Standard Licence Agreement

(FOR SUPPORTED ACCOMMODATION IN A HOUSE FOR SINGLE OCCUPANCY)

Introduction

We look forward to welcoming you to [name of Accommodation] and hope you enjoy living here.

This Licence Agreement contains our rights and responsibilities as well as yours to comply with the Law and do everything possible to ensure your happiness and safety during your stay as well as the happiness and safety of staff, visitors, and neighbours.

By signing this Licence Agreement, we are creating a legal contract with you which means that we both have to abide by the rules it sets out.

Please read this Agreement carefully and ask us to explain anything you do not understand before signing it.

If you would like independent help to understand this Agreement you can contact a Citizens Advice Bureau, an advice agency such as a Law Centre or a solicitor.

The Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 does not apply to this Agreement as it is only between you and us and nobody else can enforce the rights and obligations contained in it.

This Agreement is a complete document and replaces any previous conversations, statements or agreements regarding your stay here.

This Licence Agreement Is Between

The Licensor: Handcrafted Projects, a Registered Charity number 1146188 and a Registered Company Number 07884740 whose Registered Office is situated at Unit 21, Littleburn Industrial Estate, Langley Moor, Durham, DH7 8HG

Referred throughout this document as "we" "our" and "us"

And

The Licensee: _________________________ of _________________________

Referred throughout this document as "you" or "your"

Definitions

In this Licence Agreement the following definitions apply:

The Accommodation: [                                                                                ]

Comprising [list of rooms and outside areas]

The Charges: The fees and payments listed in Schedule 3.

Our Contents: The items listed in Schedule 1 which are owned by us and situated at the Accommodation.

House Rules: The rules listed in Schedule 4 and any additional or amended rules which you may be notified of in writing from time to time.

Housing Benefit: Regular payments made by the Local Housing Authority to help individuals with a low income to pay for accommodation.

Notice: Formal written communication affecting your or our rights, obligations or duties.

Support: The set of support activities listed in Schedule 2.

The Term: From the Start Date until termination in accordance with the processes as set out in Schedule 5 Ending the Licence Agreement.

Purpose of This Licence Agreement

To give you the right to live in the Accommodation, use of our Contents and access to Support subject to the conditions stipulated in this Licence Agreement for The Term.

To provide a legal contract setting out the terms upon which you are granted the right to live in the Accommodation.

This Licence Agreement is not a tenancy giving you rights under Housing Act 1988 as it does not grant you exclusive possession of the Accommodation as a right of access is reserved by us at all times in order to provide you with Support and comply with Our Responsibilities as set out in paragraph D below.

We are required to follow the processes set out in Schedule 5 to end this Licence Agreement and seek a court order to evict you should that be necessary.

This Licence Agreement may be amended only by agreement in writing signed by us and you with the exception of Charges which may be altered by us after giving you at least 4 weeks Notice.

Notices

A Notice served by Us on You will be deemed served and therefore you will be presumed to have received it if it is left at the Accommodation, put through any letterbox at the Accommodation or posted by 1st class post to the Accommodation.

A Notice served by You on Us will be deemed served and therefore we will be presumed to have received it if it is posted by recorded delivery to our Registered Office or emailed to us at [email address].

Responsibilities

We Agree

• To allow you to occupy the Accommodation and to provide Support to you.
• To provide you with a set of keys to the Accommodation.
• To keep the structure, exterior and interior of the Accommodation in good repair and decoration and at all times fit for human habitation.
• To conduct a regular inspection of the Accommodation to ensure there are no hazards which may endanger the health and safety of staff or visitors to the Accommodation.
• To check and maintain gas appliances in accordance with legal requirements.
• To check Our Contents comply with legal regulations from time to time in force and are fire safe.
• To keep in good repair and proper working order any installation provided by us for space heating, water heating, sanitation and the provision of water, gas and electricity.
• To pay any local authority or utility company charges relevant to the Accommodation.
• To achieve where possible a minimum target of Band C of the Energy Performance Certificate.
• To comply with the Licence Charge Arrears Policy and Procedure at Schedule 6 should any Charges be late or unpaid.
• To follow the Complaints Procedure at Schedule 7 should we be notified by you of any complaint regarding the Accommodation, Support or any alleged failure on our part to comply with Our Responsibilities.
• To comply with the Appeals Procedure at Schedule 8 should we be notified by you that you wish to appeal against any decision we make concerning the Accommodation, your Support, or our procedures under this Agreement.

You Agree

Occupation

• To be open and honest in all your dealings with us.
• Not to leave the Accommodation for any holiday or other reason until your Licence Charge has been fully agreed with Housing Benefit and without written permission from us to do so.
• You must inform us if you are going away from the Accommodation for more than two consecutive nights.
• To use the Accommodation as your only home, not to operate a business at the Accommodation and not to use the Accommodation for any illegal purposes.
• To comply with our regular health and safety check of the Accommodation.
• To always allow access to the Accommodation, without notice, for the purposes of delivering support, care or supervision in line with your support plan and cleaning.
• Not to allow anyone else to stay overnight in the Accommodation, or to have free access to the Accommodation through the supply of Accommodation keys.
• To keep the Accommodation in a good and clean condition.
• To tell us immediately if you lose your keys to the Accommodation.

Charges

• To pay the Charges promptly as detailed in Schedule 3 and wherever possible by standing order from the Start Date until the Licence Agreement is terminated and you have vacated the Accommodation.
• To comply promptly with all requirements needed to process any Housing Benefit claim and to immediately notify us if there is a change in circumstances that would affect a Housing Benefit award.
• To continue to pay the Charges during any period during your occupation when the Accommodation has been rendered uninhabitable due to any intentional act or omission by you.

Support

• To accept, fully co-operate with and engage in Support as detailed in Schedule 2.
• To meet with us within a maximum of five days of the beginning of the Term to agree a support plan for you to work towards the specific goals identified.
• To attend monthly meetings to review and revise your Support plan.

Antisocial Behaviour

• Not to cause or allow visitors to cause a nuisance to neighbours or our staff visiting the Accommodation.
• Not to possess, use, produce or supply, or allow visitors to possess, use, produce or supply, any legal high, controlled drug or other controlled substance, in or from the Accommodation or within a mile of it. This includes taking orders, or allowing visitors to take orders, for the supply of controlled drugs, or other controlled substances.
• Not to commit, or allow visitors to commit, any form of harassment that may interfere with the peace and comfort of, or cause offence to, any visitors, neighbours, or our staff or contractors.
• Not to commit any act that results in harm or loss to any visitors, neighbours, or our staff or contractors.
• To refrain from any form of violent or aggressive behaviour, whether physical or verbal towards visitors, neighbours, contractors or our staff.
• Not to play, or allow to be played, any radio, television, sound recording or musical instrument so loudly that it causes a nuisance or annoyance to neighbours.
• Not to make a noise that can be heard outside the Accommodation between 11pm and 7am any day of the week.
• Not to keep any animals (including birds, fish and rodents) without our express written permission.
• Not to allow any person onto or into the Accommodation whom we have banned from it. We will inform you of any individuals who are banned from the Accommodation and it is your responsibility to remember this.
• To comply with any health, safety, or fire instructions we give you and not to engage in conduct that is likely to endanger the health and safety of anyone at the Accommodation or to use any heating other than that provided by us.
• To comply with all the House Rules.
• Not to park a vehicle in a place which could impede access to the Accommodation or cause a nuisance to Neighbours.
• Not to park a vehicle on the Accommodation without written permission from us.

Maintenance

• Not to remove or make alterations to the Accommodation or Our Contents without written permission from us.
• To pay for any damage caused by you, or your visitors, to the Accommodation or Our Contents.
• To report promptly any disrepair or defect to the Accommodation or Our Contents.

