Privacy policy

We only ask for the information we need. We always let you decide what you're comfortable telling us, explain why we need it and treat it as confidential.

When we record and use your personal information we:

• only access it when we have a good reason

• only share what is necessary and relevant

• don't sell it to anyone

At times we might use or share your information without your permission. If we do, we'll always make sure there's a legal basis for it. This could include situations where we have to use or share your information:

• to comply with the law - for example, if a court orders us to share information. This is called ‘legal obligation’

• to protect someone's life - for example, sharing information with a paramedic if a client was unwell at our office. This is called ‘vital interests’

• to carry out our legitimate aims and goals as a charity - for example, to create statistics for our national research. This is called ‘legitimate interests’

• for us to carry out a task where we're meeting the aims of a public body in the public interest - for example, delivering a government or local authority service. This is called ‘public task’

• to carry out a contract we have with you - for example, if you're an employee we might need to store your bank details so we can pay you. This is called ‘contract’

• to defend our legal rights - for example, sharing information with our legal advisors if there was a complaint that we gave the wrong advice.

We handle and store your personal information in line with the law - including the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

You can check our main Citizens Advice policy ↗ for how we handle most of your personal information.

This page covers how we, as your local charity, handle your information locally in our offices.

How Citizens Advice Wigan Borough collects your data

To find out what information we ask for, see our national Citizens Advice privacy policy ↗.

Video conferencing platforms, Whatsapp, Webforms, social media and telephone (not Adviceline)

In addition to the access methods within the national policy, if you access our advice by other means our adviser will log all your information, correspondence, and notes about your problem into our secure case management systems.

Citizens Advice Wigan Borough uses Google Workspace and your personal data may be stored there while your case is active. It is our policy to minimise all data collected and we aim to transfer all personal data to Casebook over the course of your case. For more information read GDPR & Google Cloud

We use WhatsApp to allow the transfer of information between yourself and Citizens Advice Wigan Borough.  It is our policy to minimise all data collected and we aim to transfer all personal data to Casebook over the course of your case. For more information read Facebook transparency centre

For information shared via Webform, it is our policy to minimise all data collected and we aim to transfer all personal data to Casebook over the course of your case. For more information read GDPR & Google Cloud

We use the SMS message platform - TextAnywhere - to send appointment reminders and important updates about your case. When using TextAnywhere, our policy is to minimize all data collected, and we aim to transfer all personal information to Casebook during the course of your case. TextAnywhere stores your data in accordance with their Privacy Notice.

Some of your information might also be kept within our secure email and IT systems. We keep your information for 6 years. If your case has been subject to a serious complaint, insurance claim or other dispute we keep the data for 16 years.

Our case management systems are hosted within the EEA and wherever possible, the UK. Most of our trusted partners store their data securely within the European Economic Area (EEA) in line with data protection law.

Our lawful basis for using your information

For the provision of Advice, information and guidance we process your personal data under UK GDPR Article 6 (1) (f) - Legitimate Interests.   Where processing is based on official authority laid down by law or a statutory function. For example in relation to our consumer service functions.

In addition, where we require any special category data, this is processed in accordance with Article 9(2)(f) - establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims

Where the processing relates to the establishment or defence of legal claims including legal rights including but not limited to those such as those in relation to benefits, debt, energy and housing. For criminal offence data the same provision is outlined in Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1, Part 3 (33).

Article 9(2)(g) - substantial public interest (statutory)

Where our advice, information or guidance relates to a statutory function, such as in our consumer service we rely on Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1, (6) ‘Statutory etc and government purposes’. This condition also applies to criminal offence data

Article 9(2)(g) - substantial public interest (confidential counselling, advice or support)

Where our advice, information or guidance relates to confidential wellbeing support. For example if supporting a client with issues relating to loneliness. The specific substantial public interest condition we rely on is in Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1, (17) ‘Counselling etc’. This condition also applies to special category data and criminal offence data.

For more information about which legal basis we use when processing your data please read this table

What information we ask for

We'll only ask for information that's relevant to your problem. To find out what information we ask for, see our national Citizens Advice privacy policy ↗.

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 use your information

The main reason we ask for your information is to help solve your problem. To find out what information we ask for, see our national Citizens Advice privacy policy ↗.

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

Understanding people's problems

We use some information to create statistics about who we're helping and what problems are the most common. This information is always anonymised - you can't be identified.

We share these with funders, regulators, government departments and publicly on our blogs, reports, social media and press releases.

The statistics also inform our policy research, campaigns, or media work.

What Citizens Advice Wigan Borough asks for

To find out what information we ask for, see our national Citizens Advice privacy policy ↗.

How Citizens Advice Wigan Borough uses your information

To find out how we use your information, see our national Citizens Advice privacy policy ↗.

Working on your behalf

When you give us authority to act on your behalf, we’ll need to share information with that third party, for example, other charities, local housing providers, the Department for Work and Pensions, Wigan Council or a local solicitor.

How Citizens Advice Wigan Borough stores your information

We will store the record of your case in a secure case management system, which is only accessed by us or other Citizens Advice staff where this is required to progress your case or for quality monitoring or audit purposes. We also use cloud storage to store limited electronic data (such as emails and scanned documents). Cloud storage is managed by an ISO27001 compliant company and encrypted prior to being transmitted to UK vaults.

Paper copies of your information may also be stored securely and accessed by our staff and volunteers.

How Citizens Advice Wigan Borough shares your information

We won't share your personal information without your permission, unless we're required to by law.

We may refer you to another advice provider and share personal information with those advice providers so that they have initial information to help you further with your issue. Everything you've told us will be treated confidentially by them.

Sometimes we will refer you to another organisation for specialist advice. We can help get you an appointment and we will pass on the information you've already provided so you don't need to do it again.

We might ask another organisation or another part of Citizens Advice service to contact you, so we can find out if you were satisfied with the service you received and more about your experience of Citizens Advice. To do this we will need to share your contact details.

Sometimes we also share information about how you contacted Citizens Advice, what the topic of your visit was, what the level of support you received, and what country you are in. We do this to make sure we hear from different groups of clients and we only share what is absolutely necessary.

If you’ve given us permission to share your details with the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) for satisfaction monitoring, they, or an agency appointed by them, might contact you by phone, email, or letter.

If you’ve given us permission to share your details and case file with the MaPS for quality monitoring, your issue and the advice you received may be reviewed and feedback given to your adviser.

Contact Citizens Advice Wigan Borough about your information

If you have any questions about how your information is collected or used, you can contact our Finance & Office Manager, Monday to Friday between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm.

Telephone: 01942 709709

Email: headoffice@cawb.org.uk

You can contact us to:

• find out what personal information we hold about you

• correct your information if it's wrong, out of date or incomplete

• request we delete your information

• ask us to limit what we do with your data - for example, ask us not to share it if you haven't asked us already

• ask us to give you a copy of the data we hold in a format you can use to transfer it to another service

• ask us to stop using your information

Who's responsible for looking after your personal information

The national Citizens Advice charity and Citizens Advice Wigan Borough operate a system called Casebook to keep your personal information safe. This means we're a ‘joint data controller’ for your personal information that's stored in our Casebook system.

Each local Citizens Advice is an independent charity, and a member of the national Citizens Advice charity. The Citizens Advice membership agreement also requires that the use of your information complies with data protection law.

You can find out more about your data rights on the Information Commissioner's website ↗.