Careline Service privacy notice

You are providing your information to Brent Borough Council.

Careline provides a monitoring and response service to the community’s most vulnerable clients, helping them live independently in their own homes. The Service provides an emergency response service 24 hour a day, 365 days a year to people who are vulnerable or at risk. Many older people living alone or younger people with disabilities rely on this service to live independently, safe in the knowledge that they can always get help when they need it.

Harrow Council provides this service on behalf of Brent. Harrow therefore hold and process customer data in order to deliver the service.

Why we collect and use your personal data?

Your information is collected for the purpose of processing and managing the Careline alarm service you receive and fulfilling statutory obligations, as required to fulfil the council’s duties under the following legislation, statutory or contractual requirement or obligation.

Legislation and context

Legislation	Context
The Care Act 2014 helps to improve people’s independence and wellbeing. It makes clear that local authorities must provide or arrange services that help prevent people developing needs for care and support or delay people deteriorating such that they would need ongoing care and support.	Brent Adult Social Care department provides services in line with the Care Act 2014. Individual’s data is processed in order to deliver these services.

Where the council obtains the information from

The council obtains information from the following sources:

Organisation
Harrow Careline

Context
Harrow share data relating to performance of the service and when required will share details of current users, including personal data including address and telephone number.

This information is only used for the intended purpose but if we intend to use it for any other purpose; we will normally ask you first. In some cases, the Council may use your information for another purpose if it has a legal duty to do so, to provide a complete service to you, to prevent and detect fraud, or if there is a risk of serious harm or threat to life.

How we collect your information

We collect information in a number of ways, for example, by letter, email, face-to-face, telephone, online forms etc. Personal information of clients who subscribe to the Careline service is received via email, post or online.

Who we share your information with?

We will only process and share your information as set out here and at all times in accordance with the data protection principles set out in the Data Protection Legislation. These principles include keeping your information secure and up-to-date and using it in a fair and lawful way for specified purposes.

In most other circumstances we will ask you for your written consent to share your information in any other way and with any other individual/organisation, such as your solicitor. The types of situation when we may not ask for your consent are when it is in the interest of safeguarding either you or a member of your household.

We will use the information for the following purposes:

To share with external and internal bodies responsible for administering public funds
To share with other council services to assess your eligibility to other
financial assistance from the council
To identify and advise you about other council services you might be interested in
To recover debts

We may match the information you provide with other information we hold about you whether provided to us by you, or anyone else. We may also obtain other information about you from third parties and give information to them to:

Make sure the information is accurate
Prevent, detect and prosecute fraud
Protect public funds
Recover debts owed to the council

These third parties include:

Hospitals, emergency services such as London Ambulance Service, Fire
Service and other government departments
Other local authorities
Private-sector organisations such as Housing Associations, and organisations that work closely with Careline
Any organisation that the council contracts with to administer public funds

Where in the world your information is stored?

Brent Council does not process your information with third countries outside of the UK or EU zone without the safeguards being in place that are equivalent to the Data Protection Act 2018 or the General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR).

How long do we keep your information?

Your information shall be processed for the duration of the Careline service and retained for as long as necessary in line with statutory retention periods. Harrow process the information in order to deliver the service on behalf of Brent. Harrow’s arrangements are as follows:

Personal information will be held for as long as the client is receiving the service. When the service is no longer required the record is archived. Every 6 months, system deletes archived records more than 18 months old (18 months to allow for debt recovery and return of equipment), as part of the maintenance agreement. This retention period complies with TSA standards and requirement to access recordings that are no more than 18 months old.

Digital Switchover

The analogue telephone network, also known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), is due to be retired, necessitating the migration of customers. We are working with your Communications Provider to migrate you to a full digital service. Your Communications Provider will contact you when they are ready to migrate your lines.

We have a data-sharing agreement between your Communications Provider and the Council. This will allow them to understand which clients are telecare device users that may be affected during the digital migration.

The lawful basis for using your information

Brent Council is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. We may use any of the information you provide to us for the prevention and detection of crime. We may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds including the Public Sector Audit Appointments Ltd, National Audit Office, Financial Reporting Council, Cabinet Office, the Department for Work and Pensions, and other local authorities, HM Revenue and Customs, and the Police.

Concerns about data protection

If you are dissatisfied with the processing of your information, you can raise your concern with the council’s Data Protection Officer via email on dpo@brent.gov.uk. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (www.ico.org.uk).