Edinburgh Young Persons' Service Privacy Notice

The Edinburgh Young Persons Service (EYPS) provides visiting housing support, skills development and supported accommodation to people between 16 and 25 years old who live in Edinburgh. The service supports young people who have experienced homelessness, trauma or any disadvantage to overcome the challenges they may face and helps them to achieve their own individual goals and shape their lives for a more positive future.  

The service incorporates various elements including:  

Visiting Housing Support (VSS) – which offers one-one support to young people to explore housing options, maximise income, improve employability and independent living skills and move towards obtaining more secure and suitable accommodation.  

Supported Accommodation - offers supported temporary accommodation for homeless young people aged 16 to 25 in various parts of Edinburgh. Our supported accommodation is designed for those with low to moderate support needs who have experienced homelessness and are ready to take the next step toward living independently.  

Youth Emergency Support Service (YESS) - offers emergency support to 16- and 17-year-olds who are in crisis and are at risk of or are currently homeless.  

Independent Living Skills (ILS) - is a 7-week course designed to help young people, find stability and confidence in living independently, maximizing their income and understanding their housing options .  

Unattended Asylum-Seeking Children (UASC) Project – is a visiting housing support project for young people under 18 who are claiming asylum and have no recourse to public funds and have been assessed as having the skills to live in shared accommodation or are ready for single transitional properties.  

Thriving Futures Fund (TFF) – provides grants to help young people achieve their long-term goals. The grant helps people achieve financial stability and thrive. As this is specific to the individual, we work with them closely to develop a plan which helps them create and realize their goals for the future, using a combination of tailored support and financial aid.   

 Info This notice was reviewed 30 July 2025

What data we need

To allow us to provide the service you would expect from us, we process the following information about you:  

  • Name 

  • Address 

  • Date of birth 

  • Telephone numbers 

  • National Insurance Number 

  • Email address. 

  • Emergency contact details 

  • Tenancy information records 

  • GP’s name, address and telephone number and the contact details of other health professionals involved in your care and support. 

  • Health and disability information which helps us understand your care and support needs. 

  • Information about the outcomes you want to achieve and the steps you take towards them. 

  • Risk assessments. 

  • Support notes. 

  • Letters and reports we receive or send in relation to your support. 

Why we need it

During our initial discussion with you to determine your personal outcomes and agree your support plan, we will ask for your written consent to gather and process your personal information. We will use your information:  

  • to undertake and perform our obligations and duties to you in accordance with the terms of the support plan we agreed with you. 

  • to enable us to supply you with the services and information which you have requested or expect from us. 

  • to analyse the information, we collect so that we can administer, support, and improve our business and the services we offer to you. 

  • to enable us to apply for appropriate benefits and services on your behalf. 

  • to contact you to send you details of any changes to our services which may affect you. 

  • for all other purposes consistent with the proper performance of our operations and business 

  • to contact you for your views on our services.  

 

We may also seek your consent to collect some information that is called ‘special category data’.  The provision of this information is voluntary, and you do not need to provide it. We collect this to help us understand demographic trends so that we can tailor the care and support services we provide. This will include information such as:  

Ethnicity 

Disability 

Religion 

Marital Status 

Sexual Orientation 

 

We do not share this information, and it is reported on in an anonymous format. 

Where we store your data

We store your information in a computer system called the ‘LinkLiving Information Management System (LLIMS)’. We may also keep some information on paper-based forms and if we do, these are stored in lockfast filing cabinets in our offices.  It’s also possible, if you have contacted us by email, that some information will be held in the email system (Outlook).   

We also have an electronic filing system or document management system (SharePoint), where any forms or correspondence relating to your care and support are scanned and stored. 

How long we will keep your information

All the personal data we hold about you is subject to our data retention policy. We review our data retention periods regularly and will only hold your personal data for as long as is necessary to allow us to provide our care and support services, or as required by law (we may be legally required to hold some types of information).  

We will generally keep your information for the following minimum periods after which it will be destroyed if it is no longer required for the reasons it was obtained.  

 

Document Type 

Retention Period 

Support Plan 

5 years – from service end date 

Service reviews/risk assessments, etc. 

5 years – from service end date 

Letters/reports we receive or send in relation to your care and support 

5 years – from service end date 

 To view our full our retention schedule please click here. 

What's the legal justification?

The personal data that we collect from you is gathered and processed with your signed consent. We will ask for your signed consent during the initial assessment of your support needs. By receiving a copy and signing this Privacy Notice (or by signing a data consent agreement and being provided with a link to this Privacy Statement on our website), you are providing your consent under the Data Protection Act 2018 for your data to be used for the purposes and retained for the period(s) specified in this document.  

There are certain circumstances when we have a legal requirement to record and retain personal data about you during the period we provide care and support. These circumstances relate to any adult or child protection concerns that come to light during the period we provide you with care and support.  

Any special categories of personal data we will ask for will be provided with your explicit consent. The details of your ‘Emergency Contact’ will be processed in your vital interests. 

 

Sharing your information

The information you provide to us will be treated by us as confidential.  

We may disclose your information to third parties who act for us for the purposes set out in this notice or for purposes approved by you, including the following:   

  • Referral agencies 

  • Housing Associations 

  • Statutory Authorities (HMRC, Local Authority, DVLA, etc.) 

  • Utilities (Electricity, Gas, Communication, etc.) 

  • Emergency Services (Police, Fire, Ambulance) 

  • Other support providers 

  • Medical Professionals, raising concerns or in a crisis. 

  • Social Work, raising concerns or in a crisis. 

  • Statutory Bodies for Adult Protection 

  • Regulatory Bodies, Care Inspectorate 

  • Researchers who help us access your experience of LinkLiving’s services 

 

We may disclose your information to third parties without your consent including:  

  • NHS and Social work services, particularly if we identify and Adult Protection or Child Protection concern and assess you, another adult or child as “at risk” 

 

Receiving data about you

We may receive information from third parties about you in relation to the care and support services we provide to you. Any information received will be subject to the same storage and retention principles described in this privacy notice.  

 

Updating your information

If your details change, please contact Edinburgh Young Persons Service on 0131 661 5273 or by email at enquiries@linkliving.org.uk  to inform us to ensure that the information we hold about you is up to date.  

 

Data Protection Officer

You can also contact our data protection officer at datamanagement@linkhaltd.co.uk or by post to Link House, 2c New Mart Road, Edinburgh EH14 14L.

Your rights

Your right of access

You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. 

Your right to rectification

You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.

Your right to erasure

You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances. 

Your right to restriction of processing

You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances. 

Your right to object to processing

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances. However, if Link can demonstrate that there is a compelling reason to process such personal data then we may refuse to stop processing your personal data.  

Your right to data portability

You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

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You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.  

Please contact us at datamanagement@linkhaltd.co.uk if you wish to make a request.  

How to complain 

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at Link House, 2c New Mart Road, Edinburgh EH14 1RL or by email at   datamanagement@linkhaltd.co.uk  

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.  

The ICO’s address:              

Information Commissioner’s Office 

Wycliffe House 

Water Lane 

WILMSLOW

Cheshire 

SK9 5AF 

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113  

ICO website:  https://www.ico.org.uk