Southern Brooks Community Partnerships Client Privacy Notice

As part of the services we offer, we are required to process personal data about our clients and, in some instances, the friends or relatives of our clients. “Processing” can mean collecting, recording, organising, storing, sharing or destroying data. We are committed to being transparent about why we need your personal data and what we do with it. This information is set out in this privacy notice. It also explains your rights when it comes to your data.

If you have any concerns or questions please contact us at: Southern Brooks, Coniston Community Centre, The Parade, Coniston Road, Patchway, Bristol BS34 5LP or by email to office@southernbrooks.org.uk.

We may change this notice from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This version of the notice is effective from February 2026.

What information we collect from you

So that we can provide a safe and professional service, we need to keep certain records about you. We may process the following types of data:

• Your basic details and contact information (e.g. your name, address, date of birth, telephone number, email address and next of kin);
• Whether you require additional support (e.g. an interpreter);
• Details about the support we have given you, contact with you (e.g. appointments, groups and home visits); relevant information from people who are also involved in supporting you or your family (e.g. health and social care professionals).

We may also record the following data which is classified as “special category”:

• Health and social care data about you, which might include your physical and mental health data;
• Information about your sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, disability, and employment status. If you choose not to provide us with this information, we can still work with you.

We may change this notice from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This version of the notice is effective from February 2026.

Why we collect information about you

We want to provide high quality services to you. To do this, we need to keep records about you and the support we have given, or plan to give, to you. It is important for us to have a complete picture of your situation so that we can support you. By law, we need to have a lawful basis for processing your personal data.

We process your data because:

• We have a legitimate interest
• You have given us consent.

We process your special category data because:

• It is necessary for us to provide and manage wellbeing and health services effectively and safely.

We may process your data with your consent. If we need to ask for your permission, we will offer you a clear choice and ask that you confirm to us that you consent. We will also explain clearly to you what we need the data for and how you can withdraw your consent at any time.

Common law duty of confidentiality

In our use of health and care information, we satisfy the common law duty of confidentiality because:

• You have provided us with your consent (either implicitly to provide you with care, or explicitly for other uses)
• We have a legal requirement to collect, share and use the data
• The public interest to collect, share and use the data overrides the public interest served by protecting the duty of confidentiality (for example sharing information with the police to support the detection or prevention of serious crime).

How we collect your information

Your information may be collected in person, by email, letter, phone call or via our website. It may be from a referral made by professionals or services supporting you and your family (e.g. GPs, hospital discharge teams, social workers, and other health professionals).

Who we share your information with

Your information is shared with you or your legal representative and third parties. Third parties are organisations we might lawfully share your data with. These include:

• Funders and project partners to monitor progress and evaluate our services.
• Organisations we have a legal obligation to share information with where there is a need to protect the health and safety of you and others, e.g. because someone is at risk of harm.
• Other parts of the health and care system such as local hospitals, the GP, the pharmacy, social workers, clinical commissioning groups, and other health and care professionals;
• The Local Authority;
• Your family or friends – with your permission;
• The police or other law enforcement agencies if we have to by law or court order.
• For MINT Service Users Only: This service is managed by Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP) and we have a data sharing agreement with them. AWP use Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Integrated Care Record (BSW ICR) which is a digital care record system for sharing information in Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, and MINT service users. It allows instant, secure access to your health and social care records for the professionals involved in your care. Relevant information from your digital records is shared with people who look after you. This gives them up-to-date information making your care safer and more efficient.

Southern Brooks uses the BSW ICR system for MINT service users. We can access your data stored within the system and provide relevant information about you and your health care. If you would like to learn more about BSW ICR and how your information is being used please visit: Your care record - Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB

National Data Opt-Out

We are applying the national data opt-out because we are using confidential patient information for purposes beyond individual care.
The information collected about you when you use health and care services can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your individual care, for instance to help with:

• improving the quality and standards of care provided
• research into the development of new treatments
• preventing illness and diseases
• monitoring safety
• planning services

This will take place when there is a clear legal basis to use this information. All these uses help to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations. Confidential information about your health and care is only used like this when allowed by law. Most of the time, the data used for research and planning is anonymised or pseudonymised, so that you cannot be identified and your confidential patient information is not accessed.

