General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Privacy Notice
Introduction
This notice sets out information relating to the use of your personal data in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We take our obligations concerning your data seriously, and we aim to demonstrate, through the use of this notice, what kind of data we collect, how it is processed, and meet our other responsibilities for notification to you under GDPR.
1. Business Details
This is the privacy notice of SureCare Community Services Limited, which is a Data Controller.
SureCare Community Services Limited offers franchised opportunities within the care sector. All of SureCare franchisees must be registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide personal care services to people in their own homes.
Our trading address is at Suite 1, 2nd Floor, Maple House, Park West Business Park, Sealand Road, Chester, CH1 4RN.
Our registered office is at 2nd Floor, Maple House, Park West Business Park, Sealand Road, Chester, CH1 4RN.
2. Aims of this notice
We are required by law to tell you about your rights and our obligations regarding the collection and processing of any of your personal information, which we may obtain about you. We have a range of policies and procedures to ensure that any personal information you supply is only with your active consent and will always be held securely and treated confidentially in line with the applicable regulations. We have listed the relevant documents in a later section (6) and these can be viewed at any time.
3. What personal information we collect about: a) our franchisees b) prospective franchisees c) service users d) employees and e) third parties
- Franchisees. As a franchised organisation, we inevitably collect personal information on our franchisees, being such things as: name and address details, contact information (e.g. emails address and phone numbers), age, siblings /next of kin details, gender and financial information including monthly turnover, and year-end accounts. This information is essential to being able to provide our support services to our franchised network.
- Prospective Franchisees. Personal information being such things as: name and address details, contact information (e.g. email addresses and phone numbers) that is collated from a prospective franchisee will be held on a secure database for marketing purposes only. We will not sell your data to any third party. Your personal information or consent can be deleted/withdrawn from any marketing use of your data.
- Service users. We may collect personal information concerning our service users from our franchisees where necessary to monitor compliance with our franchise agreements from time to time to ensure that our expected standards are being adhered to. Additionally, we may receive, and direct the receipt by, First Call Community Systems Limited of personal data held by our franchisees where it is necessary to do so to ensure the continuity of care services in certain circumstances. This may happen, for example, where First Call Community Systems Limited is nominated by us pursuant to our franchise agreements to take over the conduct of a franchise business following, for example, the termination of the relationship between SureCare us and the franchisee.These details may include such things as the name, address, contact information (e.g. email addresses and phone numbers), age, siblings/next of kin details, gender and financial information, which is essential to being able to provide effective care and support. The information may be contained in individual files (manual and electronic) and other recording systems, all of which would be subject to strict security and authorised access policies. Personal information which becomes inactive, which is usually from the cessation of services being provided will be kept for a period of 6 years, in line with current legislation.In relation to service users, we may collect special category data in the limited circumstances identified above, such as that relating to race, ethnic origin, religion, health and sexual orientation. Where we do so, it is only for the purpose of providing care services to our service users, whom would consent to the processing of such data, to enable us to fulfil our contractual duties to the service user and other legitimate reasons relating to the provision of care services. Such data is processed in line with our policies and strict measures taken to ensure data security at all times.
- Employees. The service operates a safe recruitment policy to comply with the regulations in which all personal information obtained, including CVs and references, is, like all franchisees’ information, securely kept, retained and disposed of in line with data protection requirements and is disposed of securely after the mandatory 6 year period. All employees are aware of their right to access any information about them under the Subject Access Request Procedure.
- Third parties. All personal information obtained about others associated with the franchised organisation, including contractors, training providers, mailshots, website providers, etc. will be protected in the same ways as information on franchisees and employees; where the individual’s personal details are kept on the file in relation to a service user employee, and information will be destroyed at the same time as any date concerning the service user or employee.
4. How we collect information
The bulk of franchisees’, employees’ and thirds parties’ personal information is collected directly from them or through form filling, mainly manually, but also electronically for some purposes, eg when contacting the service via its website.
With franchisees, we might continue to build on the information provided in their enquiry forms, and, for example, from an individual enquiry through our website, which feeds into their application forms. Third parties may provide us with information, such as financial services and banks, again, for the purpose of assisting us in the recruitment process of a franchisee and relates only to the individual concerned.
