PRIVACY POLICY

Donors and Customers Barnet Furniture Centre promises to respect and keep safe any personal data you share with us.  We aim to be clear about how we will use your data and not do anything you wouldn’t reasonably expect from us. For the purpose of the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 1998 the data controller is Barnet Reuse Centre Ltd, Friern Barnet, London, N11 3FY,  Charity No:1140541;  the data protection officer is the Project Manager. What information will we collect? If you support us, for example, volunteering, fund-raising, signing up for an event, donating cash, donating second-hand goods for sale in our shops, or buying such goods, we will collect the following information as relevant:
  • Your name
  • Your contact details
  • Your home address
  • Your bank or credit card details. 
  • Details of your donation or previous donations
  • Details of your purchase and your availability for deliveries
  • Details of your volunteering preferences and availability for events etc
Why do we collect your information? We need all the categories of information in the list above primarily because it is necessary for our legitimate interests as a charitable organisation, including fundraising, running our social enterprise and because it is necessary in order for us to carry out our legal obligations. We may also ask for your consent to use your information in other ways. We will use your data to:
  • Arrange to collect a donation from the donors’ address
  • Arrange to deliver a purchase made at Barnet Furniture Centre
  • Administer your donation or support your fundraising, including processing Gift Aid
  • Contact you to arrange your volunteering schedule 
  • Ensure we know how you prefer to be contacted
How is your personal information collected? We collect information:
  • When you ask us to collect furniture you are donating
  • When you ask us to deliver furniture you have purchased
  • When you ask to become a volunteer or offer to donate cash
  • When you ask us to contact you by phone, email or social media
Accessing information from other sources We may get access to your information when you give permission to other organisations to share or it is available publicly. The information we get from other organisations may depend on your privacy settings or the responses you give, so you should regularly check them.  This information comes from the following sources.
  • From third party organisations – you may have provided permission for a company or other organisation to share your data with third parties, including charities.  This could be when you buy a product or service, register for an online competition or sign up with a comparison site.
  • Publicly available information – This may include information found in places such as Companies House and information that has been published in articles/ newspapers.
Using our website Like most websites, we use “cookies” to help us make our site – and the way you use it – better. Cookies mean that a website will remember you. They’re small text files that sites transfer to your computer (or phone or tablet). They make interacting with a website faster and easier – for example by automatically filling your name and address in text fields. We do not use cookies to collect personal data. The only personal data we collect via our website is via online forms that you may choose to complete. If you would prefer not to use Cookies you should change the settings in your browser. Direct Marketing With your consent, we will contact you by either post or email to let you know about the progress we are making and to ask for donations or other support.  If you don’t want to hear from us, just let us know when you provide your data. If you change your mind at any time, just contact us on 020 8361 6802 or info@barnetfurniturecentre.org. We do not sell or share personal details to third parties for the purposes of marketing. We will only share it with third parties who are providing a service for Barnet Furniture Centre and only for the purpose of delivering this service.  Data Sharing We may have to share your data with third parties, including third-party service providers. We require third parties to respect the security of your data and to treat it in accordance with the law. Why might you share my personal information with third parties? We will share your personal information with third parties where required by law, where it is necessary to administer the working relationship with you or where we have another legitimate interest in doing so. Which third-party service providers process my personal information? The following third-party service providers process personal information about you for the following purposes:
  • HMRC for the purpose of Gift Aid
  • Due Diligence Checking for DBS checks on potential staff & volunteers
  • Local councils and Housing associations for the purpose of referrals i.e. Barnet Homes, Metropolitan Housing, Peabody, One-housing etc.
  • North London Waste Authority for the purpose of tonnage reporting
  • Clay Ratnage & Co for the purpose of payroll
  • Blick Rothenberg for the purpose of accounting
  • NEST for the purpose of Pension Funds
How secure is my information with third-party service providers? All our third-party service providers are required to take appropriate security measures to protect your personal information in line with our policies. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes. We only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions. What about other third parties? We may share your personal information with other third parties, for example in the context of the possible sale or restructuring of the business. We may also need to share your personal information with a regulator or to otherwise comply with the law. Data security We have put in place measures to protect the security of your information. Details of these measures are available upon request. Third parties will only process your personal information on our instructions and where they have agreed to treat the information confidentially and to keep it secure. We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal information from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal information to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal information on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality. Details of these measures may be obtained from the Project Manager by emailing info@barnetfurniiturecentre.org We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected data security breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected breach where we are legally required to do so.  

