Privacy Notice for Parents / Carers of Adults

 

Under the UK-GDPR (Data Protection Act 2018), individuals have a right to be informed about how Cedar uses any personal data that we hold about them. We comply with this right by providing ‘privacy notices’ to individuals where we are processing their personal data.

 

This privacy notice explains how we collect, store and use personal data about carers of our adult service users.

 

We, The Cedar Foundation, are the ‘data controller’ for the purposes of data protection law.

 

The personal data we hold

 

We process a Personal Data of individuals who access our adult services to comply with requirements to evidence the health and social care service we have provided.  Detail on this is provided through their service user handbook or guide issued when they first access the relevant service.

 

Occasionally we may collect, use, store and share (when appropriate) about parents / carers of our adult service users if those individuals are involved in their care or support.  This would normally done with the consent of the service user.

The person data we hold could include, but not be restricted to:

• Contact details including telephone number, email address
• Contact preferences
• Correspondence
• Information you share with us
• CCTV footage (only where relevant – signage will be available where CCTV is used)

 

Why we use this data

 

We use this data to:

 

• Enable us to contact carers in an emergency
• Contact carers to discuss support of the service user, if relevant and if the service user consents
• Comply with the law regarding data sharing

 

Our legal basis for using this data

 

We only collect and use carer personal data when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we process it where:

 

• We have a ‘legitimate interest’ to do so (to help us deliver a safe and effective service)

 

Collecting this information

 

While the majority of information we collect about our service users and their carers is mandatory, there is some information that can be provided voluntarily.

 

Whenever we seek to collect information from you or your family member, we make it clear whether providing it is mandatory or optional. If it is mandatory, we will explain the possible consequences of not complying.

 

How we store this data

 

We keep personal information about our service users while they are attending or accessing our service. We also need to keep it beyond them completing our service to comply with any legal requirements and also our requirement to have adequate insurance. 

 

We aim to keep your data safe and secure and ensure that anyone we share your information with also meets our data security requirements. Our record retention schedule sets out how long we keep information. It is a currently requirement of our insurance cover terms & conditions that we normally keep records of the service provided to the service user for 30 years. This may include contact details of carers.

 

Records Management Database (iplanit)

 

Most of our service records are stored electronically either on our server or on our information management system, iplanit.  Both these systems are secure electronic data management platforms and with access only available to authorised users with both passwords required. Aspirico (the company that manages iplanit) is fully ISO27001 certified to help ensure data is completely secure.

 

For more information, see iplanit FAQ | You Ask, We Answer | Aspirico

 

Data sharing

 

We do not share information about young people or parents/carers with any third party without consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so.

 

Where it is legally required, or necessary (and it complies with data protection law) we may share personal information about our service users or parents/carers with:

• The local Health & Social Care Trust (HSCT) – to meet our legal obligations to share certain information with it, such as safeguarding concerns and exclusions
• Our regulator, RQIA, where relevant to the service
• Suppliers and service providers – to enable them to provide the service we have contracted them for
• Our auditors - to assist them discharging their legal duties
• Professional advisers and consultants – were they are supporting service improvement
• PSNI, courts, tribunals – to assist them discharging their legal duties

 

 

Transferring data internationally

 

Where we transfer personal data to a country or territory outside the European Economic Area, we will do so in accordance with data protection law.

 

Parents/carers regarding personal data

 

Individuals have a right to make a ‘subject access request’ to gain access to personal information that Cedar holds about them.

 

Parents/carers are not entitled to make a request with respect to their family members data when the service user is an adult, unless they have legal power to do this.  If we receive a subject access request from a carer of an adult service user to access personal data related to the service user, we have a legal duty to ensure appropriate authority is in place to make the request before we can respond.  We therefore may ask you for proof of this e.g. a court order granting Power of Attorney.

 

Carers do have the right to make a subject access request with respect to any personal data we hold about them.

 

If you make a subject access request, if we do hold information about and are able to release it subject to Data Protection law, we will:

 

• Give you a description of it
• Tell you why we are holding and processing it, and how long we will keep it for
• Explain where we got it from, if not from you or your family member
• Tell you who it has been, or will be, shared with
• Let you know whether any automated decision-making is being applied to the data, and any consequences of this
• Give you a copy of the information in an intelligible form

 

Individuals also have the right for their personal information to be transmitted electronically to another organisation in certain circumstances.

 

If you would like any information please ask a member of the office team, or email our Data Protection Officer at [email protected]

 

Other rights

 

Under data protection law, individuals have certain rights regarding how their personal data is used and kept safe, including the right to:

• Object to the use of personal data if it would cause, or is causing, damage or distress
• Prevent it being used to send direct marketing
• Object to decisions being taken by automated means (by a computer or machine, rather than by a person)
• In certain circumstances, have inaccurate personal data corrected, deleted or destroyed, or restrict processing
• Claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the data protection regulations

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer.

 

If you have any questions, concerns or would like more information about anything mentioned in this privacy notice, please speak to your Cedar keyworker, Registered / Service manager, or email our Data Protection Officer [email protected]

 

Complaints

 

We take any complaints about our collection and use of personal information very seriously.  If you think that our collection or use of personal information is unfair, misleading or inappropriate, or have any other concern about our data processing, please raise this with us in the first instance. Complaints can be raised by emailing [email protected] 

 

To make a complaint in relation to personal data, please contact our Data Protection Officer at email address above.

 

Alternatively, you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office:

 

• Report a concern online at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/
• Call 0303 123 1113
• Or write to: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF