Privacy Policy

Parenting NI is fully committed to protecting your privacy.

The purpose of this Privacy Notice is to explain how Parenting NI processes your personal information/data, whether you are using our services or just browsing our website.

In this notice “we”, “us” and “our” refers to Parenting for NI Ltd trading as Parenting NI.  We are registered in Northern Ireland as a Company Limited by Guarantee (Company Number: NI30087.  Registered office: First Floor, Unit 3, Hawthorn Office Park, 39a Stockman’s Way, Belfast, BT9 7ET.  A charity: Inland Revenue Number: XR93772 and registered with the Charity Commission NI: Northern Ireland Charity Number: NIC103613.

Who we are

Parenting NI has been a leading organisation for supporting parents since 1979. Our focus is on prevention and early intervention in order to ensure the best outcomes for children and young people. All of Parenting NI services have been developed based on the needs of parents.  These services for parents or carers are:-

  • The Support Line
  • Web chat
  • Programmes and Workshops
  • Home Visiting

We also consult with parents to ensure their voices are heard.  This is achieved through:

  • The Big Parenting Survey
  • Other consultations which Parenting NI are asked to facilitate on behalf of decision makers in Northern Ireland

And within Parenting NI we have set up a Parents’ Reference Group as a forum for parents and those representing parents to act in a consultative role to the organisation, on issues relating to parenting.

Our Data Protection Officer

Our Data Protection Officer oversees how we collect, use, share and keep your information safe to ensure your rights are protected.  You can contact our Data Protection Officer by emailing info@parentingni.org or writing to the Operations Manager, Parenting NI, First Floor, Unit 3, Hawthorn Office Park, 39a Stockman’s Way, Belfast, BT9 7ET.

How we collect information about you

Whether you contact our Support Line, attend a parenting programme or workshop or avail of other parenting support offered by Parenting NI we will make you aware of our Confidentiality Statement:

“All personal information about parents, children and vulnerable adults is treated as confidential. However, the exceptions to this are when there are concerns of child abuse, suicide, serious crime, and the taking of, making, distribution and possession of indecent or abuse images of a child. In these cases, Parenting NI staff are obliged to pass on the information to Social Services or relevant agency.”

The personal information/data we collect during your contact with us may include the following:-

  • Your name (although you may remain anonymous if you wish)
  • Your address
  • Your contact number
  • Whether you’re a mother, father, grandparent, carer, etc
  • Ages and dates of birth of your children
  • A summary of the parenting issue you are experiencing
  • The support and guidance given
  • Whether or not you are using/going to use other Parenting NI services
  • The name of any professional involved, if applicable
  • Your consent to leave messages on your voicemail
  • If you have requested a follow up call
  • If you have given consent to your email address being added to our mailing list

When visiting our website or social media platforms, we do not collect any personally identifiable information other than that which is supplied to us on a voluntary basis.  Where visitors to our website or social media platforms do provide such information, we will only use it for the specific purpose for which permission has been granted.  Furthermore, we will not wilfully reveal details of your contact information to any third party without first obtaining specific permission from you to do so.

Our website contains links to the websites of other organisations.  Please be aware that Parenting NI cannot be held responsible for the privacy practices of these other organisations.  We encourage all visitors to be aware of / read the privacy statements of every website that we link to – as these sites may collect personally identifiable information.

How we keep your information safe

Parenting NI takes appropriate technical and organisational measures to keep your information/data safe and secure.

How long we keep your information

When you have contacted the Support Line, attended parenting programmes and workshops or availed of parenting support offered by Parenting NI your information will be retained for 3 years.  However, we are obliged by law to keep information which relates directly to children until the child reaches the age of 21.  Where there has been a child protection issue, records will be kept for 75 years.  Once data is no longer required, Parenting NI will dispose of it securely.  In the case of electronic records, they are deleted permanently, and in the case of paper records, they are treated as confidential waste and arrangements are made for it to be shredded.

Consent

Parenting NI has a mailing list established to send out information by email from time to time on our latest news, upcoming programmes and giving you an opportunity to take part in surveys and consultations.  Consent is sought from you prior to you being included on this mailing list.  You are free to unsubscribe or request to be removed from this list at any time.

