1. Introduction

CMS Care Service (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and share your personal data in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We provide health and social care services, including complex care, domiciliary care, and supported living, to adults and children with disabilities and/or in need of 24/7 care support services. This policy applies to our service users, their families, representatives, and visitors.

Data Controller: CMS Care Service Office 104, Wilson House 2 Lorne Park Road Bournemouth, BH1 1JN

Data Protection Officer: [Insert Name/Title] [Insert Email Address] [Insert Phone Number]

We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Our registration number is [Insert ICO Registration Number].

  1. What Information We Collect

We collect various types of personal information to provide you with the best possible care. This includes:

  • Personal Details: Name, address, date of birth, gender, marital status, and contact information.
  • Health and Care Information: Medical history, care needs assessments, care plans, medication records, and information about your health and well-being. This is considered “special category data” and is handled with the highest level of confidentiality.
  • Financial Information: Bank account details for processing payments for our services.
  • Next of Kin and Representatives: Contact details for your family members, next of kin, and any legal representatives (e.g., Power of Attorney).
  • Website Usage: If you visit our website (https://cms-careservice.co.uk/), we may collect your IP address and information about your browsing activity. Please see our Cookie Policy for more details.
  1. How We Collect Your Information

We collect information in the following ways:

  • Directly from you: When you inquire about our services, become a service user, or provide us with feedback.
  • From your family or representatives: With your consent, we may collect information from your family members or legal representatives.
  • From healthcare professionals: We may receive information from your GP, hospital, or other healthcare providers to ensure we have a complete understanding of your care needs.
  • From our website: We collect information automatically when you use our website.
  1. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • To provide you with safe and effective care: To create and manage your care plan, provide you with the right support, and ensure your health and safety.
  • To communicate with you: To keep you and your family informed about your care and to respond to your inquiries.
  • To manage our services: For billing, staff training, and quality assurance purposes.
  • To comply with legal obligations: To meet our regulatory requirements and to cooperate with authorities where required by law.
  1. Our Legal Basis for Processing Your Information

We will only process your personal information when we have a valid legal basis to do so. This includes:

  • To fulfill our contract with you: To provide the care services you have requested.
  • To comply with a legal obligation: To meet our regulatory requirements as a care provider.
  • For our legitimate interests: To manage and improve our services, provided that our interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
  • With your consent: In specific situations, we may ask for your consent to process your data, for example, for marketing purposes.

For special category data (your health information), we will only process this information if it is necessary for the provision of health or social care, or with your explicit consent.

  1. Who We Share Your Information With

We may share your information with:

  • Healthcare professionals: Your GP, hospital staff, and other healthcare providers involved in your care.
  • Our staff: Our trained and authorized care workers and administrative staff.
  • Your family or representatives: With your consent, we will keep your family and representatives informed about your care.
  • Regulators: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) and other regulatory bodies as required by law.
  • Emergency services: In the event of an emergency, we will share necessary information with the police, ambulance, or fire service.

We will never sell your personal information to third parties.

  1. Your Data Protection Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

  • The right to be informed: To know how we are using your personal information.
  • The right of access: To request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
  • The right to rectification: To have any inaccurate or incomplete information corrected.
  • The right to erasure: To have your personal information deleted in certain circumstances.
  • The right to restrict processing: To limit how we use your personal information.
  • The right to data portability: To receive your personal information in a portable format.
  • The right to object: To object to the processing of your personal information.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer.

  1. Data Security

We take the security of your personal information very seriously. We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your data from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. These measures include:

  • Secure storage of your personal records.
  • Restricted access to your information on a “need-to-know” basis.
  • Regular data protection training for our staff.
  1. Data Retention

We will only retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. For more information on our retention periods, please contact our Data Protection Officer.

  1. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes and the latest version will always be available on our website.

  1. How to Contact Us or Make a Complaint

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact our Data Protection Officer.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent body set up to uphold information rights.

Information Commissioner’s Office Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF

Helpline: 0303 123 1113 Website: https://ico.org.uk/