Privacy Information for Service Users
How we use and protect your information
Your privacy matters to us. We keep your information safe and confidential. We only collect the information we need in order to support you, keep you safe, and run our services properly.
This statement explains, in simple terms, what we do with your information and when it might need to be shared.
What information we collect
We may collect:
- Your name and contact details
- Information you choose to tell us during sessions or helpline contacts
- Session notes (kept brief, factual and confidential)
- Information about appointments, waiting lists or service use
- Any risks or wellbeing concerns you share with us
We collect this information so we can support you properly and keep a clear record of the help you receive.
How we keep your information safe
Your information is stored securely and is only seen by staff who are directly involved in your support. We follow the law (UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018) and the RCTN Data Protection Policy to protect your privacy.
You can ask to see copies of your information at any time.
How long we keep information
We only keep information for as long as necessary and then securely delete it, following RCTN’s retention schedule.
Confidentiality & when we may share information
Most of the time, what you tell us stays between you and RCTN.
We will only share information if you give consent, unless we are legally required to share it or there is a serious safeguarding concern.
We may need to share information without consent if:
- We believe you or someone else is at serious risk of harm
- A child or vulnerable adult is at risk
- A court orders us to share information
- You choose to take part in a criminal justice process and the court requests notes
- Sharing is required by law (e.g., terrorist threats, certain serious crimes)
We will always try to talk to you first unless it is unsafe to do so.
Pre-trial therapy (if this applies to you)
If you are currently involved in a police investigation or court case, RCTN can still offer therapeutic support. This is called pre-trial therapy.
It is important you understand that:
- You can still receive therapy; you don’t have to wait until after court.
- We keep brief, factual notes in line with Crown Prosecution Service Guidance.
- If the defence requests these notes, the court may ask us to provide them.
- Notes cannot be withheld if the court orders disclosure.
We will explain this fully and check you understand before therapy begins. You can ask questions at any time.
Your rights
You have the right to:
- See copies of the information we hold about you
- Ask us to correct anything that is wrong
- Ask questions about how we use your information
- Complain if you are unhappy about how we handle your data
Details are available in our full Privacy Notice and Data Protection Policy.
If you have questions
You can speak with your worker or contact:
Data Protection Officer (DPO)
Email: enquiries@rctn.org.uk (marked FAO DPO)
Post: Data Protection Officer, RCTN, PO Box 1320, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE99 5DX
Phone: 0191 222 0272
Other Privacy Information
Website & Online Training
We use a third party provider, WordPress, to power our website. Your information is stored so that you can log in, purchase items and participate in our online training. If you choose to register for an account on our website your personal data will be stored on our WordPress system until you tell us you no longer want to have an account with our website.
We will not send you emails unless you have expressly given us permission to do so, only contact you about Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland activities, services and events to pursue our legitimate organisational activities. We won’t share your personal information or use your data for automatic profiling.
We may need to identify the names and organisations of people who have participated in some of our online training programmes. We will therefore download this information and store it in a password protected document on a secure server.
E-Bulletin
We will use the information you share with us to send you the e-bulletin(s) you want to receive. We may occasionally send you emails about other Rape Crisis Tyneside and Northumberland activities, services and events to pursue our legitimate organisational activities but we won’t share your personal information or use your data for automatic profiling.
We use a third party provider, Mailchimp, to send our e-bulletins and your personal data will be stored on our Mailchimp system until you tell us you no longer want to receive our e-bulletins. We gather statistics around email opening and clicks using industry standard technologies
You have the right to know what information we hold about you and you can ask to see it, amend it or have it deleted by contacting us.
Subject Access Request (SAR)
If we hold information on you, you have the right to ask to see it. This is known as a Subject Access Request, sometimes referred to as a SAR.
You have the right to ask:
- What Personal Data RCTN is Processing about you, if any
- A description of the Personal Data processed by RCTN about you
- The purpose or purposes for which the Personal Data is being processed
- Confirmation of who will have access to the Personal Data
- How long the Personal Data will be held by RCTN
- Rectification or erasure of your Personal Data or restriction of processing of your Personal Data or to object to such processing
- Confirmation of whether automated decision-making was used for profiling purposes
- A copy of the Personal Data, as well as confirmation of where RCTN acquired that Personal Data
How to make a Subject Access Request.
To access your Personal Data, you need to contact our Data Protection Officer:
Send a Letter to: Data Protection Officer, RCTN, PO Box 99 Newcastle Upon Tyne NE99 5DX,
Email: enquiries@rctn.org.uk using the subject title Data Access Request and identifying that the email is for the attention of the Data Protection Officer.
Phone: 0191 222 0272, asking to speak with the Data Protection Officer
In-Person: Let your worker know that you would like to make a Subject Access Request
If you have a complaint about a Subject Access Request (SAR) you received from us, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office.