How we use your information

Parenting NI’s lawful bases for processing your personal data is based on legitimate interests and at times legal obligations and consent.  In order to operate efficiently, Parenting NI has to collect and use information about people with whom it works.  We keep your information to ensure you are receiving the best support and guidance possible, and if you have to contact us again at any stage or have requested a call back, you will not have to repeat the information you have previously shared with us.

We may use the information you have provided to us for statistical purposes or to improve on the services we offer.  However, in these cases this information is collected in a manner where individuals cannot be identified.  For example, we may run a search on our data system to gather statistics on the number of calls to the Support Line where bullying was the issue of concern.

From time to time senior members of staff listen in to calls on the Freephone number for training and supporting purposes.  The message on the Support Line prior to being connected with Parenting Support Officer advises callers that calls are monitored. 

Your information and third parties

Parenting NI does not share personal information with third parties unless there is prior written consent to do so.  The exception to this, as indicated in the Confidentiality Statement above, is when there are concerns of child abuse, suicide, serious crime, and the taking of, making, distribution and possession of indecent or abuse images of a child.  In these cases, we are obliged by law to pass on information to Social Services, PSNI or relevant agency.

Your personal information rights

Under the new data protection legislation the following rights may apply to you:-

  • Right to be informed – you have the right to be informed about the collection and use of your personal information/data. This is a key transparency requirement under the new legislation.
  • Right of access – you have the right to access your personal data and ask us how we collect, share and use your personal information.
  • Right to rectification – you have the right to have inaccurate personal data rectified, or completed if it is incomplete. You can make this request verbally or in writing.  Parenting NI will respond to your request within one month.
  • Right to erasure – you may have the right to have personal data erased. You can make this request verbally or in writing.  Parenting NI will respond to your request within one month. 
  • Right to restrict processing – you may have the right to request the restriction or suppression of your personal data.
  • Right to data portability – you can obtain and reuse your personal data for your own purposes – moving, copying or transferring it digitally in a safe and secure way to you or another organisation.
  • Right to object – you have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or the performance of a task in the public interest / exercise of official authority (including profiling); direct marketing (including profiling); and processing for purposes of scientific / historical research and statistics.
  • Rights related to automated decision making including profiling – Parenting NI does not process your personal data in this way.

Subject Access Requests can be made in writing (by letter or email) or verbally to the Chief Executive, Parenting NI, First Floor, Unit 3, Hawthorn Office Park, 39a Stockman’s Way, Belfast, BT9 7ET, info@parentingni.org or telephone 028 9031 0891.  A form is available for you to use, if you wish.

Completing customer satisfaction surveys and research

Parenting NI uses a third party, Survey Monkey, as a tool to gather feedback from users about their experience of Parenting NI, or for other research purposes. For more information, see the SurveyMonkey privacy notice . As a service user, you may receive requests for feedback. No service user is under any obligation to provide feedback in order to continue to use the service.

We will only use the information gathered for the purposes that it is requested and will use the information only in ways that will not identify anyone.

In the case of our research, data will be aggregated for data analysis and generation of statistics. Personal identification data will then be deleted unless an individual has provided their explicit consent that it can be used for another purpose, for example, added to a newsletter mailing list.

Donations

When you make a donation to Parenting NI, we retain your information for 6 years for lawful accounting purposes in compliance with the Companies Act and Charities Act 2011.  Where you have indicated that you wish to Gift Aid your donation, Parenting NI will process your information with HMRC for this purpose.  Parenting NI will not share your information with anyone else.

Volunteering

If you have expressed an interest in volunteering for Parenting NI, we keep a record of your name, contact telephone number and email address.  Parenting NI will not share your information with anyone else.

Making a complaint

Complaints should be made in writing to:-

The Chief Executive, Parenting NI, First Floor, Unit 3, Hawthorn Office Park, 39a Stockman’s Way, Belfast, BT9 7ET

Or by emailing info@parentingni.org.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of our investigations you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Tel: 0303 123 1113

Email: casework@ico.org.uk

https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/