Integrated Community Equipment Service (ICES) Privacy Notice
This privacy notice explains how Cheshire West and Chester Council, in partnership with Cheshire East Council and NHS organisations (including the Integrated Care Board), uses personal information when delivering the Integrated Community Equipment Service (ICES).
The Integrated Community Equipment Service provides equipment and mobility aids to support people of all ages to live safely and independently in their own homes. The service is delivered through a coordinated approach between health and social care professionals, including occupational therapists and other authorised prescribers, who assess individual needs and arrange appropriate equipment.
ICES is a statutory health and social care service. To deliver this service effectively, we process personal information to assess needs, arrange appropriate equipment, and ensure support is provided safely and consistently across partner organisations. This includes sharing relevant information between authorised professionals and organisations involved in your care, where this is necessary and proportionate.
This privacy notice sets out what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and your rights in relation to your personal data.
What information we collect, use, and why
When you access the Integrated Community Equipment Service, we collect certain information to identify you, understand your needs, and ensure appropriate equipment is provided safely and effectively.
Personal Data
To identify you, arrange delivery, installation, maintenance, and collection of equipment, and communicate with you about the service.
To confirm your identity and ensure equipment provided is appropriate to your needs.
To record details provided by authorised professionals and enable us to fulfil equipment requests and maintain accurate service records.
To manage the equipment provided to you, including delivery, installation, maintenance, and collection.
To keep a record of correspondence with you or your representative and support service delivery.
To ensure safe delivery, installation, and use of equipment and to avoid duplication.
Special Category Data
To understand your mobility, functional ability, and clinical needs, and ensure that the equipment provided is safe and appropriate.
Where relevant, to ensure the service is delivered in a way that meets your individual needs.
We only collect and use special category data where it is necessary to deliver the service, and it is provided by authorised professionals involved in your care.
Criminal Data
We do not routinely collect or process information about criminal convictions or offences as part of this service.
In limited circumstances, we may process information about a delivery setting (for example, a custodial environment) where this is necessary to ensure safe and appropriate service delivery. This does not include details of offences or convictions.
Sources of Information
We primarily receive your information from health and social care professionals involved in your care. This ensures that equipment is provided safely and appropriately based on an assessment of your needs.
We receive information from individuals acting on your behalf where this is necessary to support communication, delivery, or the safe use of equipment.
Our contracted provider shares relevant information with us where this is necessary to support service delivery, maintain accurate records, or raise issues identified during delivery or collection (for example, safeguarding concerns or equipment issues). This is limited to information required to manage the service effectively.
We only collect information from these sources where it is necessary, relevant, and lawful to deliver the Integrated Community Equipment Service. All information is handled securely and in line with data protection legislation.
What is your personal information used for?
We use your personal information to deliver the Integrated Community Equipment Service and ensure that equipment is provided safely, effectively, and in a coordinated way across health and social care services.
Your information is used to:
- arrange and deliver equipment following assessment by a health or social care professional
- coordinate support across organisations, ensuring the right equipment is provided and duplication is avoided
- manage delivery, installation, maintenance, and collection of equipment
- maintain accurate records of the equipment provided and the services delivered
- ensure equipment is appropriate and safe to use, based on assessed needs
- monitor and improve the quality and performance of the service
- plan and manage the service, including the use of anonymised or aggregated information for reporting and service improvement
- respond to enquiries, queries, or complaints relating to the service
We only use your personal information where it is necessary, relevant, and lawful to deliver the Integrated Community Equipment Service and to meet our statutory responsibilities.
Who Do We Share Your Information With?
We share your personal information only where it is necessary, relevant, and lawful to deliver the Integrated Community Equipment Service and support your care.
Your information is shared with:
Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cheshire East Council, and NHS organisations (including the Integrated Care Board), who work together as joint data controllers to deliver the service.
Our contracted provider processes your information on our behalf to deliver, install, maintain, and collect equipment. They operate under strict contractual and data protection requirements.
