How we use your information
Aberdeen City Council has to make inquiries and investigate where we have concerns that an adult may be at risk of harm. We receive concerns about an adult who may be at risk from a wide range of places, including the NHS, Police Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, The Care Inspectorate, and other public, third or private sector organisations, or from friends, family or members of the public.
When we look into these concerns, we need to collect and record, and use information about adults who may be at risk of harm and information about other people who can help us with our inquiry or investigation.
This personal information may include information in our existing case files and information we will gather as part of the inquiry or investigation process. Depending on the case, we may request and receive information from the NHS, Police Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, other public, third or private sector organisations, or from friends, family or members of the public. This will only be limited information which is relevant to the concern.
Where we receive information from other organisations, we will, in some cases, add this information to our records using automated processing, to speed up the time it takes to deal with simple processes. Decisions about people are not made using automated decision-making. This information is held by us on our case management system and in an electronic case file.
Who do we share information with?
We may share information about these inquiries or investigations with the NHS, Police Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, The Care Inspectorate, and other public, third or private sector organisations, or family members who are involved in the case, as part of the inquiry or investigation process.
Looking into concerns about adults who may be at risk may involve sharing limited relevant information at each of the following stages:
- as part of an initial referral discussion
- as part of an adult protection meeting
- as part of an investigation being conducted
- as part of a case conference
- as part of providing ongoing support as defined in an Adult Protection Plan
- as part of organisation taking part in appropriate quality assurance, review, learning and debriefing processes
There are times where information may also be shared with the Adult Protection Committee. This is a multi-agency committee that the Council is required by law to establish. The Adult Protection Committee has a key role in making sure that relevant organisations are working effectively to protect adults who are or may be at risk.
What information is shared and who it is shared with will depend on the circumstances of each case. Adults will be involved and included as much as possible in the process at all stages and if you have any questions about what information will be shared about you and why you can ask the worker who is looking into your case.
How long do we keep your information for?
We will keep information about inquires and investigation about adults who may be at risk of harm for five years, plus the current year, from the date that the case file is closed. If you decide you do not want support, we will keep your information for five years from our last contact with you.
Your rights
You have rights to your data, including the right to ask for a copy of it. See the Your data page for more information on all the rights you have, and how they work in practice.
You can contact the Council’s Data Protection Officer by email at DataProtectionOfficer@aberdeencity.gov.uk or write to:
Legal and Democratic Services
Business Hub 6
Level 1 South
Marischal College
Aberdeen
AB10 1AB
You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office. They are the body responsible for making sure organisations like the Council handle your data lawfully.
Our legal basis
Aberdeen City Council is the Data Controller for this information. Wherever the Council processes personal data, we need to make sure we have a legal basis for doing so in data protection law. The Council's legal bases for processing personal data at risk of harm are that this is part of our public task, and something we are required to do by law, as outlined in the Adult Support & Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 (Section 4). In doing this, the Council is also likely to process special categories of personal data. The Council understands our legal basis for doing so is because processing is necessary for the provision of health or social care or treatment or the management of health or social care systems and services.