General Privacy Statement of the Municipality of Heerlen

Why do we collect personal data? 

The municipality considers it important that residents of Heerlen inform us as early as possible about any significant risk of financial problems. An unpaid bill for rent, health insurance, energy, or water can be a sign of financial difficulties. That is why landlords, health insurers, energy companies, and the water company are required to report payment arrears to the municipality of Heerlen. The municipality will then offer you a meeting and help with your financial affairs. We would like to help you.

We need your personal details for this. The Debt Assistance Team of the municipality of Heerlen will contact you by email or telephone. If we do not have your email address and telephone number, you will receive a letter. Sometimes the Debt Assistance Team will visit you at home.

What personal data do we use?

The data we use includes:

• Name, address, and place of residence
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Administration number
• Social Security Number
• Phone number
• Information about outstanding payments
• Information about your current debt assistance program
• Information about contacts with the resident
• Information about the outcome of the contact with the resident
• Information about accepting or rejecting the offer of assistance
• How we will tackle payment arrears
• Solutions and reports from your support workers

Why do we use your data?

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Reviewing and preventing debts that cause problems, impending debts, evictions, disconnections, and mounting collection costs.
• Seeking out, informing, and talking to (employees of) fixed-cost partners and aid organizations.
• Creating reports to improve our services, goals, and rules.
• Conducting research and measurements.
• Conducting research into participant satisfaction.

Who do we share your data with?

We share personal data with the reporting parties. We will indicate whether you agree to us helping you. If you do not want us to receive information about your payment arrears, please notify your landlord, health insurer, energy and/or water company.

The municipality also works together with the Buurtteams . The Heerlen Neighborhood Teams have the knowledge to motivate residents in personal situations to accept help. They also guide and support residents in solving one or more problems. Buurtteams will contact you by telephone and may visit you at home.

We also share personal data with processors who work for us, such as application managers.

Personal data always remains within the countries of the European Union, as well as Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. We do not pass it on to other countries.

How long do we retain personal data?

We do not retain personal data longer than necessary for our purposes. We retain personal data for up to 6 months if:

• The resident does not respond to the offer, does not need help, or does not agree with the offer of help.
• During contact with the resident, it becomes clear that the payment arrears (within 28 days of receipt) no longer exist. Therefore, there is no request for assistance.

What is the legal reason?

A law is required to allow the use of personal data. The municipality is required by law to help you identify payment arrears at an early stage. 

• Municipal Debt Assistance Act, Articles 3, 8b, 8c, and 8d
• Municipal Debt Assistance Act, Article 2(3) and Article 3
• Municipal debt assistance policy plan

Why do we collect personal data?

The tasks for the municipality in relation to youth assistance are laid down in the Youth Act. These involve prevention, support, assistance, and Health children, young people (youths), and their parents in relation to growing up and parenting issues, psychological problems, and disorders.

The municipality is responsible for providing youth assistance. This means that the municipality is responsible for access to youth assistance and for purchasing and reimbursing it. We do not provide youth assistance ourselves. This is done by professionals with whom the municipality has contracts.

To do this, we work with personal data. In this brief privacy statement, we explain what personal data we process about you, for what purposes, and how long we retain your data.

In this brief privacy statement, we explain how we do this.

What personal data do we use?

The data we use includes:

• Name, address, place of residence
• Contact details of the minor making the application and of the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) with parental authority
• Social Security Number of the minor applying and of the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) with parental authority
• Contact details such as telephone number and email address of the parent(s)/legal representative(s) with parental authority and, if applicable, of the young person
• Social network contact details
• Housing situation
• Family composition
• Safety (risks) information
• Information about the development and upbringing of the young person
• Information about the young person's history of receiving assistance
• Contact details and results of all care providers involved
• Health and/or diagnostic data, if necessary
• Information about requested and provided youth assistance
• Reason for termination ofHealth
• Referrer or applicant for youth assistance (such as youth assistance professional, general practitioner, school, OKT)
• Information about objections
• Product code (level of care)

Why do we use your data?

We use your personal data for the following purposes: 

• Guidance toward appropriate youth assistance
• Register for preventive and outpatient youth assistance at JenS Helpt
• Responding to customer questions and recording contact moments
• Establishing the principle of residence
• Conducting a broad clarification of the question
• Preparation of an analysis report with the decision on the use of youth assistance
• Granting decisions and customized agreements for (specific) youth assistance
• Consulting the authority register
• Drawing up a family plan with goals to be achieved
• Giving consent to providers of youth assistance to those seeking help
• Reimbursing costs to providers for youth assistance
• Keeping records for the allocation of youth assistance and financial processing
• Monitoring the budget and managing costs and contracts
• Conducting customer and/or client satisfaction surveys

Who do we share your data with?

If necessary, we may share your data with contracted youth care providers via the municipality of Maastricht. We also share data with JenS for registration for preventive and outpatient youth care. We sometimes share data with referrers and the Social Insurance Bank (for the personal budget). These parties work together with the municipality to implement the Youth Act. 

If we need information from other parties in order to assess your request for assistance, we may sometimes need your consent. We will discuss this with you.  

Personal data always remains within the countries of the European Union, as well as Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, and we do not pass it on to other countries.

How long do we retain personal data?

We do not retain personal data longer than necessary for our tasks or as stipulated in the Public Records Act. We retain the data we process for youth assistance for 20 years.

If we reject the request for youth assistance or declare it inadmissible, we will retain the processed data for six weeks.

What is the legal reason?

A law is required in order to use personal data. The municipality is legally obliged to assist you. The municipality may only process and share personal data if permitted by the Youth Act. 

• Youth Act, Article 2.3, Article 7.4.0, and Article 8.1.1
• Youth Act Regulation (August 16, 2016)

Without this law, the municipality may only share data with the consent of the minor and/or authoritative parent(s) or legal representative. 

