your privacy

Our Privacy Statement

As part of the services we offer, we are required to process personal data about our staff, our customers and, in some instances, the friends or relatives of our service users and staff. “Processing” can mean collecting, recording, organising, storing, sharing or destroying data.  We are committed to providing transparent information on why we need your personal data and what we do with it. This information is set out in this privacy notice. It will also explain your rights when it comes to your data.  

What data do we have?

As part of our work providing high-quality care and support, it might be necessary that we hold the following information on you.

• Your basic details and contact information e.g. your name and address.
• Details of your GP and any other medical professionals involved in your care.
• Details of your past and current medical history 
• Details of your nest of kin. 
• Details of how you pay us or your funding arrangements.

We also record the following data which is classified as “special category”

Health and social care data about you, which might include both your physical and mental health data. We may also record data about your race, ethnic origin, sexual orientation or religion.

Why do we have this data?

We require this data so that we can provide high-quality care and support. By law, we need to have a lawful basis for processing your personal data.

We process your data because

• We are required to do so in our performance of a public task
• We are required to do so in order to fulfil a contraction that we have with you
• We have a legal obligation to do so – generally under the Health and Social Care Act 2012 or Mental Capacity Act 2005.

We process your special category data because

• It is necessary due to social security and social protection law
• It is necessary for us to provide and manage social care services
• We are required to provide data to our regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), as part of our public interest obligations

We may also process your data with your consent. If we need to ask for your permission, we will offer you a clear choice and ask that you confirm to us that you consent. We will also explain clearly to you what we need the data for and how you can withdraw your consent.  

Where do we process your data?

So that we can provide you with high quality care and support we need specific data.  This is collected from or shared with:-

• You or your legal representative(s)
• Third parties.We do this face by to face, via phone, via email, via our website, or via post.
• Third parties are organisations we have a legal reason to share your data with. 

These include:

• Other parts of the health and care system such as local hospitals, the GP, the pharmacy, social workers, clinical commissioning groups, and other health and care professionals
• The Local Authority
• Organisations we have a legal obligation to share information with i.e. for safeguarding
• The CQC
• The police or other law enforcement agencies if we have to by law or court order.

Why do we have this data?

By law, we need to have a lawful basis for processing your personal data.We process your data because we have a legitimate business interest in holding next of kin and lasting power of attorney information about the individuals who use our service.We may also process your data with your consent. If we need to ask for your permission, we will offer you a clear choice and ask that you confirm to us that you consent. We will also explain clearly to you what we need the data for and how you can withdraw your consent.  

Our Website

If you use our website to contact us, the data that we keep about you will include all contact information that you have provided in the form.We do not monitor, or keep data on the IP address of visitors.

On Facebook 

If you use our Facebook page to contact us, the data we keep will include all the information you have provided in your message or post.

Your rights

The data that we keep about you is your data and we ensure that we keep it confidential and that it is used appropriately. You have the following rights when it comes to your data.

• You have the right to request a copy of all of the data we keep about you. Generally, we will not charge for this service;
• You have the right to ask us to correct any data we have which you believe to be inaccurate. You can also request that we restrict all processing of your data while we consider your rectification request;
• You have the right to request that we erase any of your personal data, which is no longer necessary for the purpose we originally collected it for.
• You can ask for your data to be erased if we have asked for your consent to process your data. You can withdraw consent at any time – please contact us to do so.
• If we are processing your data as part of our legitimate interests as an organisation or in order to complete a task in the public interest, you have the right to object to that processing. 
• You may also request that we restrict processing if we no longer require your personal data for the purpose we originally collected it for, but you do not wish for it to be erased*. 

*We will restrict all processing of data while we look into any objection you raise. You may need to provide adequate information for our staff to be able to identify you, for example, a passport or driver’s licence.  This is to make sure that data is not shared with the wrong person inappropriately. We will always respond to your request as soon as possible and at the latest within one month.

We retain our data in line with the Information Governance Alliance’s guidelines