This includes schools, care homes, supported living environments, or other locations where equipment is required. Only limited information is shared to enable safe access, delivery, and installation.
Information is shared where this is necessary to support communication, delivery, or the safe use of equipment.
We share information only with authorised individuals who need it to carry out their role. All information sharing is subject to appropriate safeguards, including secure systems, access controls, and data protection requirements.
Data Processors
We use a contracted service provider (data processor) to support delivery of the Integrated Community Equipment Service.
The provider operates a secure digital system on our behalf to:
- receive and manage equipment requests from authorised professionals
- maintain records of equipment provided to individuals
- track delivery, installation, maintenance, and collection of equipment
- support coordination between authorised health and social care professionals
- help ensure equipment is appropriate, safe, and not duplicated
Authorised users across partner organisations access this system where necessary to deliver the service. Access is restricted based on roles and responsibilities and is monitored to ensure appropriate use.
The provider processes personal data only on our documented instructions and is required to comply with strict contractual, security, and data protection requirements.
Data Controller
Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cheshire East Council, and NHS organisations (including the Integrated Care Board) act as Joint Data Controllers for the Integrated Community Equipment Service.
This means that all organisations work together to decide how and why your personal information is used to deliver the service. Each organisation is responsible for the information it provides and processes as part of its role in your care.
The Lawful Basis for Processing
We do not rely on your consent as a lawful basis for processing personal or special category data for the Integrated Community Equipment Service.
We process personal data under:
UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e) – Public Task:
Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and in the exercise of official authority. This includes delivering statutory health and social care services and providing equipment to support individuals to live safely and independently.
We process special category data under:
UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h) – Health or Social Care:
Processing is necessary for the provision and management of health and social care services, including assessing needs and ensuring appropriate and safe equipment is provided.
This processing is supported by the Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1, Part 1, and relevant health and social care legislation.
The legislation that supports this processing includes, but is not limited to:
- Care Act 2014
- Health and Social Care Act 2012
- Health and Care Act 2022
- NHS Act 2006 (as amended)
- Children Act 1989
These laws enable us to deliver health and social care services, work in partnership with other organisations, and share information where this is necessary to support safe and coordinated care.
International Data Transfers
We ensure your personal information is protected if transferred outside the UK by using appropriate safeguards, including:
- Adequacy Decisions: Transferring data to countries with adequate data protection laws
- Appropriate Safeguards: Using Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs), or International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs)
- Derogations for Specific Situations: Relying on your explicit consent, performance of a contract, public interest, legal claims, or vital interests
- Risk Assessments: Conducting risk assessments to ensure data protection standards are maintained
- Technical and Organisational Measures: Implementing encryption, access controls, and regular audits to protect your data
These measures ensure your personal information remains secure and your rights are upheld, even when transferred internationally.
We do not currently transfer your personal information outside of the UK.
Your information is expected to be stored and processed within the UK by the organisations involved in delivering the Integrated Community Equipment Service.
Retention Period
We will only use your personal information whilst delivering the service to you and to deal with any questions or complaints that we receive about this unless the law requires us to keep it for a longer period. In practice, this means that your personal information will be retained for the relevant period listed below dependant on our involvement with you:
- 7 years from your last use of the service or from the point of collection.
If we need to use your information for research or reports, your information will be anonymised and any information taken from notes (handwritten or typed) during any consultation sessions will be securely destroyed. The information will continue to be used in a summarised and anonymised form in any research reports or papers that are published. The anonymised information in the papers that will be of historic interest and will be held in public archives indefinitely.
Your Rights
The UK GDPR provides you with a several rights to control what personal information is used by us and how it is used by us.
Further guidance about these rights can be accessed from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website
If you are not happy about the way your personal data is being used, or you require further information about how we process your personal data, you can contact the Data Protection Team:-
- Online: Contact the DPO
- By post: Data Protection Officer, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BA
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office using the following details:
- Website: Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
- Instant Message: Live Chat
- By post: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
- Telephone: 0303 123 1113