Ceredigion County Council website

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.

We have summarised in this privacy notice some of the key ways in which we use your personal information when you make contact with the Council.

Customer Services is the ‘front door’ to the Council and its services include a 9-5 Contact Centre, face to face services and online services via the Council’s website.

As part of our initial scoping conversation we may ask you for personal details to allow us to assist you with your enquiry. A private meeting room is available should you wish to feel more comfortable when disclosing these details or should you need to disclose information of a sensitive nature.

To find out more on how you can access Customer Services go to our Contact Us page where you will also find our Customer Charter.

Ceredigion Contact Centre offers information and advice on all Council Services and also allows Customers to apply, book, pay, make reports and request services. Please refer to the Corporate Privacy Notice page for details on how we handle personal information captured via our website.

The purposes for which we use your personal data

We collect and use your personal information so that we can assist you with your enquiry or pass your enquiry on to the relevant team or service to action.

The lawful basis for the processing of your information is:

• Legal Obligation - using the information to comply with a common law or statutory obligation
• Public Task - to exercise ‘official authority’ and powers that are set out in law; or to perform a specific task in the public interest that is set out in law.

Examples for both of the above may include the correct administration of Council Tax; ensuring the awarding of correct benefits; to advise on various entitlements; to ensure Highway defects are managed; to ensure that fly tipping is addressed and waste collected, noise nuisances are reported and to allow for the accurate management of legal claims against the Council.

We might also process special category of data, if it is necessary to fulfil our obligations and meet the needs of the data subject.

What if you do not provide personal data?

If you do not give us the information we need when we ask for it, this may result in us not being able to provide our services to you.

What type of information do we use?

Where customers choose to interact with the Contact Centre or the Clic Ceredigion service we record personal data that may be shared with the relevant service area/and wider organisations if necessary in order for us to deal with the request.

The type of information that we record will vary depending on the enquiry type but typically includes:

• Contact Details:
  • Name
  • Address
  • Telephone number
  • Email address
• Identifying details:
  • Date of birth
  • National Insurance Number
  • Unique reference number
• Your financial circumstances (Income, bank account)
• Employment Details
• Family information including names, addresses, telephone numbers, ages, dependents, marital status. Where you have provided us with personal data about other individuals, such as family members, dependents, please ensure that those individuals are aware of the information contained within this notice
• Information about health and medical details.

Special categories of personal data:

• Ethnic Origin
• Health
• Gender

The Council may collect this information in a variety of ways:

• During a call to the Contact Centre
• During an in-person conversation at one of our Customer Centres
• Through an online application via the web
• Via email
• Through scanned evidence
• Through supplied Photographs
• Through the ‘My Account’ Clic Ceredigion software system

All calls to the Contact Centre are recorded in their entirety, with the exception of:

• Calls where payments are made (call recording is terminated whilst payment details are taken)
• Calls that leave the centre, i.e. are transferred internally to departments as recording ceases at the point of transfer. For further information please refer to the Contact Us page

Do we use information received from other sources?

To provide this service, we collect information directly from you but may also receive information from the following sources:

• Information provided by a representative of the customer (e.g. family member, spouse, partner, child, advocate)
• Information provided by another member of the public (e.g. a complaint or concern)
• Information provided by an elected Councillor on behalf of their constituent
• Information provided by other Council officers/services that liaise with Customer Services in the interest of its customers, or the Council itself
• Information provided by other organisations (e.g. Emergency Services, Landlords, Housing Associations, Health Professionals) regarding an individual

Transferring your information abroad

Your information will not be transferred outside the United Kingdom.

Who your information may be shared with (internally and externally)

Your information will be stored within our Customer Management System to ensure that the Council provides you with an efficient and effective service. We will record the fact you contacted us and the purpose of your contact.

If we have previously recorded your information within our Customer Management System, each time you call thereafter we will use the telephone number, to enable our caller identifier system to quickly display your details to our advisors. We will always ask you to confirm your details before we proceed with your enquiry.

We will often need to share your information between the teams that support the delivery of the service you are receiving or to arrange a response to your request. The information we share and which teams we share your information with will vary depending on the services you receive. Your data may be re-used by other departments and agencies acting on behalf of the Council in order to resolve your enquiry / request.

It has become common practice to record calls due to the growth of business conducted by telephone. Recording customer conversations allows the Council to assess customer satisfaction, train and develop staff, review call quality and have access to a verbal record of what was said in the event of a subsequent complaint. It also means employees feel more protected knowing that any threatening behaviour can be evidenced and acted upon where necessary.

Information held within these systems can be used in the following ways:

• Quality and Training Purposes: Written records only provide partial information. A call recording provides a more rounded view and allows us to better understand the customer experience and assess the processes applied. This can help us identify any improvement areas and ensure the quality of service provided by Contact Centre staff, by using the information within the recording to inform training subjects and individual employee development plans
• Gaining a better understanding of our customers: Many calls are verbally resolved without the need to complete any records. Listening to sample calls will help us better understand our customers’ needs and gain a more informed view of organisations we signpost to
• Complaints and Disputes: Some calls are verbally resolved. Where information is entered onto an electronic system this becomes the established record. In the event of a complaint or dispute, a call recording (if available), may provide additional information to help us investigate any allegations, to protect the interests of the subject matter and/or the Council by using the information within the recording to respond to complaints regarding the Contact Centre and/or other Council services
• Legal Claims: For use in the defence of legal claims against the Council, e.g. Highway claims
• Employee Safety and Wellbeing: A recording may become a vital piece of evidence in the event of any threats being made to the Council or an individual

There are also specific situations where we may be required to disclose information about you, such as:

• Where the Council is required to provide the information by law
• Where disclosing the information is required to prevent or detect a crime
• Where disclosure is in the vital interests of the person concerned