Privacy Policy for Soft Touch Care Services Ltd
Soft Touch Care Services Ltd (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to safeguarding the privacy and personal data of our clients, employees, and visitors in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other relevant privacy laws. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information related to our domiciliary care services.
1. Who We Are
Soft Touch Care Services Ltd is a domiciliary care agency based in Birmingham. We provide personal care and support services to individuals in their homes. Our services include but are not limited to personal care, medication management, meal preparation, and companionship.
2. What Data We Collect
We collect personal data to provide effective care services. The types of information we may collect include:
Client Data:
Full name, date of birth, and contact details (address, phone number, email)
Next of kin and emergency contact details
Medical information including GP details, medication, diagnosis, care plan, allergies, and relevant health records
Care needs and preferences
Financial details for billing purposes
Employee Data:
Full name, contact details, and address
Date of birth and national insurance number
Employment history, qualifications, training records, and references
Criminal records (DBS checks) as required for employment
Payroll information, including bank account details
Website Visitors:
IP address, browser type, and activity data through cookies (see our Cookie Policy)
3. How We Use Your Data
We use personal data to provide safe, personalized, and efficient care services. Specifically, we may use your data for:
Delivering appropriate care and support in accordance with your care plan
Communicating with clients, their families, and healthcare professionals
Monitoring and improving our services, including maintaining accurate care records
Complying with legal and regulatory requirements
Handling queries, complaints, or concerns
Managing employment relationships, payroll, and staff development
Improving our website and user experience (for website visitors)
4. Legal Basis for Processing
We process personal data based on the following legal grounds:
Consent: When you have given clear consent for us to process your data (e.g., marketing).
Contract: When the processing is necessary to perform a contract (e.g., providing care services).
Legal Obligation: When we are required by law to process your data (e.g., health and safety, safeguarding).
Legitimate Interests: When it is in our legitimate interest to process personal data in order to provide and improve our services, except where these interests are overridden by the individual’s data protection rights.
5. How We Share Your Data
We will not share your personal data with third parties unless:
You have provided explicit consent
It is necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations (e.g., sharing care records with healthcare professionals)
We are legally required to do so (e.g., in safeguarding cases or during audits by regulatory bodies)
It is required to protect vital interests, such as ensuring health and safety
In these cases, we may share your information with the following:
Healthcare professionals, such as GPs, hospitals, or community health teams
Local authorities and the Care Quality Commission (CQC)
Payment processors, accountants, and auditors
Emergency services and safeguarding bodies
IT service providers supporting our systems and data storage
We ensure that all third-party service providers adhere to the GDPR and treat your personal data securely and lawfully.
6. How We Protect Your Data
We take data protection seriously and have implemented appropriate technical and organizational measures to safeguard your data, including:
Encryption and secure storage of personal data
Restricted access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
Regular data protection training for staff
Secure disposal of data when no longer needed
Monitoring our systems for security vulnerabilities and breaches
7. Data Retention
We retain personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or as required by law.
Client data is kept for a minimum of 6 years after the end of care services.
Employee data is kept for 6 years after employment has ended.
Website visitor data is retained for 26 months, as per our cookie retention policy.
After the retention period, personal data will be securely deleted or anonymized.
8. Your Data Protection Rights
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to Rectification: Request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to Erasure: Request the deletion of your personal data where it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.
Right to Restriction of Processing: Request limitations on the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
Right to Data Portability: Request that we transfer your data to another organization or directly to you in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to Object: Object to the processing of your data for direct marketing or other purposes where we rely on legitimate interest.
If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us at:
Soft Touch Care Services Ltd
93 Denville Crescent,
Birmingham, B9 5TS
Phone:0121 649 1001
Email: info@softtouchcareservices.co.uk
We will respond to your request within one month of receipt. In certain circumstances, we may refuse a request if it conflicts with legal obligations.
9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies on our website to improve user experience. You can control cookie settings via your browser. For more information, see our Cookie Policy.
10. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. We will notify you of any significant changes and update the effective date at the top of this document.
11. Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:
Soft Touch Care Services Ltd
93 Denville Crescent,
Birmingham, B9 5TS
Phone:0121 649 1001
Email: info@softtouchcareservices.co.uk
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe we have not complied with applicable data protection laws.
Information Commissioner Office
Website:https://www.ico.org.uk
Phone: 0303 123 1113
