Privacy Notice

2026

At Real Life Options Group, we are committed to safeguarding the privacy and security of personal information. This Privacy Notice outlines how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data for employees, volunteers, people we support, website visitors, and marketing data, ensuring compliance with data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the UK Data Protection Act 2018.

Who We Are

We are Real Life Options Group. The Group consists of:

• Real Life Options: Company No. 2699638. Registered Charity No: 1156258 (England and Wales) and SC045939 (Scotland)
• 1st Home Care Ltd: Company No. SC272838
• Montana Home Care Ltd: Company No. SC267110
• Affinity Homecare Shrewsbury Ltd: Company No. 09508514

Our mission is to support people in making their own choices and living their lives the way they want. We provide specialised home care, residential care, and social care for people with learning disabilities, autism, and the elderly.

What Information Do We Collect?

We collect various types of personal data depending on your relationship with us. We only collect information that is necessary and relevant for the purposes outlined in this notice.

For Employees and Volunteers:

• Personal Details: name, gender, contact details, date of birth, nationality, residency status, and emergency contacts.
• Employment Information: application forms, contracts, salary, benefits, sick pay, pension information, and training records.
• Performance: records of work absences, holiday entitlement, performance appraisals, and disciplinary actions.
• Health: information about medical conditions relevant to providing appropriate workplace support.
• Legal: criminal background checks (DBS/PVG), driving licences, and compliance with legal obligations.

Should there be a need for personal data to be transferred outside of the UK, we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with data protection laws.

We do not sell personal data to third parties for marketing purposes.

For People We Support:

• Personal Data: name, contact details, date of birth, National Insurance, health
  information and care plans.
• Special Category Data: information on health, ethnicity, religion, and other sensitive
  data related to the support provided.
• Legal: information on Power of Attorney, financial details, and criminal records where
  applicable.

For Website Visitors and Marketing Data:

• Personal Data: name, email address, phone number, and any other details provided
  via forms (e.g. newsletters, donations).
• Browsing Information: IP address, browser type, time zone settings, and cookies to
  improve website functionality and performance (see Cookie Policy on our website).

How We Use Your Data

We process your personal data for the following purposes:

• Employees and Volunteers: to manage employment or volunteering arrangements, including payroll, benefits, performance management, health and safety, and legal compliance.
• People We Support: to deliver person-centred care, manage care plans, and fulfil our contractual obligations, whether funded by local authorities or private individuals.
• Marketing and Website Data: to respond to inquiries, process transactions, send updates, newsletters, and analyse website traffic.

We may use personal information for legitimate interests or legal requirements, such as responding to legal requests or safeguarding health and safety.

We will only use your personal data where we have a lawful basis for doing so. We rely on different lawful bases depending on the activity, including contract, legal obligation, legitimate interests, and, where required, consent.

Marketing Communications

Where we send marketing communications, we will do so either with your consent or where we have a legitimate interest to do so. You can opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us directly.

Data Sharing and Third-Party Access

We may share personal data with trusted third-party service providers (e.g. IT systems, payroll processors, care management software), regulatory bodies, professional advisors, and legal advisors, where necessary to fulfil our obligations. We ensure that all third parties protect your data in line with current data protection legislation.

Data Security and Retention

We take the security of your data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it. Personal data is retained only as long as necessary for the purpose it was collected or as required by law.

Retention periods are determined based on legal, regulatory, and operational requirements. Further details are available in our Document Retention Schedule, which can be accessed via the Policy Hub on Real Learning.

Your Rights:

Under GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: request access to the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure: request deletion of your personal data where it is no longer necessary.
• Right to Restrict Processing: request a suspension in processing your data.
• Right to Object: object to processing where we rely on legitimate interests.
• Right to Data Portability: request the transfer of your data to another organisation.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: where we rely on consent, you can withdraw this at any time.

To exercise these rights, please contact dataprotection@reallifeoptions.org.

CCTV

We may utilise CCTV or systems of a similar nature within our premises for the following purposes:

• To ensure the security and safety of employees, visitors, and property.
• To prevent crime.
• To monitor incidents and assist with investigations where necessary.

CCTV is only used where it is necessary and proportionate.

Lawful Basis for Processing

We process CCTV footage under the lawful basis of legitimate interests, specifically our interest in maintaining a safe and secure environment.

What We Collect

Our CCTV system captures video images only. We do not record audio. Footage may include identifiable images of individuals who enter areas covered by our cameras.

Retention Period

CCTV recordings are retained for a limited period, typically no longer than 30 days unless a longer retention period is required for the investigation of an incident or to comply with legal obligations.

Sharing of CCTV Footage

We may share CCTV footage with:

• Law enforcement agencies, where necessary.
• Insurers or legal representatives in connection with claims or investigations.
• Contractors who maintain our CCTV systems.

Please note, footage is not routinely shared with any other third parties.

Your Rights

Individuals have the right to request access to CCTV footage in which they appear, subject to certain legal exemptions and the rights of others. To make a request, please contact dataprotection@reallifeoptions.org.

Requests will be processed in line with data protection legislation and may require verification of identity.

Signage

Clear signage is displayed in areas where CCTV is in operation to ensure individuals are aware that recording is taking place.

Data Breaches

In the event of any loss, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, your personal data, we will assess the breach and, where required, notify the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) within 72 hours of becoming aware of a notifiable breach. This notification will be undertaken by our Data Protection Officer.

Right to Lodge a Complaint

If you believe that we have not complied with your data protection rights, you can contact our Data Protection Officer at dataprotection@reallifeoptions.org or write to the Data Protection Officer at: Real Life Options, Suite 1, 1346 Shettleston Road, Glasgow, G32 9AT.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues.

ICO Address: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
ICO Helpline: 0303 123 1113
ICO Website: https://www.ico.org.uk

Updates to Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website.

Where appropriate, we will notify individuals of significant changes.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Notice, how we handle your personal data, or require a copy of our Data Protection Policy, please contact our Data Protection Officer at dataprotection@reallifeoptions.org or write to us at Real Life Options, Suite 1, 1346 Shettleston Road, Glasgow, G32 9AT.

We aim to respond to all queries within a reasonable timeframe.