Community & Children Service's Privacy Notice | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council

How the Community and Children’s Services use your personal information.

The Council provide services for local communities and the people who live in them. Undertaking this work means that we must collect and use information about the people we provide services to and keep a record of those services. Because we collect and use personal information about individuals we must make sure that they know what we intend to do with their information and who it may be shared with.

We have summarised in this privacy notice some of the key ways in which we use your personal information within Community & Children’s Services. We encourage you to read this notice in conjunction with the Council’s corporate privacy notice

1. Who we are and what we do:

Community and Children’s Services provide a wide range essential social care services for adults, children, young people and families. Our aim is to ensure that people remain safe, healthy, active, independent and free from poverty.

Here are some examples of the services we provide:

Service	What we do
Early Intervention Services.	Early Intervention Services provide support to reduce risk and prevent the needs of children, young people and families from escalating to a level that requires statutory intervention.
Intensive Intervention Services	Intensive Intervention Services work with families who have needs that may be complex or entrenched. They can arrange and coordinate access to agencies with experience of working with families who have complex needs. Support from these agencies will build on people’s resources and the strengths and abilities of the family and the community in which they live.
Family Information Service	The Family Information Service offers free information and signposting for all parents, carers and guardians in RCT.
Families First	Families First can work with families and their children to help deal with issues before they become a problem or worse, a crisis. They work with families to look at what is working and what assistance may be needed to reduce child poverty and ensure the family can thrive. The service offers early intervention and prevention to prevent or delay the need for statutory services to intervene.
Flying Start	The Flying Start Programme offers support to families during the early years of a child's life. The programme is delivered in certain areas of Rhondda Cynon Taf and offers enhanced health visitor support, early language support, parenting support and funded free childcare in a registered setting.
Support for disabled children and their families.	The Disabled Children’s Team works to support families with children living with disabilities or chronic illnesses. The service promotes children first and its focus is on encouraging and assisting children’s access to the same services and opportunities as any other child.
Safeguarding and Support Services for Children & Young People	The service aims to protect any child or young person who is being harmed or is at risk of being harmed. If it is found that a child is being abused or is at risk of harm, professionals will work together with the family to ensure that the child is protected.
Fostering and Adoption	The Fostering Service and its Foster Carers are part of a dedicated team of professionals who support over 600 looked-after children and young people in Rhondda Cynon Taf. They provide safe, supportive and caring homes for children and young people who, for a range of reasons, are unable to live with their birth families. The Adoption Service offers a range of services and support to adoptive parents that includes information and advice to prospective adopters, preparation, pre-approval training and timely assessments, finding placements, pre and post adoption support, support for birth parents and those wishing to search for their birth relatives and support for birth relatives wishing contact an adopted person.
Cwm Taf Youth Offending Service	The Youth Offending Service brings together officers from children’s services, probation, education, health, police, various other agencies and specialist project workers to provide supervision for young people at risk of or involved in offending behaviour.
The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)	The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) provide support for young people with emotional, psychological and psychiatric disorders.
The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub	The Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub is the first point of contact for new concerns about any vulnerable adult or child. Representatives from the different agencies in the MASH and outside will assess the risks and put plans in place to protect any vulnerable adult and child from any harm or neglect that they may be exposed to.
Safeguarding and Support Services for Adults	The service aims to protect any adult who is being harmed or is at risk of being harmed. If it is found that an adult is being abused or is at risk of harm, professionals will worktogether with them, their family and other agencies to ensure that people are protected.
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Service	When a person lacks the mental capacity to make decisions about the care or treatment they need, it is sometimes in their best interests to deprive them of their liberty to prevent them from coming to harm. The Mental Capacity Act Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards ensure that no one is deprived of their liberty without good reason.
Information Advice and Assistance.	Adult information and advice services offer assistance to people about the care and support that is available in the area where they live and how to access this.
Adult Short Term and Long Term Care and Support Teams	Adult Short Term and Long Term Care and Support Teams assess an adult’s need for care and support and their carer’s need for support. Care and Support Teams organise and coordinate access to the services that people require to meet the care and support needs that have been identified.
Access and Enablement	Access and Enablement Services support people to remain living as independently as possible in their own homes. The service supports people who may be finding it difficult to manage their needs, as a result of a disability, illness or frailty because of advancing age.
Prevention and Early Intervention Services.	Prevention and Early Intervention Services support people to return home or remain in their home following a recent illness, accident or stay in hospital. The service encourages people to learn or re-learn daily living skills by assisting, encouraging and supervising with daily living tasks.
Sensory Services	Sensory Services offer support and an assessment of need for people of all ages who are blind, partially sighted, hard of hearing or deaf-blind.
Learning Disability Care and Support Team.	Learning Disability Services work in partnership with Health professionals to arrange support for carers, respite or support at home. They can help with planning for the future, coping with difficult behaviour, and organising daytime opportunities or supported living.
Mental Health Care and Support Team.	Mental Health Care and Treatment Planning Teams work in partnership with Health professionals to provide secondary health services to people under the age of 65 experiencing mental ill health and the people caring for them.
Substance misuse services.	Substance misuse services work in partnership with professionals in Health to provide services to people who misuse illegal drugs, alcohol, volatile substances (like aerosols and glue) and prescribed, or over the counter medication.
Adaptations and Community Equipment Service (ACE)	The Adaptations and Community Equipment Service can recommend alterations to people’s homes. They can assess a person’s need for any aids and equipment that might be available to make everyday task such as washing and dressing easier for them and anyone who supports them.
Carers Support Project	The carers support project provides free information, advice and support to carers of all ages living in RCT. The project also co-ordinates a free counselling service for carers.
Cwm Taf Integrated Autism Service.	The Integrated Autism Service provides diagnostic assessment and support for children and adults with ASD and their family and carers who live in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil. They also offer joint working, consultation, training and advisory support for other professionals.

