Privacy Information for RNIB Safeguarding

We are a service provided by Royal National Institute of Blind People and we have relationships with the NHS, Social Care and Voluntary Support Services, so we use personal information on a day to day basis to offer you the best services. Our use of personal information allows us to make better decisions and deliver client specific support. Thus, creating a world where there are no barriers to people with sight loss. So, societies, communities and individuals, view people with sight loss differently.

In this Privacy Policy, “Royal National Institute of Blind People”, “we”, or “our” means Royal National Institute of Blind People - a registered charity in England and Wales (no. 226227), Scotland (no. SC039316) and the Isle of Man (no. 1226). Also operating in Northern Ireland. A company incorporated by Royal Charter. Registered in England and Wales (no. RC000500). Registered office Grimaldi Building, 154A Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JE

We collect information in the following ways:

Information you provide to us directly

You may give us your information when you:

• Report a safeguarding concern or allegation.
• Receive advice on potential safeguarding concerns or allegations.
• Receive safeguarding training.
• Apply to work for us.

Information you provide us indirectly

Your information may be shared with us by third parties:

• During the reporting or management of a safeguarding concern or allegation
• If required in order to manage a safeguarding allegation, a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) criminal record check, Disclosure Scotland criminal record check or Access Northern Ireland (NI) criminal record check or background Risk assessment
• In the following scenarios:
• You have applied to work with the safeguarding team and you are required to undergo a criminal record check.

• Name
• Contact details (including postal address, telephone number, e-mail address)
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Ethnicity
• Health/disability information
• Employment history
• Details of the concern/allegation
• Any other personal information you provide to us or which is provided to us within the management of a safeguarding concern or allegation.

Certain types of personal information are in a special category under data protection laws, as they are more sensitive. Examples of this type of sensitive data would be information about health, ethnicity, religious beliefs, political views, trade union membership, sex life or sexuality, or genetic/biometric information.

Due to the nature of work done by this team, all the activities conducted by this team involves sensitive data.

Employment

In order to be granted employment for certain roles within RNIB it is required by law to conduct a criminal record background check. The level of check conducted will depend on the role.

Managing our services to ensure compliance to regulations

In-order for us to be able to ensure high standards of service, we conduct routine reviews of safeguarding case files. This means that your records may be reviewed by internal and or external auditors, to check that the support you received and the way it was recorded meet our quality requirements. The information reviewed will be kept strictly confidential.

Manage all safeguarding concerns and allegations

In-order to ensure that all allegations are thoroughly investigated and addressed. Details of the concern or allegation will be collated and assessed to come to a resolution.

Data protection laws mean that each use we make of personal information must have a “lawful basis”. The relevant lawful basis is set out in the General Data Protection Regulation (EU Regulation 2016/679) and in current UK data protection legislation.

Consent

Based on the type of information we collect from you, we only process this information in order to comply with RNIBs safeguarding policies and procedures and legal obligations. We will process your information without your consent where we are required to do so by safeguarding procedures e.g. if we are required to make an external safeguarding statutory referral as a best interest decision without consent due to risk to life/significant risk to health.

Contractual Obligation

In certain circumstances you may enter into an expressed or implied contract with Royal National Institute of Blind People, where we process data on that basis. For example, we will carry out a criminal background check when you apply to work for RNIB and we will rely on this lawful basis.

Public Task

We may need to collect and process your personal/sensitive and criminal data when the law or our statutory obligation requires. These reasons include investigation of allegations and providing information for crime. We are also bound by the professional and governing bodies to process records to a suitable standard of quality and care, to provide certain information to authorities, and to retain records for a minimum period

We ensure that there are appropriate technical and organisational controls in place to protect your personal details. For example, our network is protected and routinely monitored.

Royal National Institute of Blind People has specific criteria to determine how long we will retain your information.

• Information pertinent to background Risk assessment where a decision is made to recruit/accept the volunteer will be kept for 75 years after engagement ceases. However, where the decision is not to recruit/accept the volunteer information will be saved for 6 months.
• Information regarding safeguarding allegations will be saved for 75 years after engagement ceases for individuals that work/volunteer for RNIB. Where the individual is the subject of a safeguarding concern the person’s information will be saved for 6 years from last contact.

We will not share your data with any 3rd parties for direct marketing. However, we may disclose your information to third parties in-order for them to further assist you and our business. These parties may include:

• IT service providers
• Statutory bodies
• Partner Organisations

Where we are under a legal or regulatory duty to do so, we may disclose your details to the police, Local Authorities, other statutory or regulatory bodies or legal advisers and/or where we consider it necessary to protect the rights, property or safety any person.

Your rights are set out below. Please be aware that when the data relates to the management of safeguarding concerns or allegations, we will need to consider any request in light of risks and potential harm and legislative requirements.