Background
Newcastle Carers is an independent charity that supports nearly 8,000 adult and young carers across the city. The organisation provides free, confidential guidance and holistic support to help carers manage their responsibilities more effectively, whether they’re supporting someone with illness, disability, mental ill-health, or addiction.
As a recipient of The DPO Centre’s Charity Fund, Newcastle Carers accessed expert data protection support at a significantly subsidised rate, helping them improve compliance whilst maintaining focus on their core charitable work. Recognising internal knowledge gaps, they set out to go beyond baseline compliance and become a leader in data protection best practice within the charity sector.
Key Challenges
- Maintaining formal policies
- Implementing retention schedules
- Establishing data sharing agreements
Solution
Following a comprehensive compliance audit, the designated DPO worked closely with Newcastle Carers to strengthen their data protection framework, implementing practical solutions aligned to the charity’s day-to-day operations. To establish a strong foundation, the DPO drafted a unified Data Protection, Information Security, and Acceptable Use Policy. This incorporated a comprehensive retention schedule spanning HR, Finance, and IT functions. New privacy notices were also developed for both service users and employees.
Recognising the absence of formal Data Sharing Arrangements (DSAs), the DPO created reusable templates for Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) and DSAs to ensure appropriate protections when working with third parties.
To further embed good practice, the DPO delivered face-to-face GDPR training across the workforce. This helped staff understand their responsibilities and built confidence in handling personal data safely and lawfully.
Outcome
Claire Briston, Impact and Policy Director at Newcastle Carers, said: ‘As a medium-sized charity, we have always recognised the importance of data protection but haven’t had the expertise within the team to fully understand how we can fulfil this requirement to its full potential. The support we received from The DPO Centre allowed us to dive into the details of all areas of the information we use and share. The journey I went on with The DPO Centre built my skills, my knowledge, and my confidence. Our team now has the processes, training, and tools needed to keep data safe, inform the people we support about their rights, and ensure we’re equipped for the future. The world of data sharing is constantly evolving — I feel secure knowing that the DPO Centre is still available if I need further advice and support.’
