Privacy policy

The Age UK Solihull Privacy Policy has been updated in August 2023 and is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018.

At Age UK Solihull, we’re committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and security. It is important to let you know how we use your information and how we ensure it cannot be misused in any way. This Policy explains when and why we collect personal information, how we use it, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others and how we keep it secure.

Please read the following carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it. We may change this Policy from time to time so please check this page occasionally to ensure that you’re happy with any changes.

Age UK Solihull is a registered charity (number 1055887 and company limited by guarantee (number 3180062). The registered address is The Core, Central Library Building, Homer Road, Solihull B91 3RG.

Any questions regarding this Policy and our privacy practices should be sent by email to info@ageuksolihull.org.uk or by writing to Age UK Solihull, The Core, Homer Road, Solihull B91 3RG. Alternatively, you can telephone 0121 704 7840.

Who are we?

We’re Age UK Solihull, a charity dedicated to helping everyone make the most of later life. Age UK Solihull is a registered charity (no. 1055887) and company limited by guarantee (no. 3180062). The registered address is The Core, Homer Road, Solihull, B91 3RG. We are an independent Charity and a Brand Partner of Age UK.

When do we collect information about you? 

This will depend on how you access Age UK Solihull and the purpose of your contact. You will always be asked for your consent and/or to positively opt-in to receiving support or information, this will normally be by:

• signing a consent form
• ticking a box on the website
• giving verbal agreement over the phone

We will always explain to you why we need the information and what we do with it.

We will also ask you how you would prefer that we contact you (this may need to be in a specific format dependent upon the nature of how we are supporting you and this will be discussed and agreed with you).  

How long is your information kept for?

We keep your information for no longer than is necessary for the purposes it was collected for. The length of time we retain your personal information for is determined by operational and legal considerations. For example, we are legally required to hold some types of information to fulfil our statutory and regulatory obligations (e.g. health/safety and tax/accounting purposes).

We review our retention periods on a regular basis.

Keeping your information safe

When you give us personal information, we take steps to ensure that appropriate technical and organisational controls are in place to protect it.

Any sensitive information (such as credit or debit card details) is encrypted and protected with the following software: 128 Bit encryption on SSL. When you are on a secure page, a lock icon will appear on the bottom of web browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Non-sensitive details (your email address etc.) are transmitted normally over the internet, and this can never be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of any information you transmit to us, and you do so at your own risk. Once we receive your information, we make our best effort to ensure its security on our systems. Where we have given (or where you have chosen) a password which enables you to access certain parts of our website, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone.

Your data protection rights 

The GDPR provides the following rights for individuals, which our organisation provides to you:

Your right to be informed

You have the right to be informed about the collection and use of your personal data. You will be provided with information including: the purposes for processing your personal data, the retention periods for that personal data, and who it will be shared with. We call this ‘privacy information’. 

Your right of access

You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. This is called a Subject Access Request. There are some exemptions, which means you may not always receive all the information we process.

Your right to rectification

You have the right to ask us to rectify information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete. This right always applies. 

Your right to erasure

You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances. 

Your right to restriction of processing

You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your information in certain circumstances. 

Your right to object to processing

You have the right to object to the processing of your information in certain circumstances. You have an absolute right if your information is being used for direct marketing purposes. If we are processing your information because it forms part of our public tasks, or is in our legitimate interests we may decide that we can continue to process your information but we will inform you of the reasons why. 

Your right to data portability

This only applies to information you have given us. You have the right to ask that we transfer the information you gave us from one organisation to another, or give it to you. The right only applies if we are processing information based on your consent or we use your data as part of a contract we have with you. If we are processing your information for criminal law enforcement purposes, your rights are slightly different.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. We have one month to respond to you.

Please contact us at info@ageuksolihull.org.uk  if you wish to make a request, or contact us on 0121 704 7840.

