Privacy

SX is committed to safeguarding the privacy of our service users while providing the highest possible quality of service.

We collect personal data from service users that allows us to work with them to assess and address their individual needs. We will hold the minimum amount of information that is reasonable and appropriate to each individual’s circumstances.

In the process of delivering our services, we will collect, keep and process information relating to service users that is relevant to our service delivery. This may include sensitive personal information.

This information can include:

• Contact details
• Date of birth
• Ethnic origin
• Information related to your health
• Criminal offence data (including allegations, proceedings or convictions)
• Sexual orientation
• Details of other professionals working with you
• Feedback from you about our services

In most cases we will collect information directly from service users face-to-face. However, in certain circumstances,  where appropriate, we may get information indirectly from a third party (for example a referring social worker, GP, hospital consultant or community support worker).

Service user information will be shared with relevant SX staff to ensure effective service delivery. Information may also be shared with SX volunteers involved in providing services.

Where appropriate, and where we have the written consent of a service user, we may share information with relevant third parties. These may include:

• Partner organisations/other professionals that service users are being supported by
• Medical professionals
• Social workers
• Family and friends

We will only share personal information with a service user’s written consent, with the following exceptions:

• in cases where we have a legal obligation to do so – e.g. court order
• in emergency situations – e.g. where there is a risk to life

We store information securely and respect service user confidentiality.  In the event that an individual no longer has a connection to SX, we are only permitted to keep their information for as long as is necessary.  For us, this means usually for up to three further years, but can be longer where there is a legal requirement to do so (e.g. financial/audit/budget information).

SX collects personal data from volunteers who support our work in order to effectively manage them in their roles and keep them updated on activities.

We collect information about our volunteers that is relevant to their involvement in SX.  Information may include their name, postal and email address, telephone or mobile number, and particular skills they are willing to volunteer to support our work. 

We collect information directly from volunteers at the time they express an interest in becoming involved in our work.

SX will use volunteer information to:

• manage our volunteers in their roles to make sure that services and events run smoothly
• manage our requests to volunteers, so that they are contacted about the opportunities they have expressed an interest in

SX will only use a volunteer’s personal data for the purpose for which it was obtained. We will not share or sell personal data with any third party for their own marketing purposes. 

Any access to personal data by third parties such as our IT support provider (Microsys) is restricted and protected under a Data Management Agreement with the third party.

All fundraising activity for SX is conducted under the umbrella of our parent charity, Waverley Care and information about how this information is collected and handled is available here.

During public events associated with our work, including events organised by SX and events organised by third parties that we are attending, we may take photographs and video recordings, which capture attendees, volunteers and staff. 

Such images and videos will be used to help promote our work in a variety of formats including, but not limited to, SX's website, social media channels and printed materials e.g. promotional flyers and newsletters. 

Where appropriate, images may be used by external organisations to accompany content about our work.

If you do not wish to be included in photographs or videos, please make this known to an SX staff member or volunteer at an event at the earliest opportunity so that suitable action can be taken.

Where images or videos are more closely associated with our day-to-day work (e.g. at workshops with service users or as part of individual case studies) separate, specific written consent will be sought to use these files.

We use cookies on our website to enhance your user experience with us.

A cookie is a text file that contains information relating to your web journey and behaviour. It is stored in your web browser to enable us to personalise your experience next time you visit our website.

Our tracking cookies collect information about how you browse and use our website, what pages you visit, how you entered the site and where you left it.  This data is anonymous and not specific to you yet helps us to make improvements to your web experience by identifying pages where more visitors may be exiting the website or where visitors may be struggling to find necessary information.

You will be able to use the Help menu bar on most browsers to get information on how to block or prevent cookies. This will give you information on how to disable cookies altogether, however it should be noted that this may stop some functions on websites.

You have certain rights in relation to the information that we hold.

• You can ask to see what information we hold – a ‘data subject access request’.
• You can ask us to change or erase information where reasonably the data should be changed/erased.
• You can ask us to restrict our use of the information.
• You can ask us to send information to other people.
• You can ask us to stop using information.
• The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives you specific rights, which can be found here: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/
• You have a right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) should you feel the need to do this.

If you have an enquiry related to this policy, or the personal information we hold about you, please contact the Chief Executive of Waverley Care:

• Waverley Care, 113 Oxgangs Road North, Edinburgh, EH14 1EB
• privacy@waverleycare.org

If we amend this notice in any way we shall take the appropriate steps to inform you of the changes.