Why do we collect personal data?

The municipality is responsible for implementing the Social Support Act 2015 (WMO 2015). This involves supporting residents' independence and participation. Enabling independent living, participation in society, Health support at home/in the neighborhood falls under the WMO. We use personal data to provide this Health support. 

Social shelters are for homeless people with, for example, psychiatric and/or addiction problems who need guidance to build a more stable life. Sheltered housing is for people with (long-term) psychiatric problems, for example. They are not (yet) able to function (entirely) independently within society. Sheltered housing offers them accommodation with 24-hour supervision and support in the neighborhood.

In this brief privacy statement, we explain how we do this.

What personal data do we use?

The data we use includes:

• Name, address, place of residence
• Social Security Number
• Nationality and right of residence
• Contact details such as phone number and email address
• Social network contact details
• Data on self-reliance
• Living situation and family composition
• Information about the route plan and objectives
• Information about actions to be taken and benefits enjoyed
• Information about the healthcare provider(s) involved
• Health information, if necessary to assess the need for support
• Financial information
• Criminal records, if necessary to assess the need for shelter and support from social services and sheltered housing.
• Data on the background of housing history and homelessness from social shelters and protected housing
• Information needed to assess the appropriate form of financing for your support

Why do we use your data?

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Guiding towards appropriate Health
• Conducting an intake and assessment to determine whether a resident is entitled to sheltered housing or social assistance.
• Drawing up a research plan and/or roadmap and sending an indication or award decision
• Providing process and case management to residents with complex care needs
• Responding to customer questions and recording contact moments
• Forwarding the research plan and the decision to cooperation partners who Health for the municipality
• Determining whether the municipality is financially responsible for Health support
• Maintaining records for Health, support, and financial processing
• Handling payments from personal budgets (pgb)
• Investigating the lawful use of allocated personal budgets
• Determining and collecting personal contributions
• Reimbursement of costs to healthcare providers for Health provided
• Performing quality checks on processes and services
• Preparing management reports to improve services and justify policy
• Conducting customer and/or client satisfaction surveys

Who do we share your data with?

Sometimes we need to share your personal data with other organizations. We only do this if it is necessary to perform our tasks properly, or if it is required by law. Sometimes we will ask for your permission first. If necessary, we will let you know in good time.

We work together with various organizations to provide you with Health support services. These include healthcare providers, social service providers, and the Social Insurance Bank (SVB). Within the municipality of Heerlen, we may also share your data with other teams, such as WMO, Youth Act, and Access.

The municipality of Heerlen performs tasks related to sheltered housing and social assistance for the Parkstad municipalities. These are the municipalities of Brunssum, Beekdaelen, Kerkrade, Landgraaf, Simpelveld, and Voerendaal. Because Heerlen is the central municipality, we may also share your data with the other Parkstad municipalities. We only do this if it is necessary to provide appropriate Health support.

For sheltered housing, we work together with the Samenwerkingsverband Beschermd Thuis Parkstad (Parkstad Sheltered Housing Partnership) to meet care needs. We also work together with Levantogroep, the Salvation Army, Credo huis, and other institutions that provide social shelter to provide social shelter services.

Your personal data will always remain within the European Economic Area (EEA). We will not transfer it to other countries.

How long do we retain personal data?

The municipality of Heerlen has a duty to ensure that residents of Heerlen can receive the assistance to which they are entitled. We store data for this purpose for a maximum of 15 years. Sometimes we delete data earlier. 

What is the legal reason?

We only use personal data if permitted by law. The Social Support Act 2015 (WMO 2015) regulates which data the municipality may use to perform its tasks. This is mainly set out in Chapter 5 of the WMO 2015 (in particular Article 5.1.1. and subsequent articles). 

Why do we collect personal data?

The municipality of Heerlen has various tasks to keep the city safe. These include tasks described in the Municipalities Act and the General Local Regulation, among others. These are used to improve the safety and well-being of residents. The Social Safety and Neighborhood Management Team carries out these tasks on behalf of the mayor and the municipal executive. Personal data may be used to carry out these tasks.   

What personal data do we use? 

The data we use includes:

• Name, address, place of residence
• Date of birth and/or age
• Gender
• Contact details such as email address and phone number
• Social security number
• Financial/tax information
• Criminal records
• Health information
• Police records

Why do we use your data? 

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Imposition of various administrative measures based on, among other things, the General Local Regulation, Nuisance Act, Residential Nuisance Act, Municipalities Act, Opium Act
• Inspection of (vacant) commercial premises, coffee shops, and (vacant) garage boxes
• Advising on the risks and use of powers by the mayor during protests and demonstrations
• Advising on the use of camera surveillance
• Application of the Bibob Act (Act promoting integrity assessments by public authorities)
• Advising on how to deal with troublemakers at events, e.g., soccer games
• Advising on how to tackle youth nuisance
• Advising on how to deal with neighborhood disturbances
• Inspection of hospitality establishments and digital buyers register and purchasing register (Wpg)
• Advising on improving social safety and quality of life 

Who do we share your data with?

If necessary, the municipality of Heerlen will share your personal data with, among others, the police and the Public Prosecution Service. We may also share your personal data with chain partners such as the Parkstad Health and housing associations. Conversely, we may also receive your personal data from these organizations. Your personal data will always remain within the European Economic Area and will not be transferred to other countries.

How long do we retain personal data?

The municipality does not retain your personal data longer than necessary. Personal data is usually retained for 5 years. 

What is the legal reason?

The municipality of Heerlen uses your personal data based on our legal authority and public law duties. In some situations, we may use your personal data if there is a life-threatening situation. In the GDPR, this is referred to as a 'vital interest'.