This Policy explains when and why we collect personal information about our volunteers, how we use it, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others and how we keep it secure.
We may change this Policy from time to time so please check this page occasionally to ensure that you’re happy with any changes.
Any questions regarding this Policy and our privacy practices should be sent by email to: post@abbeyfield.com or write to The Company Secretary, Abbeyfield, Hampton House, 17-19 Hampton Lane, Solihull, West Midlands, B91 2QT.
Who are we?
The Abbeyfield Society (trading as Abbeyfield Living Society) is a registered charity (no. 200719) and company limited by guarantee (no. 574816) The registered address is Hampton House, 17-19 Hampton Lane, Solihull, West Midlands, B91 2QT (Abbeyfield).
How we collect your information
Abbeyfield collects information from you via a variety of sources, including when you apply to be a volunteer, complete one of our forms, when you call, write, e-mail or meet with us or respond to a survey. We may collect information when you use our social media sites or website.
We operate a CCTV system at Abbeyfield premises for the detection and prevention of crime. It operates continuously and recordings are held for one month. From time to time we may operate CCTV / sound recording and / or use photography to capture evidence of alleged anti-social behaviour or crime.
We may also take photographs at our events, at our properties and in our communities to use for general marketing and publicity. However, photographs of individuals will only be used for those purposes with your consent.
We may receive information about you from third parties, for example when we request references, carry out a DBS check or require consent for young people volunteering.
What information we collect about you
The information we may require from a volunteer includes:
- Full name (and proof of your identity / photo ID)
- Date of birth
- National Insurance number (your unique identifier)
- Contact details (phone, e-mail or correspondence address
- Disabilities or vulnerabilities. We use this information to meet your particular circumstances and needs. We may use this information for safeguarding of staff
- Health and medical information. We may use this information to better meet your particular circumstances or needs. We may use this information for safeguarding of staff
- If appropriate, a DBS reference number
- Emergency contact details and next of kin
- Gender, age, ethnicity, faith group, disability, sexuality for the purposes of anonymised bench-marking, or reporting to funders
If you do not provide the information we need then we may not be able to offer you a volunteer role.
What processing we do with information collected
The information we require from you is used to manage your volunteer role and to allow us to discharge our obligations to you under the volunteer agreement.
The processing activities we conduct can be summarised as:
- Managing your volunteer role; and
- Complying with relevant legislation and regulation.
Abbeyfield conducts research and statistical analysis to help improve our business processes and the services offered to our volunteers and residents, as well as to evaluate our performance against other benchmarks. When possible, statistical information is anonymised or pseudonymised.
Abbeyfield conducts surveys regularly and periodically relating to our volunteers in order to understand our volunteer profile, gauge satisfaction and make improvements based on feedback.
Abbeyfield operates a range of information and communications systems and technologies for efficient operation of the business. Personal information is stored and managed within those systems which are maintained to achieve a high level of confidentiality, integrity and availability including following best practice cyber security standards.
We hold information in IT systems which may be copied for testing, backup, archiving and disaster recovery purposes. All data is held within the UK.
How we will communicate with you
Abbeyfield needs to communicate with our volunteers and this will usually be in person, in writing, email or by telephone.
Our volunteers may receive a newsletter with information about what is going on within Abbeyfield.
Abbeyfield operates an opt-in mechanism for receiving direct marketing. You may remove your consent to receive direct marketing or object about direct marketing to post@abbeyfield.com.
Who we share data with and how long we keep information
Abbeyfield shares limited personal data with our contractors or funders who are carrying out services on our behalf. Our contractors are required to comply with the law and our own Data Processing Agreement to ensure data is managed appropriately and for specified purposes.
Abbeyfield may need to share personal information with government departments and agencies, with our regulator and auditors or with other organisations and agencies where we are legally allowed to do so.
What we will not do
We will not send you unsolicited marketing material. We will not sell your personal data on to third parties.
We will not pass on your personal data to unrelated third parties unless we are allowed or required to do so by law or we have your explicit permission to do that.
We will not transfer or store your personal data outside of Europe (the European Economic Area) outside of the control of the UK / European regulations.
Your rights, the right to complain and the ICO
You have the right to request a copy of the data we hold about you. If you wish to request access to any of your personal data please complete a Subject Access Request form. We will respond within a month of making a request.
It will always help if you can be as specific about what personal data you want to see, what it relates to and within what time frame, as that will assist our search.
You have the right to correct information that we hold. Please advise us of any changes or corrections by contacting post@abbeyfield.com. You may withdraw your consent to use any information that was previously provided with your consent. Please advise us if you wish to withdraw any consent previously given to post@abbeyfield.com.
You also have other rights which can be seen by visiting the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website and reading about Data Protection law.
You have the right to complain about any matter relating to our service, including how we use your personal data. In the first instance please refer to our complaints policy.
If you wish to complain about our use of your personal data you may complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
Changes to our Privacy Notice
Our Privacy Notice is regularly kept up to date and this version was updated on 25 October 2023.