Moving Out

• To return the keys to us when you move out. You will need to take away all your possessions, clean the Accommodation and restore all fixings and fittings in it to the order they were in at the beginning of the Term.
• If you leave any possessions at the Accommodation after moving out, we reserve the right to dispose of them following the service upon you of a Notice to collect the items within 14 days from the date of the Notice.

Your Rights

• You have the right to have personal data we may hold about you protected from unauthorised disclosure. We will hold and process your personal data in accordance with Data Protection Act 2018 and our Privacy Policy which is at Schedule 9.
• You have the right to receive information from us about the way we operate the terms of this agreement and about any of our policies and procedures relevant to the support service we provide.
• You have the right to be treated fairly and without discrimination by us (and our agents).
• You have the right not to be harassed or discriminated against in our performance of this agreement.
• You have the right to have an independent advocate or advisor in your dealings with us. At your request we will take reasonable steps to help you find someone to fulfil this role.
• You have the right to be consulted about the services we provide and about any changes that we propose.
• You have the right to use a complaints procedure by which you can complain about any aspect of the service at Schedule 7.
• You have the right to use the Appeals Procedure by which you can appeal any decision made by us with regard to you at Schedule 8.

Signatures

Signed by us

Name (PRINT): ………………………………………………………………………..

Organisation: ………………………………………………………………………..

Position: ………………………………………………………………………..

Signature: ……………………………………………………… Date: ………………………

Signed by you

Name (PRINT): ………………………………………………………………………..

Signature: ……………………………………………………… Date: ………………………

Schedule 1: Our Contents

The Accommodation is furnished with the following items belonging to us ("Our Contents"):

Schedule 2: Support

We will provide the following care, support or supervision to you whilst residing at the Accommodation:

To complete an assessment of individual needs relating to resettlement, social circumstances and housing needs.

Discussion and assessment will enable a Support Plan to be produced and implemented. The Support Plan will detail a positive series of steps towards the facilitation of resettlement on an independent basis. Support will be given in regard to personal, educational, training and housing needs to enable progression at an individual level.

Services provided by us as part of the Support plan will include:

• General counselling and support including befriending, advising on food preparation, reminding and non-specialist counselling.
• Assisting with the security of the Accommodation required because of your needs (NB: this also constitutes the provision of supervision).
• Assisting with maintaining the safety of the accommodation.
• Advising and supervising on the use of domestic equipment and appliances.
• Assisting with arranging minor repairs to and servicing of your own domestic equipment and appliances.
• Providing life skills training in maintaining the accommodation in an appropriate condition.
• Assisting you to engage with individuals, professionals and other bodies with an interest in your welfare.
• Advising or assisting you with personal budgeting and debt counselling.
• Where appropriate, arranging adaptations to enable you to cope with disability.
• Advising or assisting you in dealing with relationships and disputes with neighbours.
• Advising or assisting you in dealing with benefit claims and other official correspondence relevant to sustaining occupancy of the accommodation.
• Assisting with shopping and errands.
• Encouraging social intercourse, undertaking welfare checks and arranging social events.
• Controlling access to the accommodation.
• Other support provided by us.
• Collecting of and accounting for rent.
• Advising or assisting with your resettlement.
• Advising or assisting you to enable you to move on to accommodation where less intense support is required.

To directly deliver supportive resettlement services which will include nominations to appropriate move-on accommodation, practical assistance with the move, welfare rights etc. and ongoing support as agreed in a support contract with you.

Schedule 3: The Charges

The Charges for the Accommodation consist of the following:

The licence charges for the accommodation consist of the following:

Core Rent	£            per week
Eligible Charges	£            per week
Ineligible Charges	£            per week
Total Rent	£            per week

Total rent per week for the accommodation: £          per week

(Payment by Housing Benefit: £          per week)

(Payment by Exempt Accommodation: £          per week)

The licensee will be responsible for any shortfall of income from Housing Benefit.