More information about your data protection rights can be found on the Information Commissioners website www.ico.org.uk

If you use our website

Whenever you provide us with your personal information via our website “Site(s)”, we will treat that information in accordance with this policy, our terms and conditions and current UK Data Protection legislation. By using the Site and any services we offer via our Site, you are agreeing to be bound by this policy.

We obtain information about you when you use our website, for example, when you use the ‘contact us’ form to make an enquiry, when you complete a Volunteer Expression of Interest form, to make a donation, to join our Age UK 100 Club, register for an event or activity, apply for a job or sign up to our mailing list. 

The Content Management System we use is called Episerver who maintain our website. 

The information we collect 

The personal information we collect might include your name, address (including postcode), telephone number, email address, IP address, bank account details (only if necessary) and information regarding what pages are accessed and when.

If you make a donation online your card information is not held by us, it is collected by our third-party payment processors, who specialise in the secure online capture and processing of credit/debit card transactions.

How is your information used?

We may use your information to:

• process a donation that you have made;
• to carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into by you and us;
• dealing with entries into a competition;
• seek your views or comments on the services we provide;
• notify you of changes to our services;
• send you information regarding an activity or event
• send you communications which you have requested and that may be of interest to you;
• process an enquiry on the ‘contact us’ form;
• process a Volunteer Expression of Interest
• process a job application.

Use of 'cookies'

Like many other websites, the Age UK Solihull website uses cookies. 'Cookies' are small pieces of information sent by an organisation to your computer and stored on your hard drive to allow that website to recognise you when you visit. They collect statistical data about your browsing actions and patterns and do not identify you as an individual.

It is possible to switch off cookies by setting your browser preferences. Turning cookies off may result in a loss of functionality when using our website.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites run by other organisations. This privacy policy applies only to Age UK Solihull‚ so we encourage you to read the privacy policies on other websites you visit. We cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of other sites even if you access them using links from our website.

In addition, if you linked to our website from a third-party site, we cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of the owners and operators of that third party site and recommend that you check the policy of that third party site.

Website recording

Our website may also use the SessionCam website recording service. SessionCam is a product that has been developed by ServiceTick Ltd. SessionCam may record mouse clicks, mouse movements, page scrolling and any text keyed into website forms. The information collected does not include bank details or any sensitive personal data. Data collected by SessionCam from the ServiceTick website is for Age UK Enterprises’ internal use only. The information collected is used to improve our website usability and is stored and used for aggregated and statistical reporting.

Fundraising, Marketing, Events and Gift Aid

You have a choice about whether or not you wish to receive fundraising, marketing and event information from us. You will always be asked to positively opt-in to receiving these communications (opt-in requires you to tick a specific box to say that you wish to receive information).  If you do not want to receive direct communications from us about the vital work we do for older people then you do not opt-in.

You can choose whether to receive these communications from us by email or post. You can also choose which information you want to receive from us, and this will be made explicitly clear to you and will require your consent. Types of information we provide include:

• a quarterly newsletter about the work of Age UK Solihull
• events that we are holding
• fundraising campaigns or opportunities
• the 100 Club
• our regular donors scheme
• information about other fundraising activities

If you make a monetary donation to Age UK Solihull either online, by telephone, by post or a donation of goods to one of our Charity Shops we will ask you to complete a Gift-Aid form if you are a UK Tax-Payer. Completing this form boosts your donation by 25p for every pound worth of money or goods you donate. 

How we store your information

Information we take from you will be held securely on Age UK Solihull’s database, Charitylog which can only be accessed by relevant Age UK Solihull employees and volunteers. 

You have the right to withdraw your consent or opt-out at any time. 

If you opt out of receiving communications, we may retain some of your details to ensure we don’t contact you again in future. Your details will only be used for this purpose.

Your personal details will be made inactive on our database if you ask for your personal details to be erased. We will also make inactive your personal information if we have been informed you no longer live at the address we hold for you and we have been unable to make contact through the personal information you have provided us with or if we are informed that you are deceased. You have the right to expect your personal information to be accurate. You have the right to ask for certain personal data to be erased.

