Privacy Policies

We have two privacy policies – one for our service users and one for people using our website. You can read the policies by selecting the links below. Just let us know if you have any questions.

Privacy and data protection for service users

My CWA collects information about you and your family when we first speak to you, when someone refers you to us, and during our work with you. Find out what we collect, how we use it and how it’s stored.

The information we collect about you

My CWA collects information about you and your family when we first speak to you, when someone refers you to us, and during our work with you. This includes:

  • Personal details about you. For example: your age, your health and safe ways to contact you

  • Personal details about your children and the alleged perpetrator

  • Details about what’s happening or has happened

  • Any risks that you or your family are experiencing

  • Information about anyone else supporting you

  • We also collect information when you voluntarily complete surveys or give us feedback on our services

Why we collect this information and how we use it

We collect information about you so we can support you and your family to stay safe. Recording this information means we can work to manage risks to you and it helps us deliver a service which best meets your needs.

We use an electronic database that is shared with the DA Hub (Domestic Abuse Hub), DAFSU (Domestic Abuse Family Safety Unit) and the domestic abuse worker at Leighton Hospital. We share a database that stores key information about support so that if you speak to different workers, you don’t have to keep telling your story over and over again.

We also share relevant information about you and your circumstances with other services in My CWA.

When and why we might share this information with others

We’d only share information with other agencies when we think you or others aren’t safe or where the law requires. This includes:

  • If we have concerns for the safety or wellbeing of a child or vulnerable person, we may have to share information with relevant agencies such as children’s services or adult social care. We’ll always try to discuss this with you, if it is safe to do so. However, legally we have to share this information with or without your consent.

  • If you disclose to us any information about any illegal or offensive weapons that are accessible or about terrorism, we’re legally obliged to let the police know. We aim to ensure that any risk to you or anyone else will be taken into consideration in this process.

  • When a My CWA staff member considers you or your family to be at high risk of serious harm, they may share your information to try and keep you safe. The agencies that we usually share information with in these cases are the police, social services, or a multi-agency risk assessment conference (MARAC). Again, we’ll always try to discuss this with you, if it’s safe to do so.

  • If you disclose to us that you may harm yourself or others are at risk of suicide, we may share your information with the emergency services.

  • We’ll also record information about other people. Under the Data Protection Act, they have the right to request to see information about themselves, but not about you. When responding to these requests, we’d always seek to ensure the safety and security of you and your family.

We may also share your anonymised data with commissioners and funders for the purposes of reporting, monitoring and evaluation. If you do not wish for your data to be shared, please let us know.

Withdrawing consent for information to be recorded or shared with others

If you don’t want us to record or share your data, please discuss this with your My CWA worker so we can still help you reach the services and support that you require.

What we ask of you

We ask that you respect the safety and confidentiality of our staff and other clients that you come into contact with. This means not sharing this information with others outside the organisation, including names, telephone numbers and locations of My CWA services.

How your information is stored

Most information will be stored in a secure web-based database. Any paperwork will be held in a case file held in secure filing cabinets in the organisation. We’ll keep your information for seven years after you stop working with us. After this time, anonymous data will be held for a further four years.

Accessing the information we keep

You have a right to request to view or receive a copy of information that we hold about you. If you’d like make a request, please write to My CWA, Lily Jones Support Centre Mill House, Brook St, Crewe CW2 7DE. We want to make sure the information we hold is accurate and up to date. You may ask us to correct or remove information that you think is inaccurate.

Privacy statement - using our website

What type of information do you collect?

We obtain information about you when you use our website. For example, when you contact us about jobs or volunteer opportunities, to make a donation or if you register to receive our newsletter.

The personal information we collect might include your name, address, email address, IP address, and information regarding what pages are accessed on our site and when.

However, if you make a donation online or purchase a product from us, your card information is not held by us, it is collected by our third party payment processors, who specialise in the secure online capture and processing of credit/debit card transactions, which is explained below.

How is my information used?