Along with franchisees and employees, personal information is obtained directly and with their consent through such means as references, testimonials and criminal records (DBS) checks. When recruiting either franchisees or staff, we seek applicants explicit consent to obtain all the information needed for us to decide to either enter in a franchise agreement for a potential franchisee or employ them.
All personal information obtained is to meet the regulatory requirements and will always be treated in line with our explicit consent, data protection and confidentiality policies.
Our website and databases are regularly checked to ensure they meet all of the necessary privacy standards and comply with our general data protection security and protection policies.
5. What we do with personal information
All personal information obtained on prospect franchisees, franchisees, franchisees service users, employees and third parties is used only to ensure that we provide a franchising service, which is consistent with our purpose of providing franchisees to develop their own successful business in the care sector, which meets all of the regulatory standards and requirements. It will not be disclosed or shared for any other purpose.
6. How we keep your information safe
As already stated, the service has a range of policies that enable us to comply with all data protection requirements. Foremost are:
- Access to Employee Data under the GDPR
- Access to Service Users Records
- Computer Security
- Concerns and Complaints
- Confidentiality – General
- Confidentiality of Service Users’ Information
- Consent to Care and Treatment
- Data Protection and Compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation
- Information Governance under the General Data Protection Regulation and NHS Records Management Code of Practice
- Records & Record Keeping – Service Users in Domiciliary Care
- Safe Recruitment and Selection in Domiciliary Care
- Sharing Information with Other Providers and Agencies in Domiciliary Care.
7. With whom we might share information
We only share the personal information of potential franchisees, franchisees, employees and others with their consent, and for legitimate purposes in supporting our franchisees in the provision of care services, observing strict protocols in doing so, and assisting prospective franchisees in meeting their commercial objectives and performing our franchise agreements. Most information sharing is with other professionals and agencies involved with either establishing a new franchise so information may be shared with a bank or finance company or indirectly with Franchisees service users involved with their care and treatment for example local Authority, GP District Nurse etc. Likewise, we would not disclose information about our employees without their clear agreement, eg when providing a reference.
The only exceptions to this general rule would be where we are required by law to provide information, eg to help with a criminal investigation. Even when seeking to notify the local authority of a safeguarding matter or the Care Quality Commission of an incident that requires us to notify it, we would only do so with consent or ensure that the information provided is treated in confidence.
Where we provide information for statistical purposes, the information is aggregated and provided anonymized so that there is no privacy risk involved in its use.
8. How personal information held by SureCare Community Services Limited can be accessed
There are procedures in place to enable any service user, employee or third party whose personal information we possess and might process in some way to have access to that information on request. (See the policies listed in No. 6 above.) The right to access includes both the information and any uses which we might have made of the information.
9. How long we keep information
There are strict protocols in place that determine how long the organisation will keep the information, which are in line with the relevant legislation and regulations. Typically, we would retain the information during the course of the relationship with the party concerned, if care services are being provided, or employment being maintained, or there is some ongoing relationship with the third party concerned. Where any such relationship ends, we shall retain the data for a period of six years in the absence of compelling reasons for us to extend that period. This may happen if, for example, there were to be an ongoing investigation regarding a service user extend past that period, and the data needs to be retained for that purpose.
10. Data Protection Officer
We are not required to appoint a Data Protection Officer under the GDPR. However, we have taken the decision to appoint a Data Protection Lead (DPL), and our DPL is Carolyn Griffiths. Any request for information concerning personal data held within our organisation should be made of: carolyn.griffiths@surecare.co.uk.
11. How we keep our privacy policies up to date
The staff appointed to control and process personal information in our organisation are delegated to assess all privacy risks continuously and to carry out comprehensive reviews of our data protection policies, procedures and protocols at least annually.
