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Disclaimer & Data Protection Policy for mASCot

mASCot Disclaimer 

Membership rules

When joining mASCot you agreed to our Disclaimer and Membership rules. Please make sure you are aware of these rules and that they are followed at all time whilst a member.

 

These terms and conditions apply to the mASCot private Facebook group, all its sub groups and when things are discussed in meetings or meet ups. Where mASCot is referred to in this disclaimer this means the Directors of mASCot and its members as a whole. 

 

mASCot prides itself on being a safe and private space for members to speak freely and openly with fellow members.

 

These terms and conditions are binding. Any member breaching any of these group rules will be automatically removed from our Private Membership Group. 

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  • Any information and personal issues discussed in any of the Private Membership Facebook groups is to be treated as confidential and is not to be discussed elsewhere, especially, with those who are not mASCot members or with whom the discussion is about. We take the sharing or passing on of any information whether it be verbal or copying/screenshotting by any of our members very seriously and any member found doing this will result in immediate removal from the mASCot groups they belong too. Please also be responsible and aware of your own posts, even though we stress the importance of everyone respecting everyone else's privacy in the group, it is still a social media.

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Matters of safeguarding are entirely different and need to be addressed immediately.

If in your professional role you feel there is a safeguarding issue then please contact the mASCot safeguarding team on info@asc-mascot.com to discuss further.

You can find our Safeguarding Policy Here

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  • Any topics discussed in the Private Membership Facebook groups or Facebook page are the opinions of the author(s) and does not reflect the opinion of mASCot as an organisation or any other individual using the forum.

  • When discussing issues in the Private Membership Facebook groups or Facebook page please be fair and respectful of others, and do not post anything, that may be deemed libellous, offensive, racist or hateful. Always be mindful when discussing professionals or specific schools and services, everyone is entitles to their view but no accusations or malicious opinions please. mASCot is not responsible for individual member’s posts and the author will be held accountable.

  • Make sure you get your child or young persons permission to post any photos, videos, screenshots or reports of them beforehand and that you have their consent, we take the safeguarding of children's privacy and rights very seriously.

  • mASCot has the right to remove any group content if it is deemed offensive in any manner by the Directors or any of our members.

  • Any information posted on the Private Membership Facebook groups and Facebook page, especially in the files section (except the disclaimer), are purely as suggestions or guidance only. It is the sole responsibility of the reader as to how they act on this advice.

  • Any arranged meetings between individual members are not the responsibility of mASCot. If you arrange to go along to any meeting with a fellow member, then this is as an agreement between yourself and you are not going as an advocate of mASCot and mASCot has no responsibility for what is discussed at these meetings. Please be safe and responsible when meeting up with anyone you don't know well.

  • mASCot is a parent led network of self support. Our ethos of non-judgmental acceptance is paramount in maintaining our Facebook groups as a safe, confidential spaces for parents and carers to be able to share honest thoughts, experiences, triumphs and difficulties. Please allow members to feel free to express themselves, even if it may differ from your own views and always be respectful that everyone's journey is different. 

  • If you read a post that you feel is not appropriate for the forum please contact mASCot ADMIN to sort, NOT Facebook as this could lead to a ban for that member, and prevent them getting the support they need from mASCot. 

  • Unfortunately we can’t allow posts for fundraising unless it is to raise well needed funds for mASCot. With such a large membership we can’t allow personal fundraisers as members may feel they are constantly being asked to donate.

  • We ask all members to sign up to a position of mutual trust, that views or opinions expressed by individuals on our private mASCot Facebook Groups are NOT EVER shared with people or professionals outside of mASCot.

  • We welcome ALL parent carers of autistic children and young people, this includes those who work in Local Authority services and education, understanding that although conflicts of interest occasionally arise, as a mASCot member we all share a duty to our community of fellow parent carers to put the integrity of the safe, confidential space first. If professional roles feel compromised by any online posts or conversations then the practice is to step back from the conversation in question or to get in touch with mASCot Facebook admin on info@asc-mascot.com if further action is required.

  • Thank you for keeping mASCot a safe, tolerant space for parents and carers of Autistic children and young people to have the non-judgmental support and understanding we so desperately need.

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If there are any other points that you feel need to be included in the disclaimer please let us know. 

