Privacy policy
We are committed to protecting your personal information
Victim Support is committed to respecting and keeping safe any personal information you share with us or that we get from other agencies/organisations. This privacy notice sets out the basis on which we will process personal information, whether that information is collected through Victim Support websites or by any other means.
The contact details for Victim Support in relation to processing of personal information and for any questions regarding this privacy notice are:
Victim Support
Ground Floor, Building 3
Eastern Business Park
Wern Fawr Lane
Old St. Mellons
Cardiff
CF3 5EA
Victim Support’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted on dpo@victimsupport.org.uk.
This privacy notice provides an overview in relation to all personal information that Victim Support processes.
When someone visits www.victimsupport.org.uk we use a third party service, Google Analytics, to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is processed in a way which does not identify anyone. We do not make, and do not allow Google to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our websites. If we do want to collect personally identifiable information through our websites, we will be up front about this. We will make it clear when we collect personal information and will explain what we intend to do with it.
Who is Victim Support?
Victim Support is an independent charity for people affected by crime in England and Wales. Our specialist teams provide individual, independent, emotional and practical help to enable people to cope and recover from the effects of crime. Our services are free and available to everyone, whether or not the crime has been reported and regardless of when it happened.
Why we will hold your information and what we would do with it
We process personal information to:
- Enable us to provide emotional support, practical assistance, advice, Restorative Justice services and counselling services to victims and witnesses of crime
- Campaign for change in the Criminal Justice Sector on areas affecting victims and witnesses of crime
- Conduct research into matters affecting victims and witnesses of crime
- Keep in contact, communicate and get the views and input of our supporters
- Fundraise in relation to services to victims and witnesses of crime
- Support and manage our employees and volunteers
Victim Support processes the personal information of individuals in relation to delivering its services on the basis of performing a public task. Some information of individuals in relation to delivering our services may be processed for reasons of substantial public interest. Providing services to victims and witnesses of crime has a clear basis in law. Victim Support provides such services under the Victims’ Code of Practice issued under the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. In other cases the legal basis for the processing of personal information by Victim Support is the consent of the individual the personal information is about. There may be times when we process personal information under a legal obligation and very occasionally the reason for processing information will be that it is in the vital interests of an individual.
You have a right to object to the processing of information about you. See the section on ‘Your rights in relation to your personal information’ below.
Our service delivery to victims and witnesses is supported by a variety of support functions and other legal bases for the processing of personal information may apply in relation to these, such as performance of a contract and employment obligations.
Victim Support will always ensure that there is a legal basis for any processing of personal information it undertakes.
What information we would hold
In relation to delivering our services
The types of personal information that Victim Support collects and processes in relation to services to victims and witnesses include:
- Personal details, such as contact details, date of birth, and other personal information for identifying the individual
- Brief details of any crime committed or alleged to have been committed against the individual or that the individual has witnessed
- Details of individuals’ needs and the support provided to them
- Other details that the individual chooses to provide, including where applicable equality, diversity and inclusion data (so that Victim Support can look to ensure its services are open to all)
In relation to other functions
Our service delivery to victims and witnesses is supported by a variety of other functions. Types of personal information relating to other functions include:
- Personal details, such as contact details, date of birth, and other personal information for identifying the individual
- Other personal information relating to:
- Our supporters, such as what you want to hear from us about and how you want to hear from us
- Our donors/sponsors.
- Individuals who sign up to Victim Support’s weekly lottery.
- Individuals who make donations to Victim Support via third-party giving websites.
- Other personal information relating to individuals who make enquiries about our volunteering or fundraising opportunities. Such data will only be used by Victim Support to keep an accurate record of how your enquiry was handled. We will otherwise only contact you where you have opted to receive further updates from Victim Support.
- Other personal information of employees for employee administration and general management purposes
- Other personal information of volunteers for general management purposes
- Other details individuals choose to provide, including where applicable equality, diversity and inclusion data (so that Victim Support can monitor how inclusive we are as a charity)
Why we would share your information
In relation to delivering our services
In delivering our services Victim Support will normally only share personal information with another agency/organisation with the consent of the individual concerned.
There are exceptional circumstances where we may have to disclose personal information without the individual’s consent. These are:
- If we believe that either you or someone else is at risk of significant harm; Victim Support individuals have a duty to report any issues relating to child protection or adult safeguarding
- Where there is another legal reason or requirement to disclose your personal information
Agencies/organisations we may share your personal information with in relation to services to victims and witnesses include:
- Criminal Justice agencies that can also help support you in relation to being a victim or witness of crime, such as the police and the Crown Prosecution Service
- Other statutory agencies that can also help support you in relation to being a victim or witness of crime, such as Local Authority agencies and National Health Service agencies
- Voluntary sector partner agencies that can also help support you in relation to being a victim or witness of crime, such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, Women’s Aid and Refuge
- Other agencies/organisations that can also help support you in relation to being a victim or witness of crime
Victim Support may also share personal information with another organisation/agency that will process that information on Victim Support’s behalf in relation to services to victims and witnesses, but this will only be in relation to a service that the individual the personal information is about has asked for, for example Victim Support arranging transport in certain circumstances.
In relation to other functions
Our service delivery to victims and witnesses is supported by a variety of other functions. Organisations/agencies we may share your personal information with in relation to other functions include:
Third party providers that provide payment services to individuals who want to donate to or sponsor Victim Support, or who want to sign up to Victim Support’s weekly lottery, as well as fulfilment houses that ensure individuals who want to use our online shop receive the products and services they purchase
Third-party giving websites that provide a service to individuals who want to support Victim Support through these giving websites
His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs where individuals who give to Victim Support have declared an amount eligible for Gift Aid
Hireserve, who provide our web-based recruitment platform to allow individuals to apply to work for or volunteer with Victim Support
Victim Support also shares personal information of individuals employed by or who volunteer with the charity.
Where we store your information
Victim Support has appropriate technical and organisational measures in place to protect the personal information of individuals. We use secure systems that permit the easy identification of the individual the personal information relates to. Victim Support’s own systems are all based in the UK. Where an individual has opted to receive further updates from Victim Support, from time to time we may use SurveyMonkey and similar tools for communicating with you and carrying out surveys that may collect personal data relating to you. Data entered on some of these tools may go outside the European Economic Area (EEA). Data provided through third-party giving websites may also be processed outside of the EEA. Further detail on transfers of personal data outside of the EEA is provided here. No other personal data is transferred outside of the EEA.
How long do we retain your personal information for?
At Victim Support we ensure that personal information is not kept for longer than necessary. Full details of Victim Support normal retention periods for personal information can be requested using the contact details provided towards the top of this document. Normal retention period criteria for personal information are also provided here.
Your rights in relation to your personal information
Data protection requirements mean that you have specific rights in relation to your personal information held by Victim Support. Detail on your rights in relation to your personal information held by Victim Support is provided here.
How to exercise your rights
To access the personal information that we hold about you, please contact supporter.care@victimsupport.org.uk if you are a supporter of Victim Support, or contact your local Victim Support team if you are a service user.
To ask for your information to be corrected or deleted, to update your contact preferences, or to object to our processing of your personal information – or if you have any questions about this privacy notice, please contact supporter.care@victimsupport.org.uk or call 08 08 16 89 111.
You can also contact Victim Support concerning your rights in relation to Victim Support’s processing of your personal information using the contact details provided towards the top of this document.
Where does personal information we hold about you come from?
In relation to delivering our services
People who have been a victim of crime are referred to Victim Support by the police and by other agencies. Such agencies pass personal information to Victim Support on the basis of performing a public task, on the basis of a legal obligation, or on the basis of the consent of the individual the information is about. Some personal information of individuals may be passed by agencies to Victim Support on the basis of substantial public interest. Victim Support ensures it receives written advice from the agency as to the legal basis for the transfer of personal information that the agency is relying on. Further detail is provided here.
Victim Support also receives self-referrals from individuals who want to use our services.
Victim Support does not receive referrals of personal information that comes from publicly accessible sources.
In relation to other functions
Our service delivery to victims and witnesses is supported by a variety of other functions.
Victim Support receives personal information from third-party giving websites. If people have any concerns in respect of their personal information being passed on to Victim Support by third-party giving websites, Victim Support asks that individuals do not give by this method. Such personal information is passed on to Victim Support via a secure portal for the purpose of accurately logging their fundraising and/or donations. Victim Support will only contact such donors for administrative purposes relating to their fundraising, unless the donor has opted to receive further updates from Victim Support.
In order to comply with legal obligations and/or to ensure Victim Support’s reputation is safeguarded, Victim Support must take reasonable and appropriate steps to gather information about our stakeholders, for example where a significant sum is to be or has been donated. This means that we may gather personal information on individuals, accessing information sources which are already publicly available. This will help to give assurance for example that a donation is not from an inappropriate source and is in compliance with our ethical policy. Any personal information that we do collect will only consist of what is necessary for us to meet these requirements and will be processed in line the rights of the individual the personal information is about.
Other personal information that Victim Support processes is received direct from the individual concerned.
Do we use your personal information for automated decision making?
None of the operations Victim Support performs on personal information constitutes “automated decisions”.
Changes to this policy
In line with internal procedures, changing providers, best practice, or changing legal requirements, Victim Support reserves the right to make changes to this privacy notice and other aspects of its websites at any time. Please check this page regularly for any changes.
