Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

DAC EMPOWERMENT CIC ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our social work services.

This policy applies to information we collect:

• On this website and through our online contact forms
• During the provision of social work services
• Through email, text, and other electronic communications
• When you interact with our organization

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information

We may collect the following types of personal information:

• Contact Information: Name, email address, postal address, telephone number
• Demographic Information: Age, gender, family composition (when relevant to service provision)
• Service-Related Information: Information about your needs, circumstances, and support requirements
• Communication Records: Records of communications between you and our staff

Website Usage Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• IP address
• Pages visited and time spent on our website
• Referring website addresses

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Service Provision: To provide, maintain, and improve our social work services
• Communication: To respond to your inquiries and communicate about our services
• Assessment: To assess your needs and develop appropriate support plans
• Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations and professional standards
• Safety: To protect the safety and welfare of service users and the community
• Website Improvement: To understand how our website is used and improve user experience

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Consent: Where you have given clear consent for specific purposes
• Legitimate Interest: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests in providing social work services
• Legal Obligation: Where processing is required by law or professional regulations
• Vital Interests: Where processing is necessary to protect someone's life or prevent serious harm
• Public Task: Where processing is necessary for the performance of public interest tasks

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Professional Partners: With other agencies involved in your care (with appropriate consent or legal basis)
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or regulatory authority
• Safeguarding: To protect the safety and welfare of vulnerable individuals
• Service Providers: With trusted third-party service providers who assist in our operations

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against:

• Unauthorized access or disclosure
• Accidental loss or destruction
• Malicious interference
• Unauthorized modification

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to:

• Provide our services to you
• Comply with legal obligations
• Resolve disputes
• Enforce our agreements

Social work records are typically retained in accordance with professional standards and legal requirements, which may require retention for up to 75 years for child protection cases or 8 years for adult services.

8. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right of Access: To request copies of your personal data
• Right to Rectification: To request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Right to Erasure: To request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal restrictions)
• Right to Restrict Processing: To request limitation of processing in certain circumstances
• Right to Data Portability: To request transfer of your data to another organization
• Right to Object: To object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to Withdraw Consent: To withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent)

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience. For detailed information about our use of cookies, please see our Cookie Policy.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the updated policy on this page and update the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: