Privacy notices

We are committed to protecting your privacy when you use our services. This privacy notice explains how we use personal information about you and your family, and how we protect your privacy in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UKGDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It applies to any activity involving our use of your personal data, including collecting, storing, sharing and destroying it.

About Family Hub services

Croydon Family Hub services are for families from pregnancy, through to young people turning 19 years old (or 25 years old if they have a disability). They bring together many different services and organisations, who work together to support you and your family. This provides better help to families in the borough.

Our services are provided by Croydon Council, Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, and partnership organisations. This includes health agencies, schools, youth services, healthy homes, immunisation teams and housing providers.

The Family Hub registration form

The information collected on the Family Hub registration form is used to provide you and your family with access to Family Hub services. When you submit the registration form, the information is securely transferred to our Early Help case Management system (EHM), which creates a task for authorised staff to review and complete your registration.

What information we collect

We collect a range of information including some or all of the following:

• your personal information and that of your family (including name, date of birth, ethnicity, address, telephone number, email address, medical conditions or disability)
• information about your family circumstances that helps us provide the right support
• family relationships and details of children in your household
• information relating to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) for parents, carers or children

Sometimes, one parent or carer gives us information about another parent or carer who is not present at the time of registration. If this happens, we will contact the other parent or carer using the details provided. We will send them this privacy notice and explain how we use their information. Then they will have the chance to check, update, or object to how we use it.

Why we collect your information

We use your information to:

• determine the services and support that you and your family may require
• provide the most appropriate support to you or your family
• understand the types of services families are receiving and plan future services
• monitor and check the level of services provided across the borough
• produce anonymised statistics and reports to research and plan new services
• assess performance and set targets for service improvement
• comply with Central Government research and statistical returns
• develop targeted support and early intervention for families most in need or at risk
• provide a coordinated approach to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
• enable us to carry out our statutory functions and duties, including safeguarding and early help
• investigate complaints and account for our decisions

Anonymised information may be used for reporting, monitoring, and service improvement dashboards.

Who we share information with

Everyone working for Croydon Family Hub services has a legal duty to keep and process information about you in accordance with the law. Your information will be kept securely in our case management system. It may be shared with other professionals or organisations if this is necessary to provide you with a complete service. Only the minimum relevant information will be shared.

Examples of organisations we may share information with are:

• Croydon Council internal services
• early help and family solutions services
• Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
• housing services
• education services
• youth services
• Healthy Homes/Public Health

Health partners

We may share information with:

• Croydon Health Services NHS Trust (including midwifery, health visiting, immunisation and screening)
• South West London Integrated Care Board (ICB)
• commissioned NHS and community health providers

Voluntary and community sector partners

We may share information with:

• Home Start Croydon
• Croydon Drop In
• local youth and community organisations
• commissioned family hub delivery partners such as parenting support, domestic abuse support or SEND support services

Education and childcare providers

We may share information with:

• nurseries
• early years settings
• schools and colleges

Other safeguarding partners

We may share information with:

• Police
• housing providers and registered social landlords
• other local authorities (where legally required)

This list is not exhaustive. Information will only be shared without informing you where there is a safeguarding risk or a legal obligation to do so. 

We will never share your information with third parties for marketing.

The lawful basis on which we use this information

We do not rely on consent to process your information for Family Hub services.

Our lawful basis under UK GDPR is:

• Article 6(1)(e) – processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority

For special category data, we rely on:

• Article 9(2)(h) – provision of health or social care

Your rights

You have the right to:

• be informed about how your information is used
• access the information we hold about you
• request correction of inaccurate data
• object to processing in certain circumstances
• request deletion where appropriate

If your details were provided by another parent or carer, we will contact you directly so you can check and update your information or raise any concerns.

To exercise your rights, please email: Information.Management@croydon.gov.uk

Storing your information

Personal data will not be kept for longer than necessary.

Family Hubs registration data stored in our case management system (EHM) is generally kept for 6 years, in line with our retention schedule for Early Help services.

Some safeguarding-related information may be kept for longer where required by law or statutory guidance.

For more information about retention periods, please email: CRSProject@croydon.gov.uk.

Requesting access to your information and complaints

To request access to the information we hold about you (a Subject Access Request), please email: SAR@croydon.gov.uk.

To make a complaint about how your information has been used, you can contact us using the details below.

Data Protection Officer
Email: DPO@croydon.gov.uk
Croydon Council
Bernard Weatherhill House
8 Mint Walk
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Further information

If you have any questions or concerns about how your information is collected or used, please email: CRSProject@croydon.gov.uk or FamilyHubs@croydon.gov.uk.

For independent advice, you can contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

We may update this privacy notice from time to time. The latest version will always be published on our website.