How we use your data for advice
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 including how long
your information is kept for, please see the national Citizens Advice privacy
notice.
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How we collect your information
We collect your data for advice via the following methods:
When you visit our offices and complete a client registration form
When you telephone us seeking advice
When you contact us via our website using a contact form
When you contact us via WhatsApp
When you are referred to us by another organisation
When you get advice by any of the above methods, 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 email and IT systems.
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When you contact us via our website using a contact form
When you get in touch with us via our website using a contact form, your
enquiry is forwarded to a secure email address for the generalist advice team.
We then add a copy of your enquiry to our case management system and delete
the email. Your contact form enquiry also remains on our secure website server.
Enquiries are then deleted from the server at regular intervals.
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When you contact us via WhatsApp
We use the WhatsApp communication platform.
Any data sent through the WhatsApp platform is also processed and stored
securely by WhatsApp and their parent company, Meta. Messages on the device
the are sent or received from are deleted once dealt with.
WhatsApp messages use end-to-end encryption. Messages are deleted
automatically from the WhatsApp server after 30 days and only retained on the
device they are sent or received from until deletion.
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When you are referred to us by another organisation
We use a system called Refernet if we need to refer you to another organisation
or if another organisation refers you to us.
If you’re referred through Refernet, your information will be stored securely on
the Refernet system. We keep your information on Refernet for a year from the
date you’re referred. After a year, your information is deleted from the Refernet
system. However, personal data extracted from Refernet may be kept for longer
by any given partner organisation in accordance with data protection law.
We also accept referrals from other organisations by email. If you are referred to
us by email, a copy of the referral is added to our secure case management
system. We then delete the email once the referral has been dealt
with/completed.
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What information we collect
We’ll only ask for information that’s relevant. 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, or if you’re vulnerable or at risk of harm
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.
To find out more about what information we collect, please see our national
Citizens Advice privacy notice.
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What we use your information for
The main reason we ask for your information is to provide you with information
and advice to help solve your problem.
We also use your information:
for training and quality purposes
to investigate complaints
to help us improve our services
to defend legal claims
to help ensure our service is accessible to you
To find out more about how we use your information, see please our national
Citizens Advice privacy notice.
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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
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Who we share your information with
With your permission, we may share your information with other organisations
to help resolve your problem(s). The type of organisations that we refer people
to include (but are not limited to) – Denbighshire County Council, Vale of Clwyd
Foodbank, DASU, Shelter Cymru, SNAP Cymru, another Local Citizens Advice
office.
If you ask us to act on your behalf we may need to share some of your information
with other organisations – we’ll always tell you when we do this and only with your
express permission. For example if we contact your creditors about your debts, we
may need to share your name, address and financial details with them.
To find out more about who we might share your information with, please see our
national Citizens Advice privacy notice.
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Our lawful basis for using your information
We use the following lawful bases to use your information to help you resolve your problem(s):
Legitimate interest – We have a legitimate interest to provide you with advice.
We also have a legitimate interest to:
ensure that we are meeting appropriate quality and standards in our advice to clients
defend legal claims
investigate complaints and implement lessons learned from them
ensure our service is accessible
promote equity and diversity in our service.
Establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims – Where we are helping you
establish your legal rights, for example in relation to benefits.
Also, where we are investigating complaints, defending against legal claims, are
helping to ensure that our service is accessible and to promote equity and
diversity in our service.
Substantial Public Interest (provision of confidential counselling, advice or
support) – Where we are providing advice to you which doesn’t relate to your
legal rights, for example in relation to your wellbeing
Vital interests – Where a person’s life may be in danger.
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