DATA RETENTION

How long do we keep hold of your information? We will only retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Details of retention periods for different aspects of your personal information are available in our data protection policy which is available from the Project Manager by emailing info@barnetfurniiturecentre.org. To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, we consider the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data and whether we can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal requirements. In some circumstances, we may anonymise your personal information so that it can no longer be associated with you, in which case we may use such information without further notice to you. Your rights in connection with personal information Under certain circumstances, by law, you have the right to:
  • Request access to your personal information (commonly known as a “data subject access request”). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal information we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it.
  • Request correction of the personal information that we hold about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate information we hold about you corrected.
  • Request erasure of your personal information. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal information where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal information where you have exercised your right to object to processing (see below).
  • Object to processing of your personal information where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground. You also have the right to object where we are processing your personal information for direct marketing purposes.
  • Request the restriction of processing of your personal information. This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of personal information about you, for example, if you want us to establish its accuracy or the reason for processing it.
  • Request the transfer of your personal information to another party. 
If you want to review, verify, correct or request erasure of your personal information, object to the processing of your personal data, or request that we transfer a copy of your personal information to another party, please contact us on 020 8361 6802 or send a description of the information you want to see and proof of your identity by post to The Project Manager, Barnet Reuse Centre Ltd, Friern Barnet, London, N11 3FY. No fee usually required You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal information (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request for access is clearly unfounded or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with the request in such circumstances. What we may need from you We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access the information (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is another appropriate security measure to ensure that personal information is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. Keeping our records up to date Where possible we use publicly available sources to keep your records up to date; for example, the Post Office’s National Change of Address database and information provided to us by other organisations as described above. It is important that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal information changes during your working relationship with us If you have any questions please send these to The Project Manager, Barnet Reuse Centre Ltd, Friern Barnet, London, N11 3FY and for further information see the Information Commissioner’s guidance . We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time.  If we make any significant changes in the way we treat your personal information we will make this clear on the Barnet Furniture Centre website or by contacting you directly.

DATA PROTECTION POLICY

Policy Scope Barnet Furniture Centre needs to gather and use certain information about individuals. These can include customers, suppliers, business contacts, employees and other people the organisations has a relationship with or may need to contact. This policy describes how this personal data must be collected, handled and stored to meet the company’s data protection standards – and to comply with the law. Why this policy exists This Data Protection Policy ensures Barnet Furniture Centre;
  • Complies with data protection law and follow good practice
  • Protects the rights of staff, customers, volunteers and partners
  • Is open about how it stores and processes individuals’ data
  • Protects itself from the reach of a data breach
Data protection law The Data Protection Act 1998 describes how organisations – including Barnet Furniture Centre – must collect, handle and store personal information. These rules apply regardless of whether data is stored electronically, on paper or on other materials. To comply with the law, personal information must be collected and used fairly, stored safely and not disclosed unlawfully. The Data Protection Act is underpinned by eight important principles. These say that personal data must:
  1. Be processed fairly and lawfully
  2. Be obtained only for specific, lawful purposes
  3. Be adequate, relevant and not excessive
  4. Be accurate and kept up to date
  5. Not be held for any longer than necessary
  6. Processed in accordance with the rights of data subject
  7. Be protected in appropriate ways
  8. Not be transferred outside the European Economic Area, (EEA), unless that country or territory also ensures an adequate level of protection
 

PEOPLE, RISKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Policy scope The policy applies to:
  • The head office of Barnet Furniture Centre
  • All branches of Barnet Furniture Centre
  • All staff and volunteers of Barnet Furniture Centre including Trustees
  • All contractors, suppliers and other people working on behalf of Barnet Furniture Centre
It applies to all data that the company holds relating to identifiable individuals, even if that information technically falls outside of the Data Protection Act 1998. This can include:
  • Names of individuals
  • Postal Addresses
  • Email addresses
  • Telephone numbers
  • Plus any other information relating to individuals
Data protection risks This policy helps to protect Barnet Furniture Centre from some very real data security risks, including:
  • Breaches of confidentiality. For instance, information being given out inappropriately.
  • Failing to offer choice. For instance, all individuals should be free to choose how the company uses data relating to them.
  • Reputational damage. For instance, the company could suffer if hackers successfully gain access to sensitive data.
Responsibilities Everyone who works for or with Barnet Furniture Centre has some responsibility for ensuring data is collected, stored and handled appropriately. Each team that handles personal data must ensure that it is handled and processed in line with this policy and data protection principles. However, these people have key areas of responsibility:
  • The board of directors/trustees is ultimately responsible for ensuring that Barnet Furniture Centre meets its legal obligations.
 
  • The Project Manager/ Data Controller, is responsible for:
  • Keeping the board updated about data protection responsibilities, risks and issues.
  • Reviewing all data protection procedures and related policies, in line with an agreed schedule.
  • Arranging data protection training and advice for the people covered by this policy.
  • Handling data protection questions from staff and anyone else covered by this policy.
  • Dealing with requests from individuals to see the data Barnet Furniture Centre holds about them (also called ‘subject access requests’).
  • Checking and approving any contracts or agreements with third parties that may handle the company’s sensitive data.
 