The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 is the primary piece of legislation that supports us in providing our services. It puts those people who need advice, assistance, care and support at the heart of what we do.

2. What and whose personal information do we collect:

We hold information on past and present people who have received care and support from us. We refer to these people as our ‘service users’. Given the wide range of services we provide these service users may be adults, children, young people and their families.

The types of information we hold and process about our service users will vary depending on the care and support that they receive from us. Typically, this will include information about their personal needs and circumstances, as well as the professional observations and opinions of social care staff and other professionals who are involved in their care.

The information we hold will depend on your personal circumstances, the services you are being provided with and whether you are an adult or a child. If you receive care and support from us, your social care record is likely to contain all or some of the following information:

Your personal details (name, address, previous address, data of birth, marital status).
Your characteristics, such as your gender, ethnicity, disability, preferred language and your cultural, spiritual and religious beliefs that must be respected.
Information about other members of your household.
Details of your legal status and supporting documents (e.g. immigration, power of attorney etc).
The names and contact details of close relatives, friends and/or carers who are important to you and who you have told us to contact if you need assistance or to offer support in an emergency situation*.
Information about your home (type, layout, details of alarms fire, accessibility etc.) and if it meets you and your family’s needs.
A copy of your needs assessments, care plan, and a record of the services that have been arranged or provided.
Details about your needs in all areas of your life (e.g. personal care, eating, drinking, practical tasks, physical and emotional wellbeing, parenting).
Details of any communication needs (e.g. if you need a translator or interpreter).
Details of any health and safety risks associated with meeting your care and support needs.
Your medical history and details of any diagnoses.
Details of health, social care or other services you are getting from other professionals e.g. copy of any reports or assessments
Details of any aids or adaptations
Copies of letters, emails and reports that have been sent to you or you have sent to us.
Care and Support Plans that specify the services you receive from any individuals or care and support providers
Reports of any accidents or incidents that may have occurred during the provision of any service received.
Details of your financial circumstances.

