Communicate SLT CIC takes the privacy and security of personal information very seriously. This notice explains how we use the information provided to us when we receive a request for our services.

 What information do we collect about you and your child?

• Parent’s names and their contact details
• Who holds parental responsibility and therefore can consent to our involvement
• The child’s contact details such as their name and address
• The child’s date of birth
• The nursery or school they attend
• Relevant education records
• Details about the referrer
• Information about previous speech and language therapy assessments, intervention and outcomes
• Information about the services provided by Communicate SLT, including details of appointment records, assessment, targets set/achieved, frequency and type of intervention and outcomes
• Relevant medical or health information including whether or not you have a disability / diagnosed condition
• Relevant information and feedback received from the child, parents/carers and people who support your child and your family
• Information used for equal opportunities monitoring about your child’s religion or belief and ethnic origin

This information is often provided by the person or professional who referred your child to our service, or the organisation who commissioned our services. Consent is always gained from you (the parent/carer) before this information is shared with us.

Why do we collect information?

We use your contact details and information about your child to:

• Contact you to offer our services
• Select the best assessments and interventions to use
• Inform decisions regarding the best approach to take in supporting your child’s communication development
• Provide information to others who support your child’s learning to inform their decisions or a diagnosis
• Improve our services
• Provide information about the reach, effectiveness and impact of our services to commissioners

• Processing this personal information is necessary for us to fulfil our contract with the service commissioner and to comply with our legal obligations as members of the Health and Care Professions Council.

  Communicate SLT does not base any decisions about you solely on automated decision-making.

  How do we store your information?

  As part of our commitment to protecting the security of any data we process, we have created a Privacy Policy to ensure we comply fully with the rules and legal conditions in relation to the obtaining, handling, processing, storage, transportation and destruction of personal information.

  In addition, we have put further security measures in place to avoid data from being accessed, damaged, interfered with, lost, damaged, stolen or compromised. In cases of a breach, or suspected breach of data security you will be informed, as will any appropriate regulator, in accordance with our legal obligations.

  Any data that is shared with third parties is restricted to those who have a business need, in accordance with our guidance and in accordance with the duty of confidentiality.

  We will store your data for the standard retention period for speech and language therapy records which is until the child/young person’s 25^th birthday or their 26^th birthday if the child was 17 years old when our treatment finished.

  Your rights in relation to your personal data

  Under certain circumstances, by law you have the right to:

  • Request access to personal data relating to you or your child
  • Request correction of incomplete or inaccurate personal data relating to you or your child Request erasure of personal data relating to you or your child
  • Object to processing of personal data relating to you or your child
  • Request the restriction of processing of personal data relating to you or your child
  • Withdraw your consent to the processing of personal data, relating to you or your child

  We want to make sure that your personal information is accurate and up to date.  You and your child may ask us to correct or remove information that is inaccurate, and you have the right to request to be forgotten by us.  You also have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you and your child. To exercise any of your rights, please contact us by emailing enquire@communicate-slt.org.uk.

  Please contact Caroline Coyne, Director, at enquire@communicate-slt.org.uk or call 01253 462123 if you have any questions about our Privacy Policy or information we hold about you.

  Communicate SLT CIC is registered with ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office). The ICO enforces the Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulation in the UK. Our registration number is ZA070366.

  If you have any concerns or comments about how we use information, we would like to hear from you. Alternatively, you may contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues for guidance and advice, or to lodge a complaint.