12. Rights of access to personal data
Under the GDPR, individuals whose data we process have the right to:
- Request access to, deletion of, correction of, their personal data;
- Request their personal data be transferred to another person; and
- Complain to the supervisory authority, which would be the Information Commissioners Office, which is contactable on 0303 123 1113 and online at www.ico.org.uk
Privacy & Cookies Policy
This website’s privacy policy is served by SureCare Community Services Limited and governs the privacy of users accessing this website. The policy sets out the different areas where user privacy is concerned and outlines the obligations and requirements of the users, the website and website owners. Furthermore the way this website processes, stores and protects user data and information will also be detailed within this policy.
The Website
This website and its owners take a proactive approach to user privacy and ensure the necessary steps are taken to protect the privacy of its users throughout their visiting experience. This website complies to all UK national laws and requirements for user privacy.
Use of Cookies
This website uses cookies to better the user’s experience while visiting the website, by using our website, you consent to us storing cookies. This complies with the latest legislation requirements for websites to obtain explicit consent from users before leaving behind or reading files such as cookies on a user’s computer or device.
Cookies are small files saved to the hard drive of the user’s device, which track, save and store information about the user’s interactions and usage of the website. This allows the website, through its server to provide the users with a tailored experience within this website. Cookies typically expire after 30 days, though in some cases they may last longer. No personal information is stored, saved or collected.
Users are advised that if they wish to deny the use and saving of cookies from this website onto their device’s hard drive, they should take necessary steps within their web browsers security settings to block all cookies from this website and its external serving vendors.
Using anonymous data allows us to get an insight into the ways in which our pages are visited and for how long. This information is used to improve and optimise our website:
- _ga: Used for Google Analytics – Expires after 2 years
- _gat: Used for Google Analytics – Expires after 1 day
- _gid: Used for Google Analytics – Expires after 1 day
More information: (https://policies.google.com/privacy)
The following cookies may be used for marketing purposes to show advertisements to those interested:
- _fbp: Used for Facebook – Expires after 3 months
- fr: Used for Facebook – Expires after 3 months
- tr: Used for Facebook – Expires after the end of the session (when you close your browser)
More information: (https://www.facebook.com/policy.php)
Third-party cookies are set by other websites. We use their online tools to make our website work better for you and to give you access to more information, for information on their policies please refer to:-
Contact and Communication
Users contacting this website and/or its owners do so at their own discretion and provide any such personal details requested at their own risk. Any personal information submitted is kept private and stored securely until a time it is no longer required or has no use. Every effort has been made to ensure a safe and secure form to email submission process but users are advised that by using such form to email processes is done so at their own risk.
This website and its owners use any submitted information to provide users with further information about the products/services offered or to assist in answering any submitted questions or queries.
External Links
Although this website only looks to include quality, safe and relevant external links, users are advised adopt a policy of caution before clicking any external web links mentioned throughout this website. (External links are clickable text / banner / image links to other websites)
The owners of this website cannot guarantee or verify the contents of any externally linked website despite their best efforts. Users should therefore note they click on external links at their own risk and this website and its owners cannot be held liable for any damages or implications caused by visiting any external links mentioned.
Social Media Platforms
Communication, engagement and actions taken through external social media platforms that this website and its owners participate on are custom to the terms and conditions as well as the privacy policies held with each social media platform respectively.
Users are advised to use social media platforms wisely and communicate / engage upon them with due care and caution in regard to their own privacy and personal details. This website nor its owners will ever ask for personal or sensitive information through social media platforms and encourage users wishing to discuss sensitive details to contact them through primary communication channels such as by telephone or email.
This website may use social sharing buttons which help share web content directly from web pages to the social media platform in question. Users are advised before using such social sharing buttons that they do so at their own discretion and note that the social media platform may track and save your request to share a web page respectively through your social media platform account.
Shortened Links in Social Media
This website and its owners through their social media platform accounts may share web links to relevant web pages. By default some social media platforms shorten lengthy URLs (web addresses).
Users are advised to take caution and good judgement before clicking any shortened urls published on social media platforms by this website and its owners. Despite the best efforts to ensure only genuine urls are published many social media platforms are prone to spam and hacking and therefore this website and its owners cannot be held liable for any damages or implications caused by visiting any shortened links.
This page last updated: June 2023