If your household has entered a new social housing tenancy, Apex will share your personal information with the Northern Ireland Federation of
Housing Associations (NIFHA) for research and statistical purposes.
How is this information provided?
The information is provided via the NICORE database (COntinuous REcording) data which held by NIFHA. It collects information on the tenants, tenancy and dwelling itself. Some of this information is personal and sensitive so NIFHA is responsible for ensuring that all data is processed in line with Data Protection legislation.
Why are we sharing this information?
Information collected via NICORE is used by NIFHA to inform strategy and policy and is shared with the Department for Communities and the NIHE. Housing Associations can also access their own data. Data is only shared for research and statistical purposes.
How does this affect you?
It will not affect your tenancy or benefits, services or treatments that you get. The information shared is anonymous and handled with care in accordance with the
law. We are collecting and sharing your information to help us understand better the social housing market and inform social housing policy.
Tell me more about NICORE
NICORE data is collected by NIFHA and your housing association for research and statistical purposes. Data providers do not require the consent of tenants to provide the information, but tenants have the right to know how and for what purpose your data is being collected, held and used. The processing must have a lawful basis which, in this case, is that the processing is necessary for our own legitimate interests e.g. ensuring housing associations remain accountable to their boards and to the government agencies who fund them, to make strategic use of the data, to strengthen the role of housing associations in providing for housing need.
The information collected via NICORE relates to your tenancy, the dwelling you are living in or buying, and your household. Some of the information may have been provided by you as a tenant when signing the new tenancy or buying your property; other has been gathered from the housing management systems of social housing providers. Data collected will be held for as long as necessary for research and statistical purposes. When no longer needed, data will be destroyed in a safe manner.
We are aware that some of the data collected is particularly sensitive. For example:
- ethnic group;
- previous tenure in hospital or prison/approved probation hostel;
- if household left last settled home because discharged from prison/ long stay hospital/other institution;
All the information collected via NICORE is treated in accordance with Data Protection requirements and guidelines.
Data will be published on NIFHA’s website (www.nifha.org) in aggregate form on an annual basis as part of a report and complementary tables. NICORE data is shared with other public-sector bodies for research and statistical purposes only. For example, data is shared with DfC to allow them to exercise their role in providing adequate social housing. The detail level data is anonymised and protected to minimise the risk of identification.
Your rights
You have the right to object and you have the right to obtain confirmation that your data is being processed, and to access your personal data. You also have the right to have any incorrect personal data corrected.
If you are unhappy with how any aspect of this privacy notice, or how your personal information is being processed, please contact the Data Protection Officer at: research@nifha.org.
If you are still not happy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).