Privacy notice and information for the people ​we support, their families and representatives.

Ability Focus Care is a Homecare (domiciliary care) care organization providing healthcare and social care ​services throughout Suffolk County England. We have a network of healthcare assistants and support workers.

We specialize in the following:

• Domiciliary care at home
  
• 24-hour care
  
• Live in care
  

What is a privacy notice?

This privacy notice tells you what to expect us to do with your personal information when you contact us or use ​one of our services. It describes how we collect, use, retain and disclose the personal information which we ​hold. This privacy notice is part of our commitment to ensure that we process personal information fairly and ​lawfully

Why issue a privacy notice?

As part of the services we offer, we are required to process personal data about our colleagues, the people we ​support, and, in some instances, the families and representatives of the people we support. “Processing” can ​mean collecting, recording, organizing, 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.

The people we support

What data do we have?

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, and next of kin.
  
• Your financial details, e.g., details of how you pay us for your care or details of your funding arrangements.
  

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

• Health and social care data about you, which might include both your physical and mental health data.
  

We may also record data about your race, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or religion.

Why do we have this data?

Where do we process your data?

In order that we can provide you with high-quality care and support we need specific data. This is collected from or ​shared with:

• You or your legal representative(s).
  
• Third parties.
  

We do this face to face, via phone, via email, via our website, via post, via application forms, and via apps.

Third parties are organizations we might lawfully share your data with. These include:

• 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.
  
• Organizations we have a legal obligation to share information with i.e., for safeguarding, the CQC.
  
• The police or other law enforcement agencies if we must by law or court order.
  
• Your family or friends – with your permission.
  

Families/representatives

What data do we have?

As part of our work providing high-quality care and support, it might be necessary that we hold the following ​information on you:

• Your basic details and contact information e.g., your name and address.
  

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 business interest in holding next of kin and lasting power of ​attorney information about the people who use our service and keeping emergency contact details should these be ​required.

We may also 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.

Where do we process your data?

So that we can provide high-quality care and support we need specific data. This is collected from or shared with:

• You or your legal representative(s).
  
• Third parties.
  

We do this face to face, via phone, via email, via our website, via post, via application forms, and via apps.

Third parties are organizations 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 must by law or court order.
  

Automated decision making and profiling.

• We use various systems to ensure the people we support receive the best care and support possible.
  
• Some of these systems have a degree of automation, for example, where data is input into a platform to identify ​the most appropriate professional to provide care based on your needs.
  
• NO decisions on your care are taken without human intervention.
  

Our website

• To provide you with the best experience while using our website, we process some data about you.
  

Your rights

• The data that we keep about you is your data, and we ensure that we keep it confidential and that it is used ​appropriately. You have the following rights when it comes to your data:
  
• 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.
  
• You have the right to ask us to correct any data we have that 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.
  
• 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. We retain our data in line with the Information Governance Alliance’s guidelines (To ​provide you with the best experience while using our website, we process some data about you.
  
• You may also request that we restrict the 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.
  
• 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.
  
• If we are processing your data as part of our legitimate interests as an organization or 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 ​investigate 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 license. 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.

Who are we regulated by?

• Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) – https://ico.org.uk/
  

Our ICO registration number is ZB066208

• Care Quality Commission: ⦁ https://www.cqc.org.uk