Sponsor Privacy Notice

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.

This privacy notice covers the 3 schemes as enacted by the UK Government;

Ukraine Family Visa Scheme

Ukraine Extension Scheme 

Homes for Ukraine

Purpose Of The Data Processing

This scheme will support Ukrainian people with housing, education, health, and integration into the community. As well as supporting the people who volunteer to sponsor Ukrainian people and their families.

It must be noted that during this time, councils have to quickly change the way in which they are working to continue to provide you with the support and services you need. We will always follow advice and guidance from the UK Government when making any changes to the way in which we provide you with the support you need.

Information Held About You

To enable Rotherham Council to co-ordinate and deliver appropriate and suitable housing and accommodation offers provided by vetted sponsors, to visa-cleared applicants to the scheme fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, we will process the following information:

"Sponsor" / "sponsors" / “Host” / “Hosts” refers to one of the following situations:

• An individual, group or organisation who has expressed an interest to accommodate an individual or household from Ukraine under the Homes for Ukraine scheme
• An individual or household who are supporting family members who have been living in the Ukraine under the Family Visa scheme

Information types:

• Name
• Address
• Details of family members that live at the property, to include ages
• Contact details including telephone number, email address
• Information relating to any safeguarding, security checks and home assessments required for your suitability to provide support
• Bank details to process the monthly thank you payment
• Permission to be in the UK for more than six months
• Right to remain in the UK for more than six months
• A description of you
• Your immigration status
• Passport details

Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, we also collect information concerning criminal convictions and offences. Particularly we will, where necessary, conduct Disclosure and Barring (DBS) checks and record the outcomes of those checks. (This is to assess your suitability as a potential sponsor).

We receive most of this information from you, but we may also get some of this data from:

• The Home Office (central government)
• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (central government)
• Other central government agencies
• Disclosure and Baring Service providers
• Local government services

Who Is Processing Your Data

All personal data held, is processed in accordance with data protection law. The data controller for the information outlined in this privacy notice is Rotherham Council.

How We Will Use The Information We Hold About You

We will use the information you provide in order to:

• Facilitate the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme within Rotherham
• Contact you
• Assess you and/or your property's suitability for the scheme
• Complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (where necessary)
• Provide additional support, advice, or welfare, where applicable

We also use this information to assess the quality of our services and evaluate and improve our policies and procedures.

We may also use information in other ways compatible with the above.

How The Law Allows Us To Use Your Information

We have legal grounds under the GDPR to process this information because it is necessary:

• For the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Controller (Immigration and Asylum Act 1999)
• To exercise a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown or a government department

We have legal grounds to process (including share) special category data and criminal convictions data because it is necessary:

• For the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Controller (Immigration and Asylum Act 1999)
• To exercise a function of the Crown, a Minister of the Crown or a government department

Who We Will Share Your Information With

We may need to share your information with:

• The Home Office
• The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
• Other Rotherham Council departments
• Other local authorities
• Other central government agencies
• Charities and other voluntary organisations (so that they can contact you and/or locate your home to provide services to you or any refugee you may host, as necessary)

Any information which is shared will only be shared on a need-to-know basis, with appropriate individuals. Only the minimum information for the purpose will be shared.

Your personal information may also be given to third parties contracted by the council to provide a service to the council. These service providers are known as data processors and have a legal obligation under GDPR and to the council to look after your personal information and only use it for providing that service.

How Long We Keep Your Personal Information

Your personal information will be securely deleted and destroyed within two years from the closure of the 3 Ukraine schemes, unless the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and/or the Home Office identifies that information should be securely deleted and destroyed before then.

If we need to use your information for research or reports, your information will be anonymised and any information taken from notes (handwritten or typed) during any consultation sessions will be securely destroyed. The information will continue to be used in a summarised and anonymised form in any research reports or papers that are published. The anonymised information in the papers may be of historic interest and may be held in public archives indefinitely.

Information Security

We recognise that the information we are processing is sensitive and we will store and process your information securely. We will ensure access to the data is managed, auditable and restricted to those needing to process the data.

For more information regarding your data rights and how the Council will process your information please view the full Privacy Notice on our website at www.rotherham.gov.uk.

If you are unhappy about how your data is used you can complain directly to the Council directly to the Council’s Data Protection Officer at DPO@rotherham.gov.uk.