Privacy Notice

Who We Are

We are a charity called West Cornwall Women’s Aid, charity number 1100329, with a registered address of 11 Market Place, Penzance TR18 2JB.

We provide support services to women and children who have experienced domestic abuse and/or sexual abuse. Our work is funded through a mixture of council‑commissioned contracts, grants, charitable fundraising, and other funding bodies.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information safely, lawfully, and transparently.

Applicable Legislation

As a registered charity in the United Kingdom (UK), we are required to comply with UK data protection legislation e.g. Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK’s version of the General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

What Information We Collect

To provide you with safe and effective support, we may collect:

Personal Information

• Name, date of birth, contact details
• Information about your situation and support needs
• Details about any children you are responsible for

Special Category Data (Sensitive Information)

We may also collect information necessary for safeguarding and support, such as:

• Health information
• Information about abuse you have experienced
• Details relating to risk or safeguarding
• Ethnicity, language, or other demographic information you choose to provide

We only collect what is needed to provide our services and comply with our legal duties.

How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide support tailored to your needs
• Assess and manage risk to you, your children, or others
• Make referrals to other services (with consent, unless a legal duty applies)
• Meet the requirements of our council‑commissioned contracts
• Meet the reporting requirements of grant-funded services
• Maintain accurate internal records
• Improve services through anonymised monitoring and evaluation

We do not sell your information.

Why We Are Allowed to Use Your Information (Legal Basis)

Depending on the service you receive, we may process your information under:

• Public task / task in the public interest (for council‑commissioned support)
• Vital interests (when life or safety may be at risk)
• Legal obligation (safeguarding, court orders, or statutory duties)
• Legitimate interests (to deliver safe, effective services)
• Consent (for optional sharing or referrals)
• Substantial public interest, including safeguarding and protecting individuals at risk
• Provision of health or social care support services

Services Funded by Grants and Charitable Donations

Some of our services are funded by:

• National or local grant providers
• Trusts and foundations
• Lottery funding
• Charitable donations
• Short‑term or project‑based funding

Where services are grant‑funded, we may be required to provide anonymised or statistical information to funders to demonstrate how funding is being used and whether services are effective.

We do not share identifiable personal information with funders unless:

• You have given explicit consent, or
• There is a legal requirement to do so

Who We Share Your Information With

We only share information when necessary and lawful, such as:

• Where it is required for your safety or the safety of others
• When we must share information for safeguarding reasons
• With agencies involved in your care (e.g., health, police, social care)
• With your consent when appropriate

Examples of agencies we may share information with include:

• Social care and early help teams
• Police and criminal justice partners
• Health and mental health services
• Housing providers
• Specialist support organisations
• Schools or educational settings

We share the minimum necessary information.

How We Store Your Information

Your information is stored securely, with restricted access, in line with data protection law.

We only keep your information for as long as required by:

• Law
• Contractual obligations
• Safeguarding and risk management requirements

After this, we securely delete or anonymise your information.

Transfer of Data

We do not transfer data outside of the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area (EEA).  If for any reason there is a need to do so, we will ensure that the appropriate safeguards are available to comply with the requirements of the data protection legislation.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Ask for a copy of the information we hold about you
• Request corrections to inaccurate information
• Ask us to restrict or stop using your data (where legally possible)
• Request deletion of your data (in certain circumstances)
• Raise concerns about how your information is handled

You can also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for independent advice or complaints.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Notice or how we use your information, you can contact:

West Cornwall Women’s Aid
PO Box 94
Penzance
TR18 2XP
support@wcwaid.co.uk
01736 367543