We take your privacy seriously. This page explains how information is collected, used and protected when you take part in This is our health, either online or in person.
You can take part anonymously, and we aim to collect as little personal information as possible.
Taking part anonymously
You do not need to give your name to take part in This is our health.
What information we collect
Your responses and experiences
When you take part, we will record your answers to questions about health, wellbeing and support.
- We won’t ask you for any information that can identify you.
- At in-person sessions, we will ask your permission before writing anything down.
- We record what people say just how they said it, without paraphrasing or interpretation.
Optional demographic information
To help ensure we are hearing from people across all parts of society, we ask some optional demographic questions. These are optional, and you can skip any you do not want to answer.
This includes:
- Partial postcode (for example, the first five characters only – this cannot identify you)
- Age group
- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Whether you are a carer
- Whether you have a long-term health condition or disability
This information helps us understand who is being heard and whose voice may be missing. We can’t use it to identify individuals. The same information will be collected online.
Contact information
We do not ask for names or contact details as part of taking part in the engagement. If you choose to contact us separately (for example, using a contact form or to request a community pack), you may provide us:
- An email address
- A name (if you choose)
If so, this information is used only to respond to your query.
Information collected automatically
When you visit the website, some basic technical information may be collected automatically to help the site work properly. This may include:
- IP address
- Browser and device type
- The pages you visited
This information does not identify you personally.
How we use the information
Information is used only for purposes related to This is our health, including:
- Understanding what helps people stay well
- Identifying common themes and differences across communities
- Improving how health and care services are designed and delivered
- Reporting insights in an anonymised way
We do not use this information for marketing or unrelated purposes.
Sharing and publishing insights
Anonymous insights may be shared with:
- Project delivery teams
- Health and social care partners involved in the work
When insights are shared publicly (for example, on this website or in reports), they are:
- Anonymised
- Not linked to individuals
- Presented as themes, patterns or quoted responses without identifying details
How long we keep information
Information is kept only for as long as necessary to support the engagement and analysis and in line with data protection requirements. Any contact information provided separately will be deleted once it is no longer needed.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you have rights over your information, including the right to:
- Ask what information we hold
- Request a copy of information you have provided
- Ask for information to be corrected or deleted (where applicable)
Because participation is anonymous, it may not always be possible to identify or remove individual responses once they have been anonymised and combined with others.
If you have questions about your rights, contact us at: thisisourhealth@hscni.net.
Cookies
This website may use cookies or similar technologies to help it function and understand how it is used.
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Some parts of the site may not work properly if cookies are disabled.
Security
We take reasonable steps to protect information from loss, misuse or unauthorised access, including secure hosting and restricted access to data.
Changes to this notice
This privacy notice may be updated as the project develops. Any changes will be published on this page.
Contact us
If you have questions or concerns about privacy or how information is handled, contact: thisisourhealth@hscni.net.