Privacy and Data Policy

Privacy Notice

Who we are?
Support for Families (S4F) is a charity based in Stirling, dedicated to community wellbeing. We provide therapeutic, practical, and inclusive support services for individuals and families across the area.

What personal data we collect
Depending on your interaction with S4F, we may collect:

Name and contact details (including emergency contacts)
Health and wellbeing information relevant to service provision
Attendance records (sessions, events, programmes)
Feedback from surveys or questionnaires
Volunteer or staff application details
Access data from our membership system (e.g. food larder or café)

Why we collect your data
We use your data to:

Deliver and improve our services
Communicate about sessions, updates, or changes
Maintain accurate records for safeguarding and monitoring
Demonstrate impact for funding (using anonymised data)
Meet legal obligations under safeguarding and charity governance

How long we keep your data?
We only retain data as long as necessary for service delivery, legal obligations, or evaluation — this is reviewed annually in line with our Data Protection Policy.

Lawful Bases for Processing
We rely on one or more of the following:

Your consent
Legal obligations
Vital interests (e.g. emergencies)
Legitimate interests (e.g. service delivery)
Contracts (e.g. with staff or suppliers)

How We Protect Your Information

Data is stored securely with password protection and access controls
Paper records are locked and access is restricted
Sensitive data is only shared with explicit consent or when legally required (e.g. safeguarding)

Your Rights
You have the right to:

Access your data
Correct inaccurate information
Request deletion of your data
Restrict how your data is used
Withdraw consent at any time

Data Protection Policy

Policy Commitment
S4F is committed to safeguarding the privacy and personal data of everyone we work with — clients, staff, volunteers, funders, and partners. We comply with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Scope

Applies to all staff, volunteers, and contractors who handle personal data on behalf of S4F.

Data Protection Principles

We ensure data is:

Processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently
Collected for specified, legitimate purposes
Limited to what's necessary
Accurate and kept up to date
Retained only as long as needed
Protected against unauthorised access or loss

Data We Process

Includes:

Contact and identification details
Health and wellbeing information (if needed for services)
Volunteer/staff application or contract info
Feedback and attendance records
Access data from support services (e.g. food larder)
We only collect special category data with explicit consent and when necessary.

Lawful Basis for Processing

We rely on:

Consent
Contractual necessity
Legal obligations
Vital interests
Legitimate interests (e.g. to improve services)

Security Measures

Password-protected and encrypted digital systems
Locked filing for paper records
Limited access to authorized personnel only

Sharing of Data

We only share data:

When legally required (e.g. safeguarding)
With your consent (e.g. referrals)
When needed to deliver support (e.g. funders)
We do not sell or share data for marketing.

Individual Rights

You have the right to:

Access, rectify, or erase your data
Restrict or object to processing
Withdraw consent
We respond to all data requests within one month.

Data Retention

Data is only kept as long as necessary. Retention schedules are built into our systems and reviewed annually.

Data Breach Response

In the event of a breach, S4F will:

Contain and assess the issue
Notify the ICO (if required)
Inform affected individuals
Review systems to prevent recurrence

Training and Awareness

All staff and volunteers receive data protection training at induction, with regular updates.

Review

Policy Lead: S4F Data Protection Officer

Last Reviewed: July 2025

Next Review Due: July 2026

Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files placed on your device to help websites function and understand visitor behavior.

How We Use Cookies
Our website may use cookies to:

Remember user preferences (e.g. accessibility settings)
Analyse how visitors navigate the site
Support essential functions like page loading and security
We do not use cookies to collect personal data or for marketing purposes.

Managing Cookies
You can manage or block cookies through your browser settings. For more help, visit www.allaboutcookies.org or consult your browser’s help guide. We may update this policy from time to time.