Privacy Policy.

1. Who We Are

Briars Homecare Services ("we", "us", "our") is a privately-owned homecare provider based at 23 Beechwood Drive, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 5EJ. We are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and are an approved provider with Lancashire County Council and Blackpool Council.

We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal information when you use our website or contact us.

For any queries about this policy, please contact us at admin@briarshomecare.co.uk or call (01253) 851600.

2. What Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

• Contact information — your name, email address, phone number and postal address when you submit an enquiry or contact form
• Care enquiry information — details about care needs, health conditions or circumstances you share with us when enquiring about our services
• Job application information — your name, contact details, CV and employment history when you apply for a position with us
• Website usage data — pages visited, time spent on the site, browser type and IP address (collected via cookies — see Section 7)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to your enquiries and provide information about our services
• Arrange and deliver homecare services to clients
• Process job applications and contact candidates
• Improve our website and user experience
• Comply with our legal and regulatory obligations as a CQC-registered care provider
• Send you relevant information about our services where you have given consent

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal grounds:

• Consent — where you have given us permission to contact you or use your data for a specific purpose
• Legitimate interests — to respond to enquiries and improve our services
• Legal obligation — to comply with our regulatory requirements as a CQC-registered provider
• Contract — to deliver care services where a care agreement is in place

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information with:

• Healthcare professionals and NHS teams involved in your care (with your consent)
• Lancashire County Council or Blackpool Council where care is publicly funded
• Our IT and website service providers who process data on our behalf under strict data processing agreements
• Regulatory bodies such as the CQC where required by law

6. How Long We Keep Your Data

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary:

• Enquiry data — up to 12 months if no care arrangement is made
• Client care records — minimum 8 years after the end of care, in line with CQC requirements
• Job application data — 6 months if unsuccessful, or for the duration of employment if appointed
• Website analytics — as per our cookie settings (typically 12–26 months)

7. Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to improve your browsing experience. We use the following types of cookies:

• Essential cookies — necessary for the website to function correctly
• Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors use our site (e.g. Google Analytics)
• Preference cookies — remember your settings and choices

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Declining non-essential cookies will not affect your ability to use our website.

8. Your Rights

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), you have the following rights:

• Right of access — to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — to request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure — to request deletion of your data in certain circumstances
• Right to restrict processing — to request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability — to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to object — to object to our processing of your data in certain circumstances

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at admin@briarshomecare.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Data Security

We take the security of your personal data seriously. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss or disclosure. Our website uses SSL encryption (HTTPS) and we regularly review our security practices.

10. Third Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to read their privacy policies before submitting any personal data.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. How to Complain

If you have a concern about how we handle your personal data, please contact us first at admin@briarshomecare.co.uk. If you remain unhappy, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.