  • The Senior Project Assistant (SPA) is responsible for:
  • Ensuring all systems, services and equipment used for storing data meet acceptable security standards.
  • Performing regular checks and scans to ensure security hardware and software is functioning properly.
  • Evaluating any third-party services the company is considering using to store or process data. For instance, cloud computing services.
  • Approving any data protection statements attached to communications such as emails and letters.
  • Addressing any data protection queries from journalists or media outlets like newspapers.
  • Where necessary, working with other staff and volunteers to ensure marketing initiatives abide by data protection principles.
General staff guidelines
  • The only people able to access data covered by this policy should be those who need it for their work.
  • Data should not be shared informally. When access to confidential information is required, employees can request it from their line managers.
  • Barnet Furniture Centre will provide training to all employees to help them understand their responsibilities when handling data.
  • Employees should keep all data secure, by taking sensible precautions and following the guidelines below.
  • In particular, strong passwords must be used and they should never be shared.
  • Personal data should not be disclosed to unauthorized people, either within the company or externally.
  • Data should be regularly reviewed and updated if it is found to be out of date. If no longer required it should be deleted and disposed of.
  • Employees should request help from their line manager or the data protection officer if they are unsure about any aspect of data protection.
Data storage These rules describe how and where data should be stored. Questions about storing data safely can be directed to the SPA or data controller. When data is stored on paper, it should be kept in a secure place where unauthorized people cannot see it. These guidelines also apply to data that is usually stored electronically but has been printed out for some reason:
  • When not required, the paper or files should be kept in a locked drawer or filing cabinet.
  • Employees should make sure paper and printouts are not left with unauthorized people could see them, like on a printer.
  • Data printouts should be shredded and disposed of securely when no longer required.
When data is stored electronically, it must be protected from unauthorized access, accidental deletion and malicious hacking attempts.
  • Data should be protected by strong passwords that are changed regularly and never shared between employees or volunteers.
  • If data is stored on removable media (like a CD or DVD), these should be locked away securely when not being used.
  • Data should only be stored on designated drives and servers, and should only be uploaded to an approved cloud computing service.
  • Servers containing personal data should be sited in a secure location, away from general office space.
  • Data should be backed up frequently. Those backups should be tested regularly, in line with the company’s standard back up procedures.
  • Data should never be saved directly to laptops or other mobile devices like tablets or smart phones.
  • All servers and computers containing data should be protected by approved security software and a firewall.  
Data Use Personal data is of no value to Barnet Furniture Centre unless the business can make use of it. However, it is when personal data is accessed and used that it can be at the greatest risk of loss, corruption or theft:
  • When working with personal data, employees should ensure the screens of their computers are always locked when left unattended.
  • Personal data should not be shared informally. In particular, it should never be sent by email, as this is form of communication is not secure.
  • Data must be encrypted before being transferred electronically. The SPA can explain how to send data to authorized external contacts.
  • Personal data should never be transferred outside of the European Economic Area.
  • Employees should not save copies of personal data to their own computers. Always access and update the central copy of any data.
Data accuracy The law requires Barnet Furniture Centre to take reasonable steps to ensure data is kept accurate and up to date.
  • The more important it is that the personal data is accurate, the greater the effort Barnet Furniture Centre should put into ensuring its accuracy.
It is the responsibility of all employees who work with data to take reasonable steps to ensure it is kept as accurate and up to date as possible.
  • Data will be held in as few places as necessary. Staff should not create any unnecessary additional data sets.
  • Staff should take every opportunity to ensure data is updated. For instance, by confirming a customer’s details when they call.
  • Barnet Furniture Centre will make it easy for data subjects to update the information Barnet Furniture Centre holds about them. For instance, via the company website.
  • Data should be updated as inaccuracies are discovered. For instance, if a customer can no longer be reached on their stored telephone number, it should be removed from the database.
  • It is the SPA’s responsibility to ensure marketing databases are checked against industry suppression files every six months.
Subject access requests All individuals who are subject of personal data held by Barnet Furniture Centre are entitled to:
  • Ask what information the company holds about them and why.
  • Ask how to gain access to it.
  • Be informed how to keep it up to date.
  • Be informed on how the company is meeting its data protection obligations.
If an individual contacts the company requesting this information, this is called a subject access request. Subject access requests from individuals should be made by email, addressed to Project Manager at info@barnetfurniturecentre.org. The data controller can supply a standard request form, although individuals do not have to use this. Individuals will be charged £10 per subject access request. The data controller will aim to provide the relevant data within 14 days. The data controller will always verify the identity of anyone making a subject access request before handing over any information. Disclosing data for other reasons In certain circumstances, the Data Protection Act allows personal data to be disclosed to law enforcement agencies without the consent of the data subject. Under the circumstances, Barnet Furniture Centre will disclose data. However, the data controller will ensure the request is legitimate, seeking assistance from the board and from the company’s legal advisers where necessary. Providing information Barnet Furniture Centre aims to ensure that individuals are aware that their data is being processed, and that they understand:
  • How the data is being used
  • How to exercise their rights
To these ends, the charity has a privacy statement, setting out how data relating to individuals is used by the company. This is available on request. A version of this statement is also available on the charity’s website.