*Please Note:“Where you have provided us with personal data about family members or other individuals to contact in an emergency, please ensure that you have their consent to do so and that those individuals are aware of the information contained within this notice.”

3. Where does the service get my information from:

Generally, we will receive information about you from:

You- for example when we undertake an assessment or ask you to complete a form.
Family, friends or carers. For example if they make a referral to us on your behalf or we need to work with them to arrange additional care and support services for you.
Our observations and experiences of working with you. For example, when we assess your needs and create your care plan.
Other health and social care professionals that may be supporting you and are involved in your care. This may include your:
- GP
- Hospital Consultant.
- District Nurse.
- Physiotherapist.
- Community Mental Health Nurse.
- Dietician.
- Optician.
We may also ask for information from trusted third party agencies and organisations that provide services to you. For example, independent home care providers such as Allied, Care Cymru, Hafod Care, Mears, Radis etc.

More information on the organisations and agencies we work closely with can be found below.

4. What we will do with your personal information?

We will use the information you and others have shared with us to:

Undertake an assessment of your needs:
- Process your referral for care and support.
- Undertake an assessment of your personal needs.
- Identify your needs and develop your care and support plan.
- Regularly review your needs
Arrange care and support services as identified in your care and support plan:
- Work with other Council services and partner organisations to arrange the care and support that you require.
- Commission any third party care and support services that may be required.
- Arrange access to a care home (e.g. on a permanent or respite basis) (where required).
- Calculate any contribution that you may have to make towards the cost of any services you receive.
Review your progress at regular intervals and report on the outcome of any services you receive.
Maintain statutory registers that we are required to do by law for example the Child Protection Register.
Safeguard you or others from any harm, neglect and abuse. For example investigate any alleged abuse or harm being caused to any adult, child or young person.
Investigate any concern or complaint should they arise.
Safeguard your ‘vital interests’ should you not be physically or mentally able to agree to any actions that are deemed to be in your best interests.

We will also use this information to produce management information and reports to help us improve our services and ensure that we are running our services properly. Typically, these reports will contain facts and figures and will not contain any information that identifies you, but we may use personal information to arrive at those figures. Examples of the ways in which we may use information to monitor and improve services:

Assess if the services we provide are making a difference to the lives of local people.
Understand how people’s needs are changing so that we can plan appropriate services for the future to meet these needs.
Report on how well we are delivering services for example to Welsh Government.
Help us identify what training and development our workforce needs to meet the demand of our service users.
Keep track of spending and budgets on a local, regional and national level.
Report activity to comply with external funding requirements.
To participate in national and local benchmarking activities.
Monitor the quality and cost of the care and support that is provided to you by us or our partners.
Commission information and advice and/ or care and support services.
Undertake research to understand how people’s needs might be changing and for statistical purposes to understand if there is an increase or decrease in the number of people that receive services.

Information sharing with Welsh Government, Wales Audit Office and Care Inspectorate Wales

Please note that we also share some of your personal information with Welsh Government on an annual basis to help them with planning and research to improve services in Wales.

Please note that we also share some of your personal information with a number of government agencies, either on a case by case basis or annually to help them with planning and research to improve services in Wales. .
Some of the information that we share includes your personal information, such as name, date of birth, address, gender, ethnic group, disability status and information about your needs and education
Information will only be sent through a secure connection with access limited to secure and approved locations. No data will be shared via a standard open email connection or by standard postal methods.
Information will only be shared lawfully under Article (6e) as a task that is carried out in the public interest and under Article (9j) for statistical and research purposes in support of official business.
Data will be retained by these organisations for as long as it remains useful for research purposes.

The following link will take you to the Welsh Government and their Privacy Notice. http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/local-authority-social-services-data-collections/?lang=en

5. What is the legal basis for using and sharing this information?

Data Protection law says that we are allowed to use and share personal information only where we have proper and lawful reasons for doing so.

