At Mainstay DRP, we are committed to protecting your privacy and we operate in accordance with Data Protection Legislation.

This policy explains when and why we collect personal information about persons who use our services, how we use it, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others and how we keep it secure.

This policy may be amended if required to adhere to legislative changes. By using our services and accessing our website you are agreeing to be bound by this policy.

Any questions regarding this policy should be addressed to the Data Protection Officer, Mainstay DRP, 2 Cumulus Heights, Downpatrick BT30 6WT or telephone 02844 617184 option 2

Who are we?

Mainstay DRP is a charitable organisation that delivers residential, respite, supported housing and day care services to adults with learning disabilities and/or autism.

How do we collect information from you?

We obtain information from you when you use any of our services, become a committee member, employee or a fundraiser. In addition, when entering into a commercial contract with Mainstay DRP, we will collect information in order to ensure contract obligations are met.

What type of information is collected from you?

Personal information is information that can be used to identify you, tell us about you and help us understand your relationship with us. For example if you use any of our services, make a donation, volunteer as a fundraiser or sign up for an event, Mainstay DRP may, with your full knowledge and consent, collect the following information:

  • Your full name
  • Your contact details – including postal address and e-mail address
  • If your involvement is linked to your employment or membership of a group or organisation we may collect additional information such as your Job Title and company your work for.
  • If you are an employee, details relating to the requirements of HMRC, pension schemes, and information in relation to managing your contract such as sick leave, grievances, disciplinary procedures, references.
  • If your involvement is linked to your use of one of our services, information on your physical or mental wellbeing, third party information relating to family members or medical practitioners.
  • Other information relevant to your specific query

This is not an exhaustive list and what personal information we collect depends on the service you are engaging with. We will not collect more information than we need.

How is your information used?

We may use your information to:

  • Enable Mainstay DRP to provide a service to you or a family member
  • Seek your views or comments on our service
  • Supply you with information regarding fundraising
  • Notify you of changes to our service
  • Process a job application
  • Manage your employment contract
  • Carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us.

We review our retention periods for personal information on a regular basis. We are legally required to hold some types of information to fulfil our statutory obligations. We will only hold information on our system for as long as necessary for the relevant activity or as long as it is set out in any relevant contract you hold with us.

Who has access to your information?

Only those who need this information in order to provide a service to you or to fulfil the performance of a contract with you.

  • We will not share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.
  • We will only share information with third parties as a requirement of the service to you, to fulfil the performance of a contract with you, if we are legally bound to do so or in cases of best interest. This would include Health & Social Care Trusts, RQIA, NISCC, Social Security agency and other statutory bodies as required.
  • We will not transfer your personal information to any third country or international organisation.

Third Party Service Users working on our behalf:

We make use of a third party service provider for the security of our IT system. We disclose only personal information which is necessary to deliver the service and we have a contract in place that requires them to keep any information secure and not to use it for their own purposes.

Third Party Partners we work in association with:

We work closely with various third party providers such as the Health & Social Care Trusts, Housing Executive, Social Services and RQIA to ensure we have a range of quality and reliable services designed to meet your needs. The relevant third party provider will use your details to provide us with information and carry out both our and their obligations to you when using these services. In some cases they will be acting as data controller of your information and therefore we advise you to read their privacy policy. These third party partners will share your information with us which we will use in accordance with this Privacy Policy

We may transfer your personal information to a third party if we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data to comply with any legal obligation or to enforce or apply our terms of use to protect the rights, property or safety of individuals e.g. payroll information with HMRC. However we will also take steps to ensure your privacy rights continue to be protected.

How you can access and update your information

It is important that we maintain up to date information. Please notify responsible staff if any of your details change and we will update this.

You have a right to ask for a copy of the information that Mainstay hold about you. This is known as a Subject Access Request.

Security precautions are in place to protect your personal information.

When you give us personal information we have a duty to ensure it’s kept securely. Any sensitive information is securely filed and we have procedures in place to prevent unauthorised access to your information.

We keep this policy under regular review.