Schedule 4: House Rules

The following House Rules apply. You agree to the following:

• You must not keep, allow to be kept, or use illegal substances or drugs or drug paraphernalia on the premises. (Under the terms of Section 8 of the Misuse of Drugs Act any information regarding the believed use of controlled substances in the Accommodation may be passed to the police).
• You must not allow visitors in the Accommodation except through permission from us. Should permission be granted these visitors are the responsibility of the Licensee at all times.
• You and visitors to the Accommodation must abide by the following conditions:
  • Any person under the age of 16 is allowed only with permission from Handcrafted. When permission is granted, they will be allowed in the premises between the hours of 9.00am and 8.00pm.
  • Any person between the ages of 16–18 is allowed only with permission from Handcrafted. When permission is granted, they will only be allowed in the accommodation between the hours of 9.00am and 9.30pm.
  • Any person over the age of 18 will only be allowed in the Accommodation between the hours of 9.00am and 12.00am. No more than two guests are allowed at any one time without express permission from Handcrafted.
  • Permission for all the above must be sought before the arrival of any guests.
• No overnight stays are allowed at the Accommodation without express permission from us.
• You must refrain from any form of violent or aggressive behaviour, whether physical or verbal towards other residents, our representatives, or neighbours.
• You must not engage in any form of unlawful discrimination towards other residents, neighbours or members of our staff.
• You shall not bring genuine or replica firearms, knives, martial art or combat weapons or any other kind of offensive weapons into the Accommodation.
• You must not allow the volume of televisions, radios, CD players, machinery and other forms of electronic equipment to be such as to cause disturbance to the other residents or neighbours.
• You shall abide by fire safety and health and safety rules which are displayed in the Accommodation and shall not engage in any conduct which may put the health and safety of other residents, staff or neighbours at risk.
• You must not keep or allow any animals in the Accommodation without permission from all residents and from us.
• You must not remove the belongings of visitors or our staff without the permission of the owner. This also applies to fixtures and fittings which belong to us.
• You must not store or use petrol or paraffin or any other inflammable liquid or material in any part of the Accommodation.
• You must not change light fittings or electrical circuits or use, or allow to be used, any unsafe electrical appliance or connect more than one appliance to each wall socket.
• You must not use or allow the use of naked flames e.g. candles, lanterns etc.
• You must not smoke in the Accommodation.
• You must respect other residents and neighbours; therefore, noise must be kept at a moderate level.
• The Licensee must keep the Accommodation clean and tidy, including disposing of rubbish.
• You must ensure that electrical appliances are switched off when not in use.
• You shall take responsibility for the safekeeping and insuring of your own personal property (and property in your control) as we are not responsible for any loss, however caused, to your property.
• You shall take responsibility for removal of all belongings at the end of your stay and understand that we have the right to remove, dispose of or destroy any belongings not claimed by the 14th day following the end of the stay.
• We prohibit the possession of a TV unless you as a Licensee can demonstrate to us that you have the means to pay for a licence and then that you have put one in place. A TV licence will be required under the following circumstances:
  • You own a television which is in the Accommodation.
  • You use a computer, mobile phone, tablet, games console or other device which is connected to the internet and has the ability to stream TV as it is transmitted live.
• To empty all rubbish from the premises regularly, keep the garden/yard clear and to place the refuse so that it can be collected by the local authority as per the local collection.
• Not to alter the supplier of electricity, gas or telephone to the Accommodation.
• Not to install any additional cable/satellite telephone or television equipment without written permission from us.
• Not to decorate the Accommodation without written permission from us.
• Not to take other people's food, clothing, mail or other personal possessions without their permission.
• Not to use chip pans or deep fat fryers in the Accommodation.

Schedule 5: Ending the Licence Agreement

You can end this Licence Agreement with us by giving us 28 days warning contained in a Notice.