Data Protection Policy

Policy statement

mASCot is committed to a policy of protecting the rights and privacy of all mASCot members, committee members, volunteer staff and any other persons who partner or run activities for mASCot in accordance with The Data Protection Bill 2017-2019. The policy applies to all persons whose data we hold in regards to the running of mASCot. Any breach of The Data Protection Act 1998 or The mASCot Data Protection Policy is considered to be an offence and in that event, disciplinary procedures apply.

 

As a matter of good practice, other organisations and individuals working with mASCot and who have access to personal information on members, will be expected to have read and comply with this policy. It is expected that any committee member or mASCot members who deal with external organisations will take responsibility for ensuring that such organisations sign a contract agreeing to abide by this policy.

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Legal Requirements

Data are protected by the Data Protection Bill 2017-2018, which came into effect on 25 May 2018. Its purpose is to protect the rights and privacy of individuals and to ensure that personal data are not processed without their knowledge, and, wherever possible, is processed without their consent.

The Act requires us to register the fact that we hold personal data and to acknowledge the right of ‘Subject Access' mASCot members must have the right to copies of their own data.

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Managing Data Protection

We will ensure that our details are registered with the Information Commissioner.

Purpose of data held by mASCot

Data may be held by us for the following purposes:

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1. Staff Administration

2. Fundraising

3. Realising the Objectives of a mASCot as an organisation

4. Accounts & Records

5. Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations

6. Information and Data bank Administration

7. Journalism and Media

8. Research

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Data Protection Principles

In terms of the Data Protection Bill 2017-2018, we are the ‘data controller’, and as such determine the purpose for which, and the manner in which, any personal data are, or are to be, processed. We must ensure that we have:

 

1. Fairly and lawfully processed personal data

Your personal data will not be shared with any third party unless requested by you or with your consent to do so.

 

2. Processed for limited purpose

We will not use data for a purpose other than those agreed beforehand when you agree to membership to mASCot. If the data held by us are requested by external organisations for any reason, this will only be passed if data subjects agree. Also external organisations must state the purpose of processing, agree not to copy the data for further use and sign a contract agreeing to abide by The Data Protection Act 1998 and mASCot Data Protection Policy.

 

3. Adequate, relevant and not excessive

mASCot will monitor the data held for our purposes, ensuring we hold neither too much nor too little data in respect of the individuals about whom the data are held. If data given or obtained are excessive for such purpose or sent without request to us it will be immediately deleted or destroyed.

 

4. Accurate and up-to-date

All amendments and updates will be made immediately and data no longer required will be deleted or destroyed. It is the responsibility of individuals and organisations to ensure the data held by us are accurate and up-to-date. Completion of an appropriate form (provided by us) will be taken as an indication that the data contained are accurate. Individuals should notify us of any changes, to enable personnel records to be updated accordingly. It is the responsibility of the mASCot to act upon notification of changes to data, amending them where relevant.

 

5. Not kept longer than necessary

We discourage the retention of data for longer than it is required. All personal data will be deleted or destroyed by us if a member leaves our Private mASCot members Facebook Group and data will have to be provided again if membership needs to be reinstated.

 

6. Processed in accordance with the individual’s rights

All individuals that mASCot hold data on have the right to:

Be informed upon the request of all the information held about them within 40 days. A subject access request form can be found here.

Prevent the processing of their data for the purpose of direct marketing.

Compensation if they can show that they have been caused damage by any contravention of the Act.

The removal and correction of any inaccurate data about them.

 

7. Secure

Appropriate technical and organisational measures shall be taken against unauthorized or unlawful processing of personal data and against accidental loss or destruction of data.

All mASCot computers or devices have a log in system and our Contact Database is password protected, which allow only committee members to access personal data. Passwords on all computers are changed frequently. All personal and financial data is kept in a locked filing cabinet and can only be accessed by the key mASCot committee members. When committee members are using the laptop computers out of the office care should always be taken to ensure that personal data on screen is not visible to strangers.

 

8. Transferal of data to countries outside the European Economic Area.

mASCot takes particular care to be aware of this when publishing information on the Internet or storing information in third party storage software. This is because transfer includes placing data on a web site that can be accessed from outside the European Economic Area. The only data that mASCot will use on the internet are photos for our website, Twitter or Facebook and only if we have your consent beforehand.


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