By law we are required to store your Gift-Aid information form for 6 years. 

You can change your marketing preferences at any time by contacting us by email: info@ageuksolihull.org.uk or telephone on 0121 704 7840.

If you use one of our services

Age UK Solihull provides a range of services to residents of Solihull and carers of residents of Solihull (the Postural Stability Exercise Classes provides a service to those registered with a Solihull GP). In the course of providing a service to you, Age UK Solihull will collect, record and store your personal information.  We require your consent to do this. We will only ask you for personal information that is relevant to the service(s) we are providing you with. The type of personal information we require will depend upon the service(s) you are using. 

The information we collect

• Name, address, telephone number and an email address if available
• Gender and age
• If you require information in an accessible format to meet your individual needs.

Some services will require more personal information called special category data, which may include:

• Race or Ethnicity
• Sexual orientation
• Marital Status
• GP Practice
• Next of Kin
• Household tenure
• Disability, medical and health information.

How is your information used 

Your information is used to provide you with the services and support you ask us for.  We may also access your information:

• for quality and training purposes
• to investigate complaints
• to ask you for feedback and to monitor the service provided to you
• to ensure you are safe

How we store your information

Information we take from you will be held securely on Age UK Solihull’s database, Charitylog, which can only be accessed by relevant Age UK Solihull employees and volunteers.

Your personal details will remain on our database only for as long as it is relevant to store them (this may depend on the issue(s) we have supported you with or who we are funded by). We may also archive and store information about you to justify any future legacy claims and also in case of complaint or insurance claim. In addition, we may be required by a statutory body to provide information relating to a crime, a Serious Adult Review or a Serious Case Review. This information will only be accessed under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer or her deputy and only for the sole purpose for which it is intended. 

You have the right to expect your personal information to be accurate. You have the right to ask for certain personal data to be erased. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. 

Sharing your information

In order to fully meet your individual needs, we may need to work with other organisations to ensure you receive all the services you require. With your consent we may share relevant information about you with organisations who you agree should be involved in your support, this would usually be another voluntary service or an organisation such as Adult Social Care. 

We will not use your data in a way you would not wish. We may give some statistical data to our funders, however this will always be anonymous and not contain any information that could identify you.

Age UK Solihull will only disclose your personal information without your consent when we are required to by law. We may also provide relevant information to medical personnel or other professionals in case of an emergency when you are under our care or we believe you are at immediate risk. We will always work in your best interests.  

CCTV

Any CCTV used in or around our offices is not operated by us, so we are not the controller. It will be under the control of the relevant building landlord.

Applying for employment or a volunteering role

If you apply for employment or a volunteer role with Age UK Solihull, we will collect personal information from you as part of the recruitment process. The Age UK Solihull Application Forms include a Privacy Notice and when you complete and submit your application form you have signed to confirm consent to Age UK Solihull collecting and storing your relevant personal information.

The information we collect

• personal details such as name, address, phone numbers;
• name and contact details of your next of kin;
• your photograph;
• your gender, marital status, information of any disability you have or other medical information;
• right to work documentation;
• information on your ethnicity for equality monitoring purposes;
• information gathered via the recruitment process such as that entered into an application form, CV or included in a CV cover letter;
• references from former employers;
• details on your education, training and employment history etc;
• driving licence;
• Disclosure and Barring Check reference number
• criminal convictions

How your information is used

• Carrying out checks in relation to your right to work in the UK
• Making reasonable adjustments for disabled employees
• Making recruitment decisions in relation to both initial and subsequent employment or volunteering
• Making decisions about salary and other benefits
• Making decisions about contractual benefits to provide to you
• Assessing training needs
• Dealing with legal claims made against us
• Preventing fraud

How we store your information 

Information we take from you will be held securely on Age UK Solihull’s database, Charitylog, and Microsoft One Drive and can only be accessed by relevant Age UK Solihull employees and volunteers.

