What information do we collect about you and why do we do this?

We may collect personal information from you where it is relevant to you accessing our services. Due to the nature of our services this is often sensitive information. The information we collect can include but is not limited to contact details, physical or mental health information, personal situation and some other types of information. We hold this material where it is relevant to our services offered to you.

The legal basis we hold this information on is consent.  When you consent for us to hold this information, this includes the storage, retention and sharing of information with partners and funders where there is an agreement in place. Your consent is entirely voluntary and can be withdrawn at any time using the contact details below:

  1. Where do we collect this information from

We collect this information from referral documents, from you in phone or face-to-face interviews, from other related parties and also any other person your worker considers it necessary to speak to, where you give consent.

  1. How will we use your information?

We will use this information to provide appropriate services to you based on your consent and need, and to record the services we provide to you for quality monitoring purposes, contract reporting purposes and for evaluation of services.  We will also use this information to communicate with you. Where there is a risk to your wellbeing we may use your information to safeguard you.

  1. Who will we share your information with?

Information is shared with referral agencies, children’s services and/or funding agencies, where there is a contract or third party agreement in place to ensure the confidentiality of your case. We will not otherwise share your data for any other reason, e.g. for marketing purposes.  If we need to share your information for safeguarding purposes we will endeavour to inform you of this where possible.   PLEASE NOTE that the content of sessions will remain confidential unless the individual involved chooses to share this information.

  1. How long do you keep my information for?

We review our retention periods for personal information and sensitive personal information on a regular basis. We are legally required to hold some types of information. We will hold your personal information on our systems for only as long as is necessary for the relevant activity.

  1. Can I see what information you hold on me?

You have the right to see what information we hold on you.  This is called a data subject access request.

  1. Can you correct my information if I know it is wrong?

You have a right to ask us to correct any inaccuracies in the information we hold about you. Please contact the office if any of the information we have recorded about you is not correct or is out of date. We will either amend the information, or add a note to show that it is contested

  1. How do you keep my information secure?

We understand that, due to the nature of the work we carry out with children and families, we often deal with personal information that is sensitive. It is our duty to handle this information correctly and protect it from falling into the wrong hands. We protect it by holding your information on secure premises, and electronic data on secure servers.   We also send sensitive information by secure methods, either by secure postal services or electronically via secure email. This ensures that only those with the right to view the information can access it.

  1. What to do if you think there is a problem with the way we handle your information

Please contact us if you have any questions about our privacy notice, the information we hold about you, or how we handle this information:

  • by email: manager@acornsproject.org.uk
  • by post: Manager, Acorns, 7 Alma Place, North Shields, NE29 OLZ

If you have any further concerns about how we handle your information, you have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who regulate compliance with data protection legislation: ico.org.uk/