Privacy notices Adult social care privacy notice

Updated: 16 April 2025

Contents

The type of personal information we collect

We currently collect and process the following information:

  • name
  • age and date of birth
  • address
  • contact information (telephone number, email address and so on)
  • gender
  • nationality
  • children’s personal details and contact information
  • next of kin personal details and contact information
  • significant family members, friends or neighbours
  • financial information (such as bank details, income, benefits)
  • visual images

We also collect the following special category information:

  • racial or ethnic origin
  • religion
  • sexual orientation (this is optional, and you can decide to withhold this information)
  • information included in referrals to and from other organisations
  • lifestyle and social circumstances
  • employment and education details
  • accommodation status and housing needs

Medical information including:

  • NHS number
  • GP surgery
  • admissions to medical facilities
  • alerting information (relating to the person's medical information)
  • allergies
  • details of medical appointments and assessments
  • care plan (including interventions and problems)
  • deprivation of liberty safeguards (DOLS) and other safeguarding information
  • early interventions
  • health promotion information
  • information relating to medications
  • preventative medical procedures
  • details and results of medical procedures and events (including discharge and diagnoses)
  • risk management plans
  • risks and warnings relating to medical issues

How we get the personal information and why we have it

Most of the personal information we process is given to us directly by you in various formats. For example, by letter, email, telephone, in online forms, during face-to-face meetings or home visits. When you complete online self-assessments, we may use your information for automated decision-making to give you an idea your eligibility.

We may also receive information about you from third parties such as:

  • family members and non-family members (such as spouses and friends)
  • hospitals
  • GPs
  • clinicians
  • integrated care systems
  • hospices
  • Sue Ryder (Duchess of Kent)
  • Optalis Limited
  • East Berkshire Primary Out of Hours Service
  • schools and colleges
  • private and voluntary organisations such as advocacy services, parent and carer organisations (such as MENCAP) and so on
  • other local authorities
  • police
  • Bracknell Forest Council housing teams
  • Bracknell Forest Council children’s social care
  • Bracknell Forest Council education and learning teams
  • Bracknell Forest Council mental health teams
  • Berkshire Emergency Duty Service

We use the information that you have given us to provide the best possible care and support, including working with you and colleagues to deliver high quality care, for example:

  • providing person centred support
  • providing a safe service
  • making referrals to partner organisations like health services, advocacy services and so on

How the law allows us to use your personal information

Lawful basis for processing

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful basis we rely on for processing the information is Article 6 UK GDPR:

  • (a) Your consent
  • (c) We have a legal obligation
  • (e) We need it to perform a public task

Special category data

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the lawful basis we rely on for processing the information is Article 9 UK GDPR:

  • (a) Your consent
  • (g) Processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest
  • (h) Processing is necessary for provision of health or social care treatment

You can read the guide to lawful basis for processing special category data on the Information Commissioner's Office website.

Where we use consent to process your personal data, we will explain to you what we are asking you to agree to and why.

If we have consent to use your personal data, you have the right to remove it at any time. If you remove your consent we are unlikely to be able to provide continued services to you.

If you want to remove your consent, contact adult.socialcare@bracknell-forest.gov.uk and we will deal with your request.

Our ‘legal obligation' and tasks that we are required to carry out as a local authority, can be found in:

  • Health and Care Act 2022
  • Care Act 2014
  • Health and Social Care Act 2012
  • Health and Social Care Quality and Safety Act 2015 Section 251(b)
  • Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019
  • Housing Act 2004
  • Mental Health Act 1983/2007
  • Human Rights Act 1998
  • Children’s Act 1989

Who we share your information with

Information held by the council may be shared with the following organisations:

  • GP Practices
  • East Berkshire Primary Out of Hours Service
  • NHS Foundation Trusts
  • NHS England
  • Virgin Community Services (Virgin Care Services Ltd)
  • integrated care systems
  • hospices
  • Optalis Limited
  • other local authorities
  • police
  • commissioned health care providers
  • voluntary sector organisations
  • other commissioned services (such as home care, care homes, day care, transport providers)
  • Department for Work and Pensions
  • Department for Health and Social Care
  • Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
  • Bracknell Forest Council housing teams
  • Bracknell Forest Council children’s social care
  • Bracknell Forest Council education and learning teams
  • Bracknell Forest Council mental health teams

We share your information in order to provide you with the best level of care possible, where you have requested this yourself, or where we have a legal duty to do so.

When we share your information with another body, we will only do this for the provision of arranging, providing, managing and evaluating your direct care.

The national data opt out

Your health information may be used by the NHS or government to:

  • improve the quality and standards of care provided
  • research into the development of new treatments
  • prevent illness and diseases
  • monitor safety
  • plan services

The national data opt out was introduced on 25 May 2018 to allow you to opt out from the use of your data for anything other than your individual care and treatment. This will prevent it being used for research or planning purposes as listed above. The opt out is in line with the recommendations of the National Data Guardian in the Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-outs.

The national data opt out applies to the NHS and some of the activities of the council. If you are happy with use of your data for research and service planning, you do not need to do anything. If you do choose to opt out your confidential patient information will still be used to support your individual care.

Health agencies and councils must check the NHS national data opt out system before using your data for research or planning.

You can change your national data opt out choice at any time by using the online service or by selecting Your Health in the NHS App, and selecting choose if data from your health records is shared for research and planning.

More information

You can find out more about how patient information is used at:

Client Level Data

The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has directed NHS England to establish a system for the collection and analysis of Client-Level Adult Social Care Data from local authorities.

The information being provided to NHS England supports the government’s drive toward the integration of health and social care specifically for:

  • monitoring, at a population level, particular cohorts of service users and designing analytical models which support more effective interventions in health and adult social care
  • monitoring service and integrated care outcomes across a pathway or care setting involving adult social care
  • developing, through evaluation of person-level data, more effective prevention strategies and interventions across a pathway or care setting involving adult social care
  • designing and implementing new payment models across health and adult social care
  • understanding current and future population needs and resource utilisation for local strategic planning and commissioning purposes including for health, social care and public health needs

The legal bases on which NHS England collects the information are sections; 254(1) and (6), 260(2)(d), 261(3), 262(3)(b), 262(7) and 304(9), (10) and (12) of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and Regulation 32 of the National Institute for Health and Social Care Excellence (Constitution and Functions) and the Health and Social Care Information Centre (Functions) Regulations 2013.

Bracknell Forest Council is legally required under Section 259(5) of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to provide the information to NHS England under the Data Provision Notice (DPN).

The National Data Opt-Out does not apply to the submission of data to NHS England for this collection as the DPN is a legal requirement with which the Council must comply.
You can find out more information about the collection of Client Level Data at:

Making a request

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have 28 days to respond to you.

To make a request, contact adult.socialcare@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.

Service adjustments

If you need service adjustments, email adult.socialcare@bracknell-forest.gov.uk.