2.1 Storage and management of personal information
Our principal data management system is a Microsoft Dynamics CRM system which is maintained and developed by a third party processor. This system enables us to efficiently store any information about our clients, former clients and other stakeholders in a way that ensures adequate security and only allows people who have the right level of authority to access personal information. It also simplifies our responsibilities for data retention and subject access requests.

2.2 Visitors to our website and social media platforms
When someone visits our website we use a third party service, Google Analytics, to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way that does not identify anyone. We do not make, and do not allow Google to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website.

We use Google Analytics so that we can continually improve our service to you – read the Google Analytics privacy notice.
We use WordPress as the content management system for our website – find out about WordPress and GDPR.
Like most websites we use cookies to help the site work more efficiently – find out about our use of cookies.
If you fill in a form on our website, that data will be temporarily stored on the web host before being sent to us.

Where we provide links to websites of other organisations, this privacy notice does not cover how that organisation processes personal information. We encourage you to read the privacy notices on the other websites you visit.

Hope Bereavement Support has a presence on various social media platforms. If you engage with us via these platforms we will not usually collect or store your personal data. Where we are collecting personal data for future use, we will let you know and provide you with details about the intended use. We have a presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. To find out how these companies use your data and how you can control the way they use your data please refer to their privacy policies, which should be available on their websites.

2.3 Clients and former client (routine processing)
The main legal bases we use for processing clients’ and former clients’ personal information is a combination of contract and legitimate interest.

We carefully safeguard the information we hold about clients. This information comes from the way clients engage with us, information provided through application and booking forms, renewals forms or details completed in clients’ online profiles.

The information may also come from clients’ interactions with us, for example, opinions you provide on our website, comments or communication through our groups on social media, data you provide to us when completing forms.

What the information is used for:

We collect this information to provide our services to clients and to inform our development of new and improved products to continue to meet our clients’ needs.
We also use client information for identity verification and to comply with regulatory functions. Usually, when clients call us, we need to identify them depending on the nature of the enquiry. We may do this by asking for certain information known only to you.

Specifically, we may use client information to:

– carry out regulatory checks and meet our obligations to the Professional Standards Authority
– develop and improve our services through assessment and analysis of the information, market and product analysis and market research
– improve the relevance of messages we may send you
– personalise our website for you
– protect our systems
– contact clients and their emergency contact in case of an emergency (this is specifically when working with clients and agreeing to our services, which is counselling and coaching)

We may also monitor or keep a record of any communications with clients. We’ll use these records to check your instructions to us, to analyse, assess and improve our services and for training and quality purposes.

We may send messages only if necessary and with prior client authorisation to do so by post, telephone, text, email or other digital methods. These messages may be:

– to inform clients of upcoming support group sessions and one-to-one sessions
– to keep you informed about the features and benefits of the products and services available to you that may be of professional interest.

We will keep records of purchases of any of our workshops or any private sessions for counselling or coaching services for financial audit reasons for six years. We’ll also keep records of assessments, qualifications, complaints and adjudications for six years. The basic records of a client’s name and clinical assessments will be kept for a maximum of seven years in case ex-clients wish to re-join.

We will not pass on your information to a third party to use in their own direct marketing without your consent.

Sharing your information
During your contact with us, we’ll tell you how your information will be used and that it may be necessary to share it with other services and organisations only when legally obliged to do so.

We will not share your information with any third parties unless:

– you have consented to this (for example by providing information to us after we’ve told you that we will supply the information to a third party)
– it is required for the management of your clientship or a legitimate business purpose
– it is as part of our duty to protect a child, a vulnerable adult, yourself or the public
– for the prevention and detection of a crime or the assessment of any tax or duty
– we are required to do so by any court or law or any relevant regulatory authority
– to protect the rights, property or safety of Hope Bereavement Support or any third parties (for example for the purposes of fraud protection)
– we transfer our rights and duties to provide products and services to another organisation with your knowledge

By being a client of Hope Bereavement Support and using our products and services, you grant us permission to process personal data which you have provided to us.

One significant role of Hope Bereavement Support is to promote the health and wellbeing of clients. As a professional body, we will also verify the clientship status of an individual when we receive a query from a third party only when there is a legal and safeguarding requirement impeded upon us. We will give the legal and safeguarding third party the following information about clients in question:

– whether someone is currently a client
– the date they became a client
– the expiry or expected renewal date of their clientship
– current clientship category
– whether the client is Registered or not
– the criteria the client has demonstrated in order to achieve their level of clientship; and/or
– any of the above information for dates in the past.

Payment
When people make complaints against our services, we hold data relating to the complainant as well as details of the complaint and witnesses or interested parties. All data relating to this process is kept securely.

Client audit
Client audit is managed internally with data stored on spreadsheets. We receive hard copy and electronic submissions. Audit data is stored securely. A record of the audit result will be kept on spreadsheets, information submitted as part of the audit process for seven years even after a result has been achieved.

2.4 Members of the public who make enquiries or complaints
We do not usually record or process any data from clients of the public who ring us with general enquiries. If a query does require us to take personal data we will explain this at the time. We do not record phone calls.

We retain emailed queries from the general public for a maximum of one year. If a client of the general public contacts us to make a complaint about a client we will need to record personal data (and often sensitive personal data) in order to investigate the complaint. We may also need to share this information with various third parties. We will explain this process in detail when we collect the information.

2.5 Members and non-clients who attend our events
If you apply to attend a Hope Bereavement Support event we will hold the information we need in order to deliver this event. Our legal basis for holding your data will be a combination of contract and legitimate interest.

Event information is stored on our spreadsheets, while video and still images are stored elsewhere on our servers. We will keep information for 25 years. Information about exhibitors and sponsors is kept for up to five years. Evaluation forms can be anonymous, if you supply your name this will not be used after two years.

Photography and filming
If you attend an event or take part in a promotional activity, we may ask to take your photograph or film you. Any images we hold, whether in still photographs or video, may be covered by the definition of personal data in the GDPR. We will need your consent in order to take and use these images fairly and lawfully. We will ask you to complete a form.

Filming
We may record events for use in an online video library, publicity and marketing materials, including use on our website. This filming will primarily focus on the speakers (with whom we always have contracts covering data protection), however, it may include some shots of the audience. By attending these events you are deemed to have consented to your inclusion in these recordings. If you don’t want to be included in any recording it is your responsibility to tell the cameraman at the event before filming starts. There should be signs at the event telling you about the filming and what to do if you don’t wish to be filmed.