PRIVACY NOTICE – Adult Social Care

Autism Together collect and process personal data about individuals for the purpose of arranging, providing, managing and evaluating care and associated services to meet the needs of individuals. We are committed to the privacy and security of that data and to meeting our data protection obligations.

Who we are?

Autism Together provide services for individuals with autism including registered residential care, domiciliary care, vocational day services, supported living, respite and work placements.

What information do we collect?

In order for us to provide you with a service we collect and process a range of information about you. This includes and is not exclusive to the following:

  • Name, date of birth, address, gender and NHS number
  • Details of your family and people who care for you
  • Information about people who might legally represent you
  • Details of placement and schools (if significant)
  • Details about your lifestyle, social and personal circumstances
  • Visual images, personal appearance, behaviour and risk information
  • Details about your learning needs
  • Benefit entitlements
  • Financial information for purposes of receiving or making payments, and calculating how much you might have to pay towards some services we provide or organise for you

We may also process the following special category data that requires more protection due to its confidential or sensitive nature:

  • Physical and mental health
  • Racial or ethnic origin
  • Religious or other beliefs of a similar nature

Other sensitive data that requires more protection:

  • Criminal convictions and offences (including alleged offences)

Why we use your personal information

  • To communicate with you
  • To undertake assessment of your needs
  • To provide the service/s you requested for
  • To investigate concerns or complaints you may have
  • To provide effective care and support
  • To detect and prevent fraud or crime
  • To help with service delivery and training of staff

Our legal basis for processing personal data

  • To comply with our legal obligations
  • Legitimate interests
  • To protect the vital interests of a person or of another natural person
  • To provide health or social care services

Who do we share personal data with?

We only share the personal information on a “need to know” basis, observing strict protocols in doing so. Most information sharing is with other professionals and agencies involved with your care and treatment.

In some limited circumstances, we may be legally required to share certain personal data, which might include yours, if we are involved in safeguarding, legal proceedings or complying with legal obligations, a court order, or the instructions of a government authority.

If any of your personal data is required by a third party, as described above, we will take steps to ensure that your personal data is handled safely, securely, and in accordance with your rights, our obligations, and the third party’s obligations under the law.

Where do we store and process personal data?

Data will be stored securely in a range of different places, including electronic and manual filing systems.

How do we keep your personal data secure?

We take the security of your data seriously. We have internal policies and controls in place to ensure that your data is not lost, accidentally destroyed, misused or disclosed, and is not accessed except by our staff in proper performance of their duties. Our staff undertake data protection awareness training.

How long do we keep your personal data for?

We will only retain your information for as long as we need to support the purposes for which it was collected. Records are maintained in line with Autism Together’s retention schedule which determines the length of time records should be kept. Data held is then confidentially destroyed and/or deleted.

National Data Opt Out

When you use a health or care service, information is collected about you in a patient record for that service to support your care and treatment. The information collected can also be used and provided to other organisations for the purpose of research and planning when there is clear legal basis.

You have a choice about whether you want your confidential patient information to be used in this way. If you are satisfied with this use of your information, there is no requirement for you to do anything. If you do choose to opt out, your confidential patient information will still be used to support your individual care.

For more information or to register your choice to opt out, please visit: www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters

At this time, Autism Together does not share any data for planning or research purposes for which the national data opt out would apply. We review this on an annual basis for any new processing.

Autism Together is currently compliant with the national data opt out policy.

Your rights in relation to personal data

You have the following rights in relation to the personal data we hold on you:

  • The right to be informed about the data we hold on you and what we do with it
  • The right of access to the data we hold on you. We have procedures in place for Subject Access Request and all such requests will be dealt with accordingly
  • The right for any inaccuracies in the data we hold on you, however they come to light, to be corrected. This is also known as ‘rectification’
  • The right to have data deleted in certain circumstances. This is also known as ‘erasure’
  • The right to restrict the processing of the data
  • The right to transfer the data we hold on you to another party. This is also known as ‘portability’
  • The right to object to the inclusion of any information
  • The right to regulate any automated decision-making and profiling of personal data. We do not use your data in this way.

Contact details of data controller:

Autism Together

Wirral Centre for Autism

Oak House

6 Tebay Road

Bromborough

Wirral

CH62 3PA

Tel: 0151 334 7510

If you have any concerns or complaints about the way we handle your personal data, or to exercise your rights, contact in the first instance: Data Protection Officer,

If your concern or complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, you can raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/ or at the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, England.

Changes to this notice

We may update this privacy notice from time to time to reflect any necessary changes in our privacy practices. You are encouraged to regularly check for any updated version of this privacy notice.

March 2022