We can end the Licence Agreement with you if:

• You have failed to comply with or breached any of the conditions of this License Agreement, or
• We deem that the Accommodation is no longer suitable to your needs, or
• Suitable alternative accommodation has been offered to you, or
• You have failed to pay The Charges that are due, or
• You present a serious risk to yourself, our staff or neighbours, or
• We believe that you have abandoned the Accommodation.

For points 2 to 5 above we will use the following procedure unless we consider that there are grounds for immediate termination (see below):

Stage 1: Written Warning — We will issue a written warning clearly describing the breach of the Licence Agreement, or the conditions that have not been met. You will also be informed of the consequences of any further breaches. A copy will be placed on your file and will remain current for three months.

Stage 2: Final Written Warning — We will issue a second written warning. You will be advised that any further occurrence will result in us ending your Licence Agreement. A copy will be placed on your file and will remain current for three months.

You may not accrue more than one written warning at each stage.

Stage 3: Notice Ending Licence Agreement ("Notice to Quit") — We will write a report that clearly describes the breaches of the Licence Agreement that have taken place, quoting the relevant sections of the Licence Agreement and associated schedules, and the reason why ending it is considered appropriate. We will issue Notice to Quit attaching the report, stating that the Licence Agreement will be terminated 4 weeks after service on you expiring on a Sunday and that you will then be required to vacate the Accommodation. Should you fail to comply with the Notice to Quit we may start proceedings to obtain a possession order for your removal from the Accommodation unless you are deemed to have abandoned the Accommodation (see below).

Grounds for Immediate Termination

Actions or behaviour deemed to be grounds for immediate termination, including gross violations of House Rules (see Schedule 4), may result in immediate termination of this Licence Agreement by issuing a Stage 3 Notice to Quit without first issuing either written warning. Examples of gross misconduct include, but are not limited to, acts of harassment, violent conduct, serious threatening behaviour, wilful damage to the property or illegal activity.

In exceptional circumstances that require immediate action, we will seek an injunction to remove you from the Accommodation prior to instigating the procedure for immediate termination.

When a Notice to Quit has been issued every effort will be made to assist you to find alternative accommodation.

Abandonment

You are considered to have abandoned the Accommodation if you do not use it as your only home. Not using the Accommodation as your only home means spending less than 4 out of 7 consecutive nights there.

You can be away for longer if there is 'an intention to return' and it has been agreed as part of your support plan.

In considering your abandonment we will take into account:

• Whether there are personal possessions in the Accommodation
• If your mail is being collected
• If you have food in the kitchen
• If you are generating rubbish
• Our attempts to contact your next of kin
• Our attempts to trace you

If it is reasonable to assume that you have abandoned the Accommodation, we will serve you with a Notice to quit and unless we hear from you within the 4 full weeks ending on a Sunday after service of that Notice the Licence Agreement will be deemed terminated.

Your Personal Property

If reasonable efforts to trace you fail, we will dispose of your goods. This includes an entitlement to sell your goods.

Perishable goods will be disposed of immediately. Other goods will be disposed of after a period of 14 days from the end of the notice period, using the council recycling or waste disposal services.

Schedule 6: Licence Charge Arrears Policy and Procedure

It is our policy to deal with Licence Charge arrears promptly to avoid the Licence Agreement ending due to arrears.

General Arrears

Arrears must be paid in addition to on-going Charges due.

Stage 1: Arrears letter 1 is issued when you have 4 weeks of outstanding Charges and gives you 2 weeks to repay the arrears. This letter, where possible, should be issued in person. You should arrange a repayment plan as soon as possible.

Stage 2: Arrears letter 2 is issued if the repayment plan has not been achieved within the 2 week period that has been granted at Stage 1. This gives you 2 further weeks in which to make the repayment.

Stage 3: A Notice to quit is issued stating that the Licence Agreement will be terminated 28 days after service on you and that you will then be required to vacate the Accommodation if the arrears remain outstanding after 4 weeks of arrears letter 1 being issued. This will only be withdrawn on receipt of the full amount owed being paid within 14 days. However, it can be suspended if an agreed repayment plan is being complied with and be re-activated if repayments cease. Any suspension will be in writing.

