Privacy Notice – Clients & Families

1. Who We Are

Autonomie is a registered charity in Northern Ireland (Charity Registration Number: NIC100421).

We empower young people with physical disabilities and allied additional needs to build confidence, independence, and life skills. We also provide advice, support, and connection for families, carers, and siblings.

2. What Is This Privacy Notice?

Autonomie is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy.

This Privacy Notice explains:

• What personal data we collect
• How and why we use it
• How we keep it safe
• Your rights under data protection law

This notice applies to clients, families, carers, and participants who engage with our services and programmes.

We may update this notice from time to time. The most recent version will always be available on our website or on request.

3. Who Is Responsible for Your Data?

Autonomie is the Data Controller. This means we decide how and why your personal data is processed.

4. What Information We Collect

To provide safe, effective services, we may collect and store personal data including:

Clients and Families

• Names and contact details
• Age and date of birth
• Relevant medical or health information
• Disability or support needs
• Individual Development Plans
• Health and safety information
• Programme participation records

This information is usually collected through:

• Programme registration forms
• Activity reports
• Health and safety documentation
• Direct communication with families

5. Special Category Personal Data

Some of the information we process is classed as Special Category Personal Data, such as:

• Health and disability information
• Ethnic background
• Religion or belief
• Gender or sexual orientation (where relevant)

We only process this information where it is necessary, and we take additional care to protect it.

Where required, we will seek explicit consent, or process the data under another lawful basis permitted by law, such as safeguarding or providing appropriate support.

6. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data to:

• Deliver safe, inclusive, and appropriate programmes
• Support young people's development and wellbeing
• Communicate with families and carers
• Meet safeguarding and health & safety obligations
• Fulfil monitoring and reporting requirements for funders
• Improve our services

We only use personal data for purposes that are relevant and necessary.

7. Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we process personal data using one or more of the following lawful bases:

• Consent – where you have given clear permission
• Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary to deliver our services safely and effectively
• Legal obligation – where required by law or regulation
• Vital interests – to protect someone's life or wellbeing
• Public task / charitable purposes – where appropriate

You may withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis for processing.

8. How Long We Keep Personal Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to:

• Deliver our services
• Meet legal, safeguarding, and funder requirements

Retention periods vary depending on the type of information. If you would like details about how long specific information is kept, please contact us using the details above.

9. Data Sharing

We do not sell or share personal data for marketing purposes.

We may share information where necessary:

• With funders (in anonymised or aggregated form wherever possible)
• To meet safeguarding or legal obligations
• With professionals involved in safeguarding or care, where appropriate

All data sharing is carried out lawfully and securely.

10. How We Keep Data Secure

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, or disclosure.

Access to personal data is limited to staff and volunteers who need it to carry out their role.

11. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Be informed about how your data is used
• Access your personal data
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of data (in certain circumstances)
• Restrict or object to processing
• Request data portability
• Object to direct marketing
• Not be subject to automated decision-making

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us. We may need to confirm your identity before responding.

12. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, please contact us first and we will do our best to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):
🔗 https://ico.org.uk/concerns/

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or how your data is handled, please contact: