Privacy notice

PlaceWell provides a secure online platform that local authority and ICB commissioning teams use to make, track and agree placements for adults with complex needs.

Trading name

PlaceWell

Registered legal name

[Company Name]

Company number

[company registration number]

Registered address

[registered address]

Website

[website URL]

Privacy contact

[privacy contact email]

Data protection lead

[data protection lead name or role]

ICO registration number

[ICO registration number]

Our role in the data

For most information about a person being referred, the referring local authority or ICB decides why and how the information is used, and PlaceWell processes it on their behalf under a written agreement. For information about the professionals who hold PlaceWell accounts, and for the running of our own website, PlaceWell decides how that information is used. Our data processing agreement sets out the terms that apply when we act on a commissioning organisation's behalf.

Account and professional contact data

• Name, job title, work email address and work telephone number
• The organisation and team you work for
• Your role and permissions on the platform
• Sign-in records, two-factor authentication status and activity logs

Referral and placement data

When a referral is submitted, the referring organisation shares information about the person being placed. Depending on the referral, this can include:

• Identifying details such as name, date of birth, reference numbers and current address
• Details of care and support needs, diagnoses, communication needs and daily living needs
• Risk, safeguarding and mental capacity information
• Funding, placement history and commissioning information
• Documents uploaded to support the referral, such as assessments and care plans
• Messages, notes and decisions recorded on the case by professionals

Special category and criminal offence data

Referral information usually includes special category data — in particular data about health, and sometimes about ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation where that is relevant to a placement. It can also include criminal offence data where that is relevant to risk. We treat this information as highly sensitive and restrict access to it.

Technical and usage data

• IP address, browser type and device information
• Pages visited and actions taken on the platform
• Security, error and audit logs

• Directly from you, when you create or use an account, complete a referral form, upload a document or send us a message
• From your employing organisation, when it asks us to set up or change an account
• Automatically, through our servers and cookies when you use the website and platform
• From service providers who help us run the platform, such as our hosting and email providers

We do not buy personal data from data brokers, and we do not collect information about people being referred from anyone other than the referring organisation and the professionals it authorises.

• To create and manage accounts, and to authenticate the people who sign in
• To receive, process, track and progress placement referrals
• To share placement options and supporting documents with the referring team
• To send service notifications about cases, messages and decisions
• To keep an audit trail of what happened on a case and who did it
• To keep the platform secure, prevent misuse and investigate incidents
• To provide support, respond to enquiries and improve the service
• To meet our legal, regulatory and contractual obligations

We do not use personal data held in referrals for marketing, and we do not sell personal data.

We must have a legal basis for every use of personal data. Where PlaceWell acts on behalf of a commissioning organisation, that organisation identifies the legal basis and instructs us. The bases below apply to the processing PlaceWell determines.

We share personal data only where it is necessary to run the service or where we are required to by law. The categories below describe who we share with.

Every supplier that processes personal data for us is bound by a written contract that restricts what they can do with it.

Our intention is that personal data processed through the platform is stored in the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area. Where any transfer outside the UK is necessary, we put a lawful transfer mechanism in place before the transfer happens.

The row above is a placeholder format. Complete or remove it once transfers have been confirmed.

We keep personal data only for as long as we need it. Where we hold data on behalf of a commissioning organisation, we follow the retention period set out in our agreement with them, and we delete or return the data when the agreement ends.

Retention periods are configured in the platform and applied automatically. Where a record must be kept longer — for example because of a legal claim or an ongoing investigation — we keep only what is necessary for that purpose.

• Access is restricted by role, so people only see the cases they need to see
• Data is encrypted in transit, and at rest by our hosting provider
• Two-factor authentication is required for PlaceWell staff accounts
• Sessions time out after a period of inactivity
• Actions on a case are recorded in an audit trail
• Uploads are restricted by file type and size
• Access rules are tested regularly using automated checks

No online service can be completely secure. If a personal data breach occurs, we follow our incident procedure, notify the affected commissioning organisation without undue delay, and support any notification they must make to the Information Commissioner's Office or to affected individuals.

Under UK data protection law you have the rights set out below. Some rights apply only in certain circumstances.

If your request relates to information held about a person who has been referred, the referring local authority or ICB is normally responsible for answering it. Contact them first; if you contact us instead, we will pass the request on and help them respond.

To exercise a right in relation to your own account, email [privacy contact email]. We will respond within one month, and will tell you if we need longer because the request is complex. We may ask you to confirm your identity first. There is normally no charge.

We use cookies and similar technologies to keep you signed in, remember your preferences and understand how the site is used. Non-essential cookies are only set with your consent, and you can change your choice at any time.

Our cookie policy explains each category of cookie and how to control them in your browser.

The PlaceWell platform is for adult social care professionals. Accounts are not made available to children, and the website is not directed at children.

Referral information relates to adults. If information about a person under 18 is shared with us — for example as part of transition planning or because a family member is mentioned — we handle it with the same care and additional sensitivity, on the instructions of the referring organisation. If you believe a child's data has been shared with us in error, contact [privacy contact email].

We review this notice regularly and update it when our processing changes. The effective date and last updated date at the top of the page show when it last changed. Where a change is significant, we will tell account holders directly.

Privacy enquiries

[privacy contact email]

Data protection lead

[data protection lead name or role]

Post

[registered address]

General enquiries

Use the contact page on this website

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, please contact us first so we can try to put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK supervisory authority for data protection.

Website

ico.org.uk

Helpline

0303 123 1113

Post

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

Complaining to the ICO does not affect any other legal rights or remedies you may have.