Introduction
TLS Social Care Ltd, company registration number 14991818, with its registered office at 3 Lowtown, Pudsey, LS28 7BQ, is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of all individuals whose information we hold. This Privacy Notice explains in detail how we collect, use, share, and protect personal information. It applies to everyone we come into contact with in the course of our work, including service users, their families and representatives, employees, job applicants, and visitors to our website www.tlssocialcare.co.uk.
We recognise that the privacy and security of personal information is of paramount importance. Our handling of personal data is carried out in strict accordance with the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and other relevant legislation. This Privacy Notice also reflects our responsibilities under health and social care law and regulatory standards, including those set by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
How we collect information
We collect personal information in a variety of ways. Information is provided to us directly when individuals complete contact forms, job application forms, or other requests via our website. Information is also collected during the process of arranging and delivering care, including assessments, care planning, and day-to-day recording of care and support activities. We gather further information during recruitment and employment, including payroll processing, HR administration, and statutory reporting requirements.
In delivering care services, we use the Everyday Life Technologies PASS system, a secure digital care management platform which enables us to record, update, and share relevant care information with authorised staff in real time. This ensures that care plans, risk assessments, and daily support notes are accurate, up to date, and accessible to those who need them to provide safe and effective care.
We also collect personal data from employees for the purposes of managing payroll. This includes details such as names, addresses, contact information, salary levels, National Insurance numbers, tax and pension details, and bank account information. This information is necessary to ensure employees are paid correctly and that we comply with our legal obligations to HMRC and pension providers.
The types of personal information we collect may therefore include names, contact details, addresses, email addresses, employment history, job roles, and photographs. We may also collect and process more sensitive information, often referred to as “special category data”, including health and medical records, care plans, assessments of capacity and risk, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and in some cases political opinions, where this is relevant to care provision or employment.
Lawful basis for processing
We only process personal data where we have a clear legal basis for doing so. The principal lawful bases under UK GDPR are consent, contract, legal obligation, vital interests, and legitimate interests. For example, we process service user information as part of our contract to deliver safe and effective care. We process employee payroll information to fulfil employment contracts and meet our legal obligations to HMRC. We process information in the vital interests of service users where it may be necessary to protect life, such as in a medical emergency. We rely on legitimate interests where processing is necessary to manage our organisation safely and efficiently.
Where we process special category data, such as health and social care records, we do so under Article 9(2)(h) of UK GDPR, which permits processing that is necessary for the provision and management of health or social care services.
How we use information
Personal data is used for several purposes. For service users, it is used to assess care needs, create and update care plans, record the delivery of support, and share relevant information with care staff. For employees, personal data is used to process payroll, manage pensions, calculate statutory deductions, and fulfil HR responsibilities. For applicants, personal data is used to assess suitability for roles within TLS Social Care Ltd. For individuals contacting us via the website, personal data is used to respond to enquiries, process applications, or provide information requested.
We may need to share information with external organisations. This could include NHS professionals such as GPs, hospitals, and ambulance services where it is necessary for the provision of health care. It could include local authority social services departments, safeguarding teams, and regulators such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC). We may also share payroll information with HMRC, pension providers, and other government bodies as required by law. In rare cases, information may be shared with the police or emergency services where necessary to protect life or comply with the law. We will never sell or lease your personal data to third parties.
Security of your information
We are committed to ensuring that all personal information is kept secure. Data is stored using secure systems with role-based access, unique logins, and password protection. All data stored or transmitted digitally is encrypted in line with industry standards. Staff receive training on confidentiality, GDPR, and safe handling of personal data as part of their induction and on an ongoing basis. Staff handling sensitive data are required to sign confidentiality agreements.
Our PASS care management system is cloud-based, with robust data security and backup arrangements. Payroll data is processed via secure payroll software that complies with UK data protection requirements. Records are reviewed, retained, and destroyed in line with recommended retention and disposal schedules, ensuring that personal data is not kept for longer than is necessary.
Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT)
TLS Social Care Ltd has completed the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) at the required standard. The DSPT demonstrates our compliance with the 10 Data Security Standards, confirming that we have good data security practices in place and that we handle digital information responsibly and securely. Completion of the DSPT also shows our commitment to safeguarding both service user and employee information, in line with NHS and local authority requirements.
Website analytics and cookies
Our website uses Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website. This information is used to improve our services and the experience of users. Data submitted through online forms is stored securely on servers supplied by our website host, and notifications are sent to a password-protected TLS Social Care Ltd email account accessed only by authorised staff.
We also use cookies on our website. Cookies are small files that help improve functionality, speed up access to pages, and reduce the need to re-enter information. They also help us understand how visitors interact with the website so that we can improve the service. Cookies do not personally identify users. You can control cookies through your browser settings.
Retention of data
Personal information is not kept longer than necessary. Service user records are retained in line with statutory care sector schedules and are securely destroyed when no longer required. Staff payroll and HR records are retained in line with statutory requirements such as those set by HMRC. Data submitted via the website is kept only for as long as necessary to respond to the enquiry.
Your rights
Under data protection law, you have the right to access the information we hold about you, to request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete data, to request the deletion of your data where appropriate, to restrict or object to how your data is used, and to request the transfer of your data to another provider. Where we rely on consent to process your data, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.
Requests to exercise these rights should be made in writing to TLS Social Care Ltd, either by email to admin@tlssocialcare.co.uk or by post to TLS Social Care Ltd, 3 Lowtown, Pudsey, LS28 7BQ. Once your identity has been verified, we will respond to such requests within 28 working days.