Should you fail to comply with the Notice to Quit we may start proceedings to obtain a possession order for your removal from the Accommodation unless you are deemed to have abandoned the Accommodation (see above).

All arrears letters and Notice to quit, along with any agreed repayment plans will be copied and kept in the warnings section of your file.

Housing Benefit

If you are eligible for Housing Benefit you are responsible for ensuring that effective claims are made and maintained. Staff will advise and support you to do this.

If you make applications for Housing Benefit you are required to complete an application, via staff, with all the information they require within 7 days of the date of the start date of your Licence Agreement. If you have not provided this information within 7 days, you will be issued with a 7 day Notice to quit which will be withdrawn if the information is provided within the timescale.

If you do not inform us of a change of circumstances that will affect your Housing Benefit claim you will be issued with a 28 day Notice to quit. This will be withdrawn providing that your claim for Housing Benefit has been addressed within the timescale.

Arrears Persist if You Move

If we choose to exercise the discretion we have retained to move you from the Accommodation this shall be without prejudice to your obligation to pay accrued Charge arrears.

Schedule 7: Complaints Procedure

We encourage you to comment on the standard and quality of the services received. This information can be used to improve the service and to address bad practice.

Complaints can be made for a number of reasons:

• Substandard quality of service
• Behaviour of a member of staff
• Poor attitude of a staff member
• Not providing adequate support
• Problems with accommodation not being resolved in a timely manner

Confidentiality will be maintained throughout the complaints procedure. Only those staff that need to know about the complaint will have access to details.

Management support will be offered to you from the outset of a complaint. Access to independent advice or help will assist with overcoming many of the barriers that you may encounter. This may be from friends, relatives, advice centres or local advocacy groups.

All complaints will initially be dealt with by a manager. The complaint will be acknowledged within 3 days of receipt and will be responded to within 10 days. If the matter can be sorted out quickly and to your satisfaction at this stage, it will not be necessary to treat it as a formal complaint.

All complaints, whether formal or informal, are always discussed through the line management structure and are logged.

Schedule 8: Appeals Procedure

You are entitled to appeal against implementation of our procedures as follows:

An appeal may be made within 5 working days of the warning of notice to be issued. The appeal must be made in writing and will be heard by the manager. You will be notified in writing of the decision and the reasons for it within 10 working days from receipt of the notice to appeal.

If you are not happy with the decision made by us, the final stage of the appeals process is an appeals panel consisting of two members of staff and the manager. The appeal will be heard within 14 days from its receipt, and the decision and the reasons for it will be notified in writing immediately.

Nothing in this procedure attempts to remove your rights at law. Advice at any stage may be sought from any advice agency or solicitor.

Schedule 9: Privacy Policy

1. What Is Your Personal Data?

When you come into contact with us as a supporter, volunteer, trainee, or for any other reason, you will be giving us data about yourself.

Personal data is any information that identifies you. It might not be just obvious things like your name and address, but it can be any piece of information that can be identified as referring to you rather than anyone else. How we treat this information is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

2. Who Are We?

The charity, Handcrafted Projects, is committed to protecting your privacy and letting you know why we have it and what we are doing with it. Under the GDPR, we are known as a 'Data Controller' because we decide what personal data to collect and what we do with it.

3. How Do We Collect Your Personal Data?

Whenever you make contact with us:

If you ask us about our activities, make a donation to us, buy a product, apply for a vacancy, access training or get support from us, you are likely to be giving us your personal information.

When others tell us about you:

If you are referred to us for support by another organisation, or if a third party passes your details to us for any reason, we will get some personal data.

If we are giving you support:

If you are referred to us for support, we will collect and store the referral form, which includes information such as your name and date of birth and the reasons for the referral. We will then keep an ongoing record of our contact with you, the activities you do with us, our assessments and reviews of your needs and how we are meeting them.

4. How Do We Use Your Personal Data?

We use your personal data so that we can:

• Provide the services that we have been set up to provide as specified in our stated aims and activities.
• Keep up-to-date records of trainees, residents, staff and volunteers.
• Maintain the documentation we are required to keep by law (for example, to comply with the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Act 2016, which requires us to identify supporters who make any major gifts).
• Fundraise and promote the interests of the charity (for example your email address so that we can send you updates about opportunities to support our work).
• Communicate between members of the staff, volunteer teams and referring organisations (for example, to let a referrer know that you have been coming along to our training).
• Manage risk and ensure safety (for example, contact and next-of-kin details in case of an emergency).

We are careful to only collect and keep the information that we need to do our job. We keep the information we have about you up-to-date and correct it as soon as we find out if there are any errors in it. We are also committed to making sure your personal data is secure and does not fall into the wrong hands.

Where your data is stored electronically, we ensure that it can only be accessed by members of the staff team, protected according to our strict passwords and devices policy and stored in systems that are compliant with GDPR.

5. What About Sensitive Personal Information?

From time to time, you might tell us about a personal experience or give us information about your health, race, ethnic origin, political opinions, sex life, sexual orientation or religious beliefs. This is Sensitive Personal Information that is recognised under Data Protection Law as needing particular care.

We will only use this information:

• To tailor our support for you personally.
• To internally monitor or evaluate the services we provide.

We will not pass these details to anyone else without your permission except in exceptional circumstances where, for example, there is a risk of serious self-harm or a threat to others.

If you give us details of your personal life for inclusion in a blog post or other media, we will make sure that you are happy for us to share this before we publish it. You can change your mind about this at any time and let us know by contacting us.

6. What Is the Legal Basis for Using Your Personal Data?

We are legally allowed to use your personal data if you have given us consent to do so for a specific purpose.

Additionally, we are permitted to keep and process your personal data so that we can fulfil a contract you have with us. This can happen when you ask us to do something for you; it doesn't require a signed piece of paper, but you may be applying for a job, buying a product or getting help from us.

Unusually, we may also have to disclose some of your personal data to protect your "vital interests". This only applies in cases of life or death, such as where your medical history is disclosed to a hospital's A&E department after a serious accident.

7. Do We Ever Share Your Personal Data With Others?

Your personal data will be treated as strictly confidential and will only be shared with other members of the staff team and volunteers in order to provide our services, or if we are legally required to disclose information.

We will never pass your personal data to others so that they can contact you for marketing purposes.

We will only share personally identifiable data with third parties outside of the charity with your consent, as part of a contract, or if it is of vital interest. If we need to do this we will also make sure that any third parties have similar measures in place to protect your privacy according to the Law.

8. For How Long Do We Keep Your Personal Data?

In accordance with the guidance set out by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) we do not keep data for longer than we need to. In some cases, this will be limited because the contact is brief and we are unlikely to need information to process a complaint or claim in the future. We audit and delete or archive information annually. However, because we work with vulnerable adults, our policy is that we will keep most data forever.

9. Do I Have Any Rights Over My Personal Data?

• You have the right to request a copy of the personal data which Handcrafted Projects holds about you. You can do this by writing to us. We will respond to all requests within 30 days of receiving a written request.
• You have the right to request that Handcrafted Projects corrects any details in your data if they are inaccurate or out of date.
• Where you have given consent for us to use your personal data for a specific purpose, you have the right to withdraw this consent at any time by telling us.
• You can lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).

10. Updates to This Notice

We will regularly review this notice as any of our activities, processes or national regulations change. If there is any significant change to the way we intend to handle your personal information then we will inform you of this.

This notice was last updated and published on 19 June 2018.

11. Contact Details

Contact us

Handcrafted
Unit 21
Skillion Business Park
Littleburn Road
DH7 7RP
Call 0191 3781562 or email info@handcrafted.org.uk

Contact the Information Commissioners Office

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Call 0303 123 1113 or email via https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/