Privacy Notice for Job Applicants

Who are we?

Missing Link provides women’s mental health services, supporting homeless women with complex needs to recover, secure and sustain housing.

Next Link provides domestic abuse services and a specialist forced marriage service.

Safe Link provides emotional and practical support to women, children and male victims of rape and sexual assault.

Missing Link/Next Link/Safe Link’s registered office is at Part 2nd Floor, Embassy House, Queens Avenue, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1SB and we are a Housing Association with charitable status, registered under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act (2014). Register No. 24218R.

We are registered on the Information Commissioner’s Office Register; registration number Z3246008 and act as the Data Controller when processing your data. Our designated Data Protection Appointed Person is Bally Kandola, Director of Resources, who can be contacted at dataprotection@missinglinkhousing.co.uk

This Privacy Notice provides you with the necessary information regarding your rights and our obligations, and explains how, why and when we process your personal data.

Information That We Collect

When you apply to work with us, we collect your personal information through your application form, interview or references so we can process your application.

We only ask for information which is relevant to the role you’re applying for.

We’ll collect personal details such as name, address, telephone number and email address, previous job history and experience, qualifications, and any support needs you may have.

We’ll also ask for diversity information like your gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation. You don’t have to tell us this – if you do, it’s always anonymised.

We might collect other information depending on whether you’ve applied for a staff or volunteer role.

If we offer you a position, we’ll ask for:

• references for your previous and current work
• proof of your right to work in the UK, like a valid UK passport or visa
• your national insurance number and P45
• your bank details, so we can pay you

Where it’s needed for the role, we might contact the DBS for a criminal record check. Once the DBS check is completed and you’ve received your certificate, we’d expect you to share this information with us as part of the the background check process.

This information would include your name, date of birth, place of birth, gender, position applied for and anything else disclosed on your DBS check.

How We Use Your Personal Data

Missing Link/Next Link/Safe Link will always process your personal data in a way that is lawful and fair. We will not process the data in a way that is unduly detrimental, unexpected or misleading.

The legal basis for processing your personal data is detailed below:

• Legitimate Interest – to process personal data provided by candidates when conducting the recruitment exercise; for example, to assess and record information about your qualifications as part of the selection process.
• Legal Obligation  – to process certain information as part of a recruitment exercise, for example checking that a successful candidate has the right to work in the UK.

Missing Link has a legitimate interest in managing the recruitment exercise effectively to decide to whom to offer a job.  We’ll use the information you give us to decide whether or not you’ve got the right skills for the role.

We’ll use the demographic information to make sure we’re employing a diverse workforce and volunteer community.

Sharing your Personal Data

We keep your information securely on our internal systems.  Staff who access your information have had data protection training to make sure your information is handled sensitively and securely.

Missing Link uses the umbrella body of “thirtyoneeight” to carry out all its DBS Checks.

You can read more about DBS checks and processes on the GOV.UK website.

Your Rights

You have the right to access any personal information that Missing Link/Next Link/Safe Link processes about you and to request information about:

• What personal data we hold about you
• The purposes of the processing
• The categories of personal data concerned
• The recipients to whom the personal data has/will be disclosed
• How long we intend to store your personal data for
• If we did not collect the data directly from you, information about the source.

Security Measures

Missing Link/Next Link/Safe Link takes every reasonable measure and precaution to protect and secure your personal data. We work hard to protect you and your information from unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction and have several layers of security measures in place, including password security, encryptions, restricted access, IT authentication, firewalls and anti-virus/malware.

How Long We Keep Your Data

Missing Link/Next Link/Safe Link only ever retains personal information for as long as is necessary and we have strict review and retention policies in place to meet these obligations.

A copy of our Data Retention and Erasure Policy is available on request.

Lodging A Complaint

Missing Link/Next Link/Safe Link only processes your personal information in compliance with this privacy notice and in accordance with the relevant data protection laws.

If, however you wish to raise a complaint regarding the processing of your personal data or are unsatisfied with how we have handled your information, you have the right to complain to the person responsible for Data Protection:

Bally Kandola, Director of Resources: dataprotection@missinglinkhousing.co.uk

If you are not satisfied with how your complaint has been dealt with, you have the right to lodge a complaint to the supervisory authority:  Information Commissioners Office https://ico.org.uk/