Your privacy, respected.

For client enquiries, we retain contact details (name, address, date of birth) as well as any details provided about the support needed and relevant health issues. This is "special category" data. If the enquiry does not progress, we delete the information after 1 year.

For those enquiries that go ahead and become clients, more in-depth information is held. The information we hold covers health, specific support requirements, preferences, and, if it is relevant to providing care, information about the client's race, ethnic origin, sexual orientation or religion. Ongoing, our team record details of the care provided as well as reviews to the initial care plan. Clients, and other people they nominate, can access this information via our Birdie app.

The financial details needed to pay for our service are recorded, as are the names and details for emergency contacts and others involved in the client's care.

These records are deleted or destroyed 3 years after clients finish using the service, unless there is a considered reason to keep some of the records for longer, perhaps a safeguarding concern.

For potential staff members, we record their name, address, contacts details, an outline of experience, reasons seeking to work in care and right-to-work info. As they progress through the recruitment process we obtain more information such as full employment history, interview notes, DBS checks, etc. If the recruitment enquiry does not progress, we delete the information after 1 year.

For employees, more information is held, including their bank details so that we can pay them, supervision and training records, emergency contacts, date of birth, NI number. We also record "special category" data which might include physical and mental health data – we will only collect this if it is necessary for us to know as an employer, e.g. fit notes or in order to claim statutory maternity/paternity pay. We may also, with permission, record data about race, ethnic origin, sexual orientation or religion.

The data is held initially in an enquiry database, as well as in email correspondence and telephone call recordings. For new clients, records are maintained in our secure IT systems. Largely, this is on our care management system, Birdie. Care workers and clients (or their permitted family) use their personal mobile phones or other devices to securely access Birdie.

Our service forms one element in the range of care and support services that our clients engage. From time to time we need to share information with other health and social care providers. When a service user needs a health service, whether this is from a general practitioner, from a hospital, or from some other health professional, it is vital that the body responsible for the treatment has the fullest possible information. Gardiner's staff will often have been in a good position to observe the service user's needs and symptoms and will cooperate as fully as possible in supplying information to the responsible health service.

We will seek permission to share information but if unable to obtain consent, a best-interest decision will be made, for example, we may need to speak with an individual's GP if concerned about the individual's health, or the individual's local safeguarding team if concerned about abuse.

It is important for staff to consider the type of information and why they need to share it. For example: if we have details of somebody's medical condition and their GP requests this information so that they can provide care, that's a good reason to share.

We may also process your data with your consent. For example, solicitors or insurers who are acting on our client's behalf. We will seek your consent, and give you a clear choice explaining clearly what we need the data for and how you can withdraw your consent at any time.

The national data opt-out gives everyone the ability to stop health and social care organisations from sharing their confidential information for research and planning purposes, with some exceptions such as where there is a legal mandate/direction or an overriding public interest, for example to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic. We review all of our data processing on an annual basis to assess if the national data opt-out applies. At this time, we do not share any data for planning or research purposes for which the national data opt-out would apply.

This policy sets out the different areas where user privacy is concerned and outlines the obligations and requirements of the users, the website and website owners. Furthermore, the way this website processes, stores and protects user data and information will also be detailed within this policy.

We take a proactive approach to user privacy and ensure the necessary steps are taken to protect the privacy of this website throughout the visiting experience. This website complies with all UK national laws and requirements for user privacy.

Cookies

Cookies are small files saved to the user's computer's hard drive that track, save and store information about the user's interactions and usage of the website. This allows the website, through its server, to provide the users with a tailored experience within this website.

We may use cookies to remember the personal settings you have chosen on our website. In no other context do we use cookies to collect information that identifies you. Most of the cookies we set are automatically deleted from your computer when you leave our website or shortly afterwards.

We use anonymous session cookies (short-term cookies that disappear when you close your browser) to help you navigate the website and make the most of the features. If you log into the website, application or a course as a registered user, your session cookie will also contain your user ID so that we can check which services you are allowed to access.

This website uses tracking software to monitor its visitors to better understand how they use it. This software is provided by Google Analytics which uses cookies to track visitor usage. The software will save a cookie to your computer's hard drive in order to track and monitor your engagement and usage of the website, but will not store, save or collect personal information.

Should users wish to deny the use and saving of cookies from this website onto their computer's hard drive, they should take necessary steps within their web browser's security settings to block all cookies from this website and its external serving vendors.

• YSC .youtube.com (YouTube Cookie)
• GPS .youtube.com (YouTube Cookie)
• VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE .youtube.com (YouTube Cookie)
• PREF .youtube.com (YouTube Cookie)
• SERVERID www.cqc.org.uk (Care Quality Commission Cookie)
• _gat .gardinershomecare.co.uk (Google Analytics Cookie)
• _gid .gardinershomecare.co.uk (Google Analytics Cookie)
• _ga .gardinershomecare.co.uk (Google Analytics Cookie)
• fr .facebook.com (Facebook Advertising Cookie)
• _hjFirstSeen (HotJar tracker)
• _hjIncludedInSessionSample (HotJar tracker)
• _hjIncludedInPageviewSample (HotJar tracker)
• _hjAbsoluteSessionInProgress (HotJar tracker)
• _hjSessionUser_2872403 (HotJar tracker)
• _hjSession_2872403 (HotJar tracker)

To check the list of cookies above represents the complete and latest list you can visit https://www.cookieyes.com/cookie-scanner/.

Personal information

Whilst using our website, software applications or services, you may be required to provide personal information (name, address, email, account details, etc.). We will use this information to administer our website, applications, client databases and marketing material. We will ensure that all personal information supplied is held securely in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. Further, by providing telephone and email details, you consent to Gardiner's Homecare Limited contacting you using that method. You have the right at any time to request a copy of the personal information we hold on you. Should you wish to receive a copy of this, or would like to be removed from our database, please contact us at info@gardinershomecare.co.uk.

Contact forms

This website uses contact forms to allow you to submit emails to us. When doing so you will need to accept a checkbox that agrees to us storing your email and information in our email servers.

Information collection and use

Gardiner's Homecare Limited collects information in two possible ways:

1. When you directly give it to us ("Directly Provided Data") – When you sign up for our site, purchase our products or communicate with us, you may choose to voluntarily give us certain information – for example, by filling in text boxes or completing registration forms. All this information requires a direct action by you at that time in order for us to receive it.
2. When you give us permission to obtain from other accounts ("User Authorised Data") – Depending on your settings or the privacy policies for other online services, you may give us permission to obtain information from your account with those other services. For example, this can be via social media or by choosing to send us your location data when accessing our website from your smartphone.

Embedded content from other websites

Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website. These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracing your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.

Analytics

This website uses Google Analytics to provide our analytics and reporting services so we can estimate our traffic and website performance. This requires two Google Analytics cookies. You can opt-out of Google Analytics data collection with the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. You may also wish to refer to this website for additional information about disabling cookies from your browser.

Who we share your data with

We do not share or sell your personal data to other organizations for commercial purposes, except to provide the products or services you've requested, when we have your permission or if we need to comply with law enforcement authorities.

We share information with only a few third parties that include:

• Google Analytics – No personal data is shared.
• Google Search Console – No personal data is shared.
• Google Adwords – No personal data is shared.
• MailChimp – We use MailChimp to provide our email marketing services.
• Hotjar – To report on how people interact with the website.
• Facebook – We use Facebook's advertising platform which involves us exchanging data about our visitors.

We will not share your data with anyone else unless legally obligated to do so.

How long do we keep your data for?

Gardiner's Homecare Limited will not retain your personal information longer than necessary. We will hold onto the information you provide either while your account is in existence, or as needed to be able to provide the services to you, or (in the case of any contact you may have with our Customer Care team) for as long as is necessary to provide support-related reporting and trend analysis only.

If legally required or if it is reasonably necessary to meet regulatory requirements, resolve disputes, prevent fraud and abuse, or enforce our Terms and Conditions, we may also retain some of your information for a limited period of time as required, even after you have closed your account or it is no longer needed to provide the services to you.

Registration forms

Gardiner's Homecare Limited will not sell or rent your personally identifiable information, gathered as a result of filling out the site registration form, to anyone.

Choosing how we use your data

We understand that you trust us with your personal information and we are committed to ensuring you can manage the privacy and security of your personal information yourself.

With respect to the information relating to you that ends up in our possession, and recognising that it is your choice to provide us with your personally identifiable information, we commit to giving you the ability to do all of the following:

• You can verify the details you have submitted to Gardiner's Homecare Limited by contacting our customer services team. Our security procedures mean that we may request proof of identity before we reveal information, including your e-mail address and possibly your address.
• You can also contact us by the same method to change, correct, or delete your personal information controlled by Gardiner's Homecare Limited regarding your profile at any time. Please note though that, if you have shared any information with others through social media channels, that information may remain visible, even if your account is deleted.
• You are also free to close your account through our account settings. If you do so, your account will be deactivated. However, we may retain archived copies of your information as required by law or for legitimate business purposes (including to help address fraud and spam).
• You can always feel free to update us on your details at any point. To do this, please contact us.
• You can unsubscribe from receiving marketing emails from us by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any email. Once you do this, you will no longer receive any emails from us.
• You can request a readable copy of the personal data we hold on you at any time. To do this, please contact us.

Email newsletter

Gardiner's sends an occasional email newsletter sharing what we hope will be useful and interesting information to those who choose to subscribe. The email address of those who do subscribe will only be used so that we can send our newsletter email to them. We will not pass email addresses to any other party. People can opt-out of receiving the email newsletters at any time by either clicking the unsubscribe link which appears at the end of every automated email or by contacting Gardiner's directly.

What rights you have over your data

If you have an account on this site or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.

Where we send your data

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