You have a choice about whether you want your confidential patient information to be used in this way. If you are happy with this use of information you do not need to do anything. If you do choose to opt out your confidential patient information will still be used to support your individual care. To find out more or to register your choice to opt out, please visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters. You can change your mind about your choice at any time.

Emergency contact details

What data do we have?

As part of our work providing high-quality services, it might be necessary that we hold emergency contact details, such as name and telephone number. All records are stored in accordance with our Data Protection and Data Retention policies and procedures and reviewed annually to determine whether their retention period has expired.

Why do we have this data?

By law, we need to have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. We process your data because we have a legitimate interest in holding emergency contact details for our clients. We may also process your data with your consent. If we ask for your permission, we will offer you a clear choice and confirm that if you give the information, it is you giving us consent. We will also explain clearly to you what we need the data for and how you can withdraw your consent.

Where do we process your data?

So that we can provide high quality services and support we need specific data. This is collected from or shared with you or your legal representative(s) and third parties. Third parties are organisations we have a legal reason to share your data with. These may include:

• Other parts of the health and care system such as local hospitals, the GP, the pharmacy, social workers, and other health and care professionals;
• The Local Authority;
• The police or other law enforcement agencies if we have to by law or court order.

How we store your information

Your information is securely stored on electronic or paper records, or both in line with our Data Protection and Data Retention policies and procedures. Access to all our records is restricted so that only those individuals who need to know the information can access it. Everyone working for, or with Southern Brooks Community Partnerships, has a legal duty to keep your information secure and confidential at all times. All staff and volunteers are trained to keep data secure and adhere to our Data Protection and Data Retention policies.

How long we keep your records for

All our records are stored in accordance with our Data Protection and Data Retention policies and procedures, which also set out the length of time each type of record is retained. You may request a copy of this by contacting us by telephone (0117 4034238), email (office@southernbrooks.org.uk), or find them on our website: https://southernbrooks.org.uk 

All records are reviewed annually to determine whether their retention period has expired, and Southern Brooks Community Partnerships will decide whether the record still requires retention, should be anonymised or should be confidentially destroyed.

Your rights

You have the following rights when it comes to your data:

1. You have the right to request a copy of all of the data we keep about you. Generally, we will not charge for this service;
2. You have the right to ask us to correct any data we have which you believe to be inaccurate or incomplete. You can also request that we restrict all processing of your data while we consider your rectification request;
3. You have the right to ask that we erase any of your personal data which is no longer necessary for the purpose we originally collected it for;
4. You may also request that we restrict processing if we no longer require your personal data for the purpose we originally collected it for, but you do not wish for it to be erased;
5. You can ask for your data to be erased if we have asked for your consent to process your data. You can withdraw consent at any time – please contact us to do so;
6. If we are processing your data as part of our legitimate interests as an organisation or in order to complete a task in the public interest, you have the right to object to that processing. We will restrict all processing of this data while we look into your objection.

You may need to provide adequate information for our staff to be able to identify you, for example, a passport or driver’s licence. This is to make sure that data is not shared with the wrong person inappropriately. We will always respond to your request as soon as possible and at the latest within one month.

If you would like to complain about how we have dealt with your request, please contact:

Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
0303 123 1113 (local rate)
https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

If you choose for your information not to be shared with other staff or services involved in your support, it might mean the support offered by Southern Brooks Community Partnerships is limited. In certain circumstances, we may need to withdraw and we would report back to the referrer.

How you can access information we hold about you

Under the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to request access to the information we hold about you. You can also apply:

• On behalf of someone who is not capable of giving their permission because of age or illness, for example. You would have to be appointed by a court to do this.
• You can request access to your records in writing by contacting us at: Southern Brooks, Coniston Community Centre, The Parade, Coniston Road, Patchway, Bristol BS34 5LP or by email to office@southernbrooks.org.uk.