

You can contact the council's data protection officer by emailing informationgovernance@herefordshire.gov.uk

Support for Ukraine page