Our lawful basis for processing personal information in order to provide you with the care and support services listed above is primarily:

To comply with our legal obligations for example under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 and its associated statutory guidance.
To comply with our statutory obligations / official functions (public task).

For more sensitive information (i.e. special category information about a person’s race, ethnic origin, politics, religion, trade union membership, genetics, biometrics, health, sex life or orientation) our lawful basis is:

To undertake our legal and statutory duties under social protection law.
For the provision of preventative or occupational medicine, medical diagnosis, the provision of health or social care treatment or the management of health and social care systems and services.

In addition to our legal and statutory obligations we may also rely on one or more of the following conditions as a lawful basis for processing your personal information, subject to your specific needs and any circumstances that may arise when providing care and support services to you:

Personal Information

When it is necessary for contractual reasons - for example if you move into permanent residential care home you would enter into a contract with us. Your personal information would be processed in order to fulfil our obligations to you under that contract.
To protect a person’s vital interests - for example if you are not physically or mentally capable, in an emergency, to agree to actions or treatment to protect you or another person we may do this on your behalf.
When we need your consent – your consent may be required where we do not have a legal power or statutory duties to use your personal information purposes.

Special Category Information

To protect a person’s vital interests (as described above)
For legal purposes – for example where we are making or defending a legal claim or making an order to the court (for example to obtain a court of protection order).
For public health purposes such as protecting against serious threats to health etc.

6. Does the service share my personal information with any other organisation?

In order to provide our services we work very closely with a number of trusted professionals and organisations to ensure we meet people’s individual needs. This includes organisations such as health, education, housing, youth services, voluntary and private sector groups and others.

In order to provide you with the best possible service and to fulfill your personal needs as identified in your care and support plan we may share your information with a range of organisations and professionals who may be involved in meeting your needs. This sharing is essential to the delivery of our services to you. Here are some examples of the services and organisations we may share your information with:

Examples of Internal Council Services:

Service	Example of why we may need to work with this service to support your needs or provide you with care.
Schools and Education Services	To ensure children are attending school and that they receive the support they need whilst they are in school.
Housing Services	To apply for grants to fund any adaptations that may be needed to increase a person’s independence at home or make their home more accessible.
Housing Benefit	To ensure families on low income receive the benefits they are entitled to such as discretionary housing payments and council tax reduction etc.
Highways	We work closely with Highways to assess all requests for a disabled persons parking bay.
Legal Services	We work closely with Legal Services on Child Protection matters i.e. to prepare a case for court.
Leisure Services	We work with Leisure Services to ensure that people have access to services that can increase their independence and participation in activities.
Adaptations and Community Equipment Service. (ACE)	To assess a person’s need for aids and equipment that may increase their independence for example at home.
Client Finance	We work closely with this team to work out how much adults may have to pay towards the cost of services they receive.
Day Services Team	To arrange access to daytime opportunities that provide new skills and experiences and to meet other people, as well as providing respite for carers and those who attend.
Adult Residential Care Teams	We work with Residential Care Services to provide accommodation and support to adults who may be finding it difficult to look after themselves at home, perhaps because of a recent illness, or because they are getting more frail.
Children’s Residential Care Teams	We work closely with these services to ensure children who can no longer live in their family home have an opportunity to live in a setting that is safe and can meet their needs.
Adults Support @home Domiciliary Care Service	We work closely with this service to provide long term domiciliary support to people in their own homes to support them to remain as independent as possible.
Complaints Team	We work closely with this team to investigate and report on any complaint that has been made about the care and support that people have received.
Lifeline and Telecare Teams	We work closely with this team to support the installation of Lifeline and Telecare equipment to improve people’s safety and security at home.
Substance Misuse Services	We work with Specialist Voluntary Sector agencies and Cwm Taf University Health Board to provide advice, guidance, treatment and support to individuals who are affected by their own or someone else’s substance misuse.

