Womankind Privacy Policy

This policy outlines how we collect and make use of your information, and how we protect your privacy and your data rights.

We are registered on the Information Commissioner’s Office Register; registration number Z586469X and act as the Data Controller when processing your data.

How do we collect information?

This site uses cookies: small text files that are placed on your machine to help the site provide a better user experience. In general, cookies are used to retain user preferences, store information for things like shopping baskets, and provide anonymised tracking data to third party applications like Google Analytics. Womankind cookies collect information about your usage of our website, and help us to know how many people access the website and how often. The statistical data we collect about website browsing patterns is totally anonymous and cannot be used to identify you as an individual.

As a rule, cookies will make your browsing experience better. However, you may prefer to disable cookies on this site and on others. The most effective way to do this is to disable cookies in your browser. We suggest consulting the Help section of your browser or taking a look at the ‘About Cookies’ website which offers guidance for all modern browsers.

Sometimes we need to collect some information from you in order to be able to answer your query or provide you with a service. For instance, when you fill out one of our forms, on this website or on paper, you will be asked to provide certain information about yourself including name and contact details. We may also collect information about you from emails or letters you send us.

Womankind collect and use your personal information to provide a service to you and to also improve our services.  We only ask for information we need.  We always let you decide what you’re comfortable telling us, explain why we need it and treat it as confidential.

Womankind handle and store your personal information in line with data protection laws. Your information, correspondence, and notes are stored in a secure case management system. Some of your information might also be kept within our secure email and in paper records which are securely locked away.

 

What kinds of information does Womankind collect?

Womankind only collects information that we really need to provide you with a service. This could include:

  • Name and contact details
  • Date of Birth
  • Information about health conditions, medication, or your GP
  • Next of Kin
  • Information about your employment or financial status
  • If you want to leave us a legacy we might need information about your next of kin or your lawyer
  • ‘Equalities’ Information (such as your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs and health conditions or disability; sometimes you can choose ‘prefer not to say’)
  • Details of other professionals involved in your support
  • Any other personal data you choose to share with us

Helpline Webchat

  • Our helpline webchat is private and confidential. We can’t trace your location and won’t ask you for your name or any personal information. Transcripts are reviewed to monitor the quality of the service provided, and then deleted or anonymised for training purposes. Comments may be anonymised and used for development or promotion of our services. Like our website, our chat platform may collect some information about usage, but this cannot be used to identify you as an individual.

Telephone Helpline

  • Our telephone helpline is also private and confidential. We do not ask you for any personal information when you call us, and do not have access to your phone number.

How do we use your information?

Womankind will only use your information in ways that are lawful. There is more information on Lawful Basis towards the end of this document.

We will use your information in order to be able to provide you with the service you have requested (e.g. counselling, befriending, group therapy or a call-back on our telephone helpline if you choose to leave us your number).

If you have given your explicit consent, we may use your information to contact you by post, telephone, email, or text message for your views on our services; to notify you of important changes or developments to our services; and to let you know about other products and services which we offer which may be interest to you. You may withdraw this consent at any time by contacting us.

We will never send unsolicited emails to personal email addresses. Clear unsubscribe links can be found at the end of all our emails.

Unless required to do so by law we will not otherwise share, sell, or distribute any of the information you provide to us without your explicit consent. You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us.

Aggregated information on the usage of our site may sometimes be passed on to third parties for analysis purposes, but this will not include information that can be used to identify you.

We may also use and analyse the information we collect so that we can administer, support, improve, and develop our services. For instance, we may use your feedback and the equalities information we gather from you to assess whether we are meeting the needs of a diverse group of women.

We value your autonomy and privacy and will only use personally identifying or sensitive information with your consent, unless in exceptional circumstances (See our Confidentiality Policy).

What about security?

We process and store your information in line with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into force in May 2018.

We employ industry standard security measures to protect your information from unauthorised access; unlawful processing; accidental loss, destruction, or damage. We will retain your information for a reasonable period or as long as the law requires.

Your rights to your information

You are entitled to see all the information held about you, and you may request changes to ensure the information is accurate, up to date, and relevant.

The Lawful Basis for using your information

We will only collect and use your information in accordance with one of the following Lawful Bases:

  • Consent: the law allows us to collect and use your information where you have consented (given your permission for us to do so).
  • Contract: in some cases we may need to collect and use your information in order to fulfil a contract with you. This basis is more likely to apply to people volunteering or working with us.
  • Legitimate Interest: the law also allows us to collect and use information if it enables us to offer a better service. This could mean using your information in order to give you support that’s tailored to your needs, or analysing it in order to improve our services generally.
  • Vital Interest: this basis allows us to use your information, without consent if necessary, when we believe that someone is at risk of significant harm or death. See our Confidentiality Policy to find out about the situations in which we would have to use your information without your consent.
  • Legal Obligation: there are cases in which the law would obliged us to collect or use your information, for instance if that information were required by a court or regulatory body like the Charities Commission – again, potentially without your consent. See our Confidentiality Policy.
  • Public Task: this basis allows us to collect information to help us carry out tasks in the public interest.

How Long We Keep Your Data

Womankind only ever retains personal information for as long as is necessary and we have strict review and retention policies in place to meet these obligations.

We will normally keep all of the information for 7 years from when our work comes to an end. This is to comply with our legal obligations and our insurer’s requirements, and in case we need to review the work we did for you. After that time it will be securely destroyed unless we have a legitimate reason to keep it.

Lodging a Complaint

Womankind only processes your personal information in compliance with this privacy notice and in accordance with the relevant data protection laws.

If, however you wish to raise a complaint regarding the processing of your personal data or are unsatisfied with how we have handled your information, you have the right to complain to the person responsible for Data Protection.

If you are not satisfied with how your complaint has been dealt with, you have the right to lodge a complaint to the supervisory authority: Information Commissioners Office https://ico.org.uk/

 

Contact details
The Administrator
Womankind
3rd Floor, Brunswick Court
Brunswick Square
Bristol BS2 8PE

Email: info@womankindbristol.org.uk

Telephone: 0117 9166461