We only keep your data for as long as we need it for, which, in relation to unsuccessful candidates, is six months to a year.

If your application is not successful and we have not sought consent or you have not provided consent upon our request to keep your data for the purpose of future suitable vacancies, we will keep your data for six months once the recruitment exercise ends.

If we have sought your consent to keep your data on file for future vacancies, and you have provided consent, we will keep your data for nine months once the recruitment exercise ends. At the end of this period, we will delete or destroy your data, unless you have already withdrawn your consent to our processing of your data in which case it will be deleted or destroyed upon your withdrawal of consent.

Where you have provided consent to our use of your data, you also have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This means that we will stop processing your data and there will be no consequences of withdrawing consent.

If your application is successful, your data will be kept and transferred to the systems we administer for employees and volunteers. We have a separate privacy notice for employees and volunteers.

Sharing your information

Your information will be shared with employees and volunteers within Age UK Solihull who have responsibility for recruitment. They will only have access to your data which is relevant to their function.

We may share your data with third parties as part of a Charity restructure, or for other reasons to comply with a legal obligation upon us such as TUPE. We have a data processing agreement in place with such third parties to ensure data is not compromised. Third parties must implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure the security of your data.

It may be necessary to pass your information to a 3rd party in order to process a service (e.g. when you make a donation), but we will only share the personal information necessary to deliver the service. We will not sell or rent your information to third parties. We will not share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Accessing the information we hold about you

You have the right to request access to any personal information Age UK Solihull holds about you. This is known as a Subject Access Request. You can find out more about this on our website at www.ageuksolihull.org.uk or by telephoning 0121 704 7840.

Who has access to your information?

We will not sell or rent your information to third parties. We will not share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.

Third Party Product Providers we work in association with: When you are using our secure online donation pages, your donation is processed by a third party payment processor, who specialises in the secure online capture and processing of credit/debit card transactions. If you have any questions regarding secure transactions, please contact us.

How you can update your information

The accuracy of your information is important to us. If any of the other information we hold about you is inaccurate or out of date, please email us at: info@ageuksolihull.org.uk, or write to us at: Age UK Solihull, The Core, Homer Road, Solihull B91 3RG. Alternatively, you can telephone 0121 704 7840.

Security precautions in place to protect the loss, misuse or alteration of your information

When you give us personal information, we take steps to ensure that it’s treated securely. All systems used by Age UK Solihull are password protected and our third-party processors such as Charitylog and One Drive have the relevant certification in place to keep your information secure. Our email is secure.   

16 or Under

We are concerned to protect the privacy of children aged 16 or under. If you are aged 16 or under‚ please, where possible, get your parent/guardian's permission beforehand whenever you provide us with personal information. 

When we may use your information without your consent

There may be times we need to use or share your information without you consenting for us to do so.  If we do this it’s because there is a lawful basis to do so, for example:

• Legal obligation – a court orders us to share your information
• Vital interests – to protect you if you are at immediate risk, you have a medical emergency or if you need safeguarding against abuse
• Legitimate interests – sharing information within Age UK Solihull to provide you with a complete and safe service that meets your needs and archiving a minimal amount of restricted data in order to justify a legacy claim.
• Public task – processing of information on behalf of a public body i.e. Age UK Solihull delivers the Council’s obligation to provide universal information and advice under the Care Act 2014. We may provide them with anonymised or pseudonymised statistical information and case studies.  We may also be required to report certain information about you i.e. a ‘barred’ list
• Contract – for example to fulfil our contract with you if you are an employee of Age UK Solihull.

We may also use your information to defend ourselves legally.

Questions and complaints 

If you have any specific questions about how we use your information or look after it, please contact the Age UK Solihull Head of Services on 0121 704 7840. 

If you think your data rights have been breached, you are able to raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner (ICO). You can contact the ICO at Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF or by telephone on 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745.

Review of this Policy

We keep this Policy under regular review. This Policy was last updated in August 2023.