Examples of trusted external organisations, agencies and partners who may be involved in helping you to manage your health and social care needs and providing services that can improve your health and wellbeing:

Organisation / agency	Example of why we may need to work with the organisation to support your needs or provide you with care
General Practitioners (G.P.)	We may share our service users information with their G.P. to make an appointment on their behalf.
Community Nurses	We may share our service users information with Community Nurses to report on health concerns and to ask them to call to attend to our service users needs.
Health Services	We may share information with a number of health services who are supporting our service users to help them manage any health conditions they may have.
Care and Support Providers	We commission companies to provide care and support services to people in their own home. We share information about a service user’s care and support plan with the providers so that they can meet peoples care and support needs.
Day Care and Community Support Services	We work with Day and Community Support Services to ensure they have the information they need to provide safe and appropriate services that meet people’s care and support needs.
Residential Care Services	We share information with private Residential Care providers when sourcing short and long-term accommodation for our service users.
Housing Support Services	We make referrals to Housing Support Services so our service users can gain access to support, advice and information to help them manage their housing needs and prevent homelessness and make informed choices to improve their health and wellbeing.
Landlords	We may work with Landlord’s to ensure that they understand that their tenant has additional needs and to ensure the property is safe and suitable to meet their needs.
Employment Services	We may make referrals to and work in partnership with employment services such as Careers Wales, Job Centre Plus etc., so that service users can access support, advice and information and have opportunities to access work and training.
Community Transport Services	We work in partnership with community transport services such as Travol to ensure that people have access to adapted transport to help them access the wider community as independently as possible.
Domestic Abuse Services	We work with domestic abuse specialists such as the ‘Oasis Centre’ so that people can access the information and advice they may need to prevent or reduce the risk of domestic abuse. Information may also be shared with the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference when people have been assessed as high risk victims of domestic abuse.
Carers Counselling Service.	The Carers Support Service offers access to an independent trained counsellor who provides the counselling service for adult carers living in RCT.
Other Local Authorities	We may work with other Councils where a service user has moved from or is moving to another area. We do this to ensure that the move goes as smoothly as possible and that care arrangements are in place in the new home.
Citizens Advice	We may work with this organization to ensure you receive independent advice on welfare benefits and a range of other issues to help you make informed decisions.
Advocacy Services	We work with advocacy services to provide a voice to children and adults who, perhaps because of their age, disability or financial or social circumstances, need support to make informed choices and decisions.

For the vast majority of the services we provide we do not need your consent to share your personal information with these organisations. This is because we have a legal obligation under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 to work closely with other services and organisations to provide you with the best possible care.

Data Processors

A data processor is a company or organisation that provides us with a service and processes personal data on our behalf. The categories of data processors we use are;

IT system suppliers

Our data processors act only upon our instruction - they cannot do anything with your personal data unless we have instructed them to do it. They will not share your personal information with any organisation apart from us or use it for their own purposes. They will hold it securely and retain it for the period we instruct.

7. How long will you keep my information for?

This will depend on the services you receive from us.

For legal reasons Adoption Records are kept for 100 years from the date of adoption.
Other records relating to the care of children are kept until the 75^th anniversary of the child’s date of birthday.
To support our organisations needs records relating to adults with care and support needs are kept for a minimum of 7 years after involvement with any social care service has ended.
Records about a person’s physical health needs are kept for a minimum of 7 years whilst records about their mental health needs are kept for a minimum of 10 years from the date any involvement with any social care service ended.

8. Your information, your rights

TheGeneral Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives you important rights, including the right to access the personal information the services hold about you

View further details on your information rights and how to exercise them

9. Contact us

If you have any concerns or would like to know more about how the service using your personal information please contact us in one of the following ways:

By email: welisten.complaints@rctcbc.gov.uk

Telephone: 01443 425003

In writing: Service Improvement and Complaints Team

Ty Elai,

Dinas Isaf East,

Williamstown,

Tonypandy.

CF40 1NY