We may use your information to:

  • Process a donation that you have made

  • Seek your views or comments on the services we provide

  • Send you communications that you’ve requested and that may be of interest to you (these may include information about campaigns, appeals or other fundraising activities)

  • Process a volunteer or job application

  • Respond to your enquiry or request for information

  • Keep a record of any contact we have with you

If you have booked on to one of our training sessions whether via out Training Team or through our booking systems on Eventbrite/MS forms, we will contact you with the relevant information and resources (including reminders and follow ups).

Who is My CWA?

In this statement, whenever you see the words ‘we’, ‘us’ or ‘our’, it refers to My CWA.

Your acceptance of this statement

By using our website or providing your information, you consent to our collection and use of the information you provide in the way(s) set out in this statement. If you don’t agree to this statement please do not use our website.

Changes to this privacy statement

Any changes we may make to our privacy statement in the future will be posted on our website and, where appropriate, notified to you by email. This statement was last updated in June 2019.

Complying with the Data Protection Act

The Data Protection Act principles require My CWA to process personal data fairly and lawfully. We’ll offer you choices about the way you are contacted. We’ll also be clear about how we will use your information. We’ll make sure that the reason for collecting information is lawful. We only hold data about you that is enough for our purpose – nothing more.

We work to make sure the data we hold is accurate and up to date

We only hold personal data as long as necessary. However, we may need to keep personal data from you even if you have requested no further contact. This is so that we can make sure we exclude you from receiving communication.

Marketing communication preferences

If you have given us permission to contact you about news and information, our work or ways to support us, we’ll make sure that you can opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time.

Giving your data to other organisations

Unlike some organisations, we’ll never swap or sell your data to another organisation for them to use for marketing purposes.

Your data on our website

If you use any of the email forms on our website, we’ll capture your name and email address in order to respond to your enquiry.

If you make a donation via the secure forms on our website, your credit card information is only used to complete that transaction. Any debit or credit card details that we receive on our website are passed securely to our trusted payment processing partner, Just Giving, according to the Payment Card Industry Security Standards. View Just Giving’s privacy policy for more information.

Information is automatically provided on your browsing behaviour through the use of cookies on our sites. This information does not enable us to identify you personally. However, it does allow us to track usage of our site so that we can improve it.

We use Google Analytics, standard third-party web analytics services, to collect anonymous information about your computer, operating system and browser type. This includes for example the number of users viewing pages on the site, but it does not identify you individually. This means we can monitor and report on the effectiveness of the site and help us improve it. These analytics services will also collect your IP address, which is not anonymous, but this information will not be shared.

E-newsletters

We use a third-party provider, Mailchimp, to deliver our e-newsletters. We gather statistics around email opening and clicks using industry standard technologies. View Mailchimp's privacy policy for more information.

Accessing information held about you

My CWA will help you if you want to see the information we hold about you. A request should be made in writing, by letter or by email, to info@mycwa.org.uk. We’ll reply to your request within a month. Incorrect data can be changed, blocked or destroyed.

Changing your communication preferences

You can change your communication preferences at any time. You can choose whether we contact you by mail, telephone or email. You can also choose whether or not you receive information on certain My CWA activities, including appeals, information about challenge events and fundraising activities, or jobs and volunteer opportunities.

Make your request by phone to 01270 250390 or by email to info@mycwa.org.uk. To unsubscribe from email from My CWA, you can simply click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email you have received (Note: this will not unsubscribe you from mail or telephone contact - but email only.)

Asking for your data to be deleted

You can ask My CWA to stop using your personal data at any time. However, we usually keep the personal data of people who have requested no further contact. This is so that we can make sure we don’t include them in any activity aiming to recruit new supporters. If you request that your data be deleted, we will have no future record that you do not wish to hear from us.

How to contact us

Requests for information about our privacy statement can be emailed to our nominated representative for the purpose of General Data Protection Regulations 2018, Saskia Lightburn-Ritchie. Email saskia@mycwa.org.uk to contact her.