Cheltenham Borough Homes Case Study
Cheltenham Borough Homes (CBH) is an arm’s length management organisation (ALMO) that manages the housing stock on behalf of Cheltenham Borough Council. Established to bring professional management and operational capacity to local housing services.
Cheltenham Borough Homes Case Study, Support Desk Services
Cheltenham Borough Homes manages around 5,000 homes for Cheltenham Borough Council. After their in house data protection resource left, they turned to DPP for Support Desk services to maintain compliance and minimise risk.
“The Support Desk has been a lifeline. From reviewing policies to unpicking complex sharing questions, the advice is always clear and practical.”
The Challenge
Cheltenham Borough Homes faced the familiar challenge of recruiting and retaining specialist data protection staff. With GDPR raising expectations, gaps in dedicated expertise risked policies becoming outdated and complex SARs stretching limited capacity. When their in house resource left, leadership wanted assurance that compliance would remain steady and that decisions could be checked quickly with experts.
Our Solution
- Day to day access to the DPP Support Desk for rapid, plain English advice and confirmation on queries
- Expert input into policy reviews, including enhancements to the Data Protection Policy, aligned to GDPR
- Guidance on complex information sharing arrangements with local partners
- Direct consultant support from a trusted adviser, building a friendly, approachable relationship with the client lead
- Internal awareness building through DPP podcasts and webinars, useful for new starters in data roles
Services used, Support Desk Services, SAR Services.
The Results
- Greater confidence for the client lead, with expert backup on tap
- Clearer, up to date policies and stronger approaches to information sharing
- Higher engagement with data protection across the organisation, fewer avoidable breaches
- Practical learning for new staff via DPP webinars and podcasts
- Reassurance that SARs, policies, and queries can be managed with DPP support
“My relationship with Oliver has been invaluable. He has held my hand through every query and major challenge. It is like talking to a friend rather than a faceless organisation.”
About the Client
Cheltenham Borough Homes is an Arm’s Length Management Organisation managing around 5,000 homes for Cheltenham Borough Council, with significant volumes of resident personal data handled across housing services.
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Related reading, Data Protection Support Desk, How to deal with a SAR.