Here at WORKWELL Digital, we work hard to ensure that you get the very best experience, whether you are a visitor, or a registered user, without having to worry if your information is safe. Outlined below is how and why we collect, use, and share your personal information, and your rights in relation to that data.
We know that there’s lots of information here, but we want you to be fully informed – we hope the following sections will answer any questions you have but if not, please do get in touch with us. We may update this privacy notice from time to time. You will be notified of any changes to this policy by email, and required to agree to the new version if you are happy to continue to be registered on the WORKWELL site.
The WORKWELL Digital is funded by the Versus Arthritis and sponsored by the University of Salford. The University of Salford is the ‘Data Controller’ of your personal data and is subject to the data protection legislation and to the UK General Data Protection Regulation 2018 (GDPR). We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) registration number Z469563X and our Data Protection Officer is Melanie Earp.
Under the GDPR we must have justification (“legal basis”) for obtaining your information, we believe that this is:
To ensure that we can carry out our role as an educational and research establishment, meeting legal, moral and contractual obligations, as laid out in the University’s Charter.
We seek to obtain informed consent from users for processing their personal data. By providing clear and transparent information about the types of data collected, the purposes of processing, and the rights of the users, individuals can make an informed decision to grant or withdraw consent. This ensures that the processing is based on the explicit agreement of the individuals involved.
We have a legitimate Interest for processing your personal data to ensure that we can carry out research to tailor resources and services offered on the platform effectively. This interest is balanced with the privacy rights of individuals, and measures are in place to ensure that data processing is fair, transparent, and respectful of user rights.
Under the GDPR we are only permitted to collect the minimum amount of information needed to carry out a specific purpose. The purpose of the WORKWELL platform is to support working people with arthritis to access tailored work solutions. This requires us to collect some information about you to ensure we can signpost you to relevant information. We also would like to use the information we have gathered from you to inform future research into working people with arthritis to help improve their working lives. You can access to the WORKWELL solutions without a need for registration. If you decide to register, which is needed to access tailored information, we may collect the following types of personal data about you:
1. Information that helps identify you:
To register, you’ll need to create a personal account on the WORKWELL platform. This account enables you to assess your work support needs through a self-assessment tool. You can save the customized solutions offered to you under your profile for future reference. During registration, you’ll be asked to provide your personal email address. We recommend using a nickname or pseudonym to protect your anonymity. Additionally, choose a strong password and a memorable word. The memorable word will assist us in helping you reset your login details in case you forget your password.
Similarly, if you need to reach out to us for any reason, such as asking questions or requesting the deletion of your account, we will use the information provided during registration to authenticate your inquiry. This involves sending you an email to verify these details, ensuring that we can confirm the legitimacy of your request.
2. About you and your arthritis:
During the registration process, we are also collecting some information about you and your arthritis to help us better understand the WORKWELL platform’s user-base, so we can tailor the advice and resources offered on the site more effectively.
These are multiple choice questions and have been thoughtfully chosen to ensure that your identity cannot be directly discerned from the answers you provide. Some of these questions are compulsory and others are optional, so you can choose not to answer.
Compulsory questions are:
3. Information relating to your education and employment status:
We are gathering information regarding your education and employment status to enhance our understanding of the specific work support requirements for individuals with diverse educational backgrounds and occupations. It’s important to note that these questions are optional, and each one includes the option to select ‘prefer not to say’ to respect your privacy and choices.
Specifically, the questions are:
4. Sensitive personal data, including:
We acknowledge that we are collecting sensitive personal data, including information about your ethnic origin, gender identity, and sexual orientation. This data is gathered to explore potential connections between these characteristics and difficulties experienced in the workplace or accessing employment. Our goal is to foster inclusivity on our online platform, and your response to these questions will aid us in gaining a deeper understanding of our user base. It’s important to note that these questions are optional, and each one includes the option to select ‘prefer not to say’ to respect your privacy and choices. Specifically, the questions are:
5. Further, optional questionnaires to provide tailored work solutions
Our goal is to provide individuals with personalized work advice and support, and achieving this involves completing a self-assessment to pinpoint specific needs. To facilitate this process, we utilise assessments that have undergone rigorous research, demonstrating validity and reliability specifically within this population. This ensures that the advice and support offered are tailored and effective for individuals seeking assistance. These questionnaires are Rheumatoid Arthritis Work Instability Survey (RA-WIS) and the electronic version of the Work Experience Survey for Rheumatic Conditions (eWES-RC).
6. Other questionnaires and feedback forms
Occasionally, we may introduce short questionnaires and brief feedback forms to gather additional information about your views and experiences while using the WORKWELL platform. It’s important to note that these surveys are entirely optional, meaning you have the choice to decline participation. However, your responses, if provided, will play a crucial role in guiding us toward implementing necessary changes to ensure that the platform aligns with its intended purpose effectively. Your input is highly valued, and we appreciate your consideration in contributing to the enhancement of the WORKWELL platform.
7. Use of online identifiers like cookies and IP addresses
Some personal data may be collected about you from the forms you complete online, from records of our correspondence and phone calls and details of your visits to our website, including but not limited to personally identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. WORKWELL from time to time may use such information to monitor site visits. WORKWELL may also collect statistics about the behaviour of visitors to its website, such as which information is accessed more frequently.
WORKWELL website uses cookies, which is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor’s computer, and that the visitor’s browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. Software is used to help the WORKWELL identify and track visitors and their website access preferences. The WORKWELL website visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using the WORKWELL website.
We appreciate an individual’s right to privacy and in all situations, we strive to achieve a balance between protecting that right and confirming that we have the correct information to ensure we can provide an exceptional experience for all.
Under the GDPR a number of new principles mean that individuals have greater rights concerning their information and how it is used (see Data Subject Rights). We have detailed an overview of these principles below.
Upon your registration to the WORKWELL, you consent us to maintain a dialogue with you until you either optout (which you can do at any stage) or if we decide to cease providing this service. The WORKWELL, also acts on behalf of the University of Salford in the capacity of data processor. When working exclusively as a data processor, WORKWELL will be acting on the instruction of the University and will work hard to ensure that the data collection processes are fully GDPR compliant. As well as determining the means by and purposes for which that data is processed, the University of Salford is the Data Controller, and is legally responsible for the transparent, lawful, secure and fair collection of your personal information. The University of Salford will:
Through agreeing to this privacy notice you are consenting to WORKWELL processing your personal data for the purposes outlined. You can withdraw consent at any time by completing the online form GDPR Checklist or by phoning +44 (0) 161 295 0211 or e-mailing workwelldigital@salford.ac.uk. Please see last section for full contact details.
The University of Salford is the sponsor for this study based in the United Kingdom. We will be using information from you to improve the resources provided on the WORKWELL platform and to inform future research into supporting working people with arthritis. The University of Salford acts as the data controller for this study. This means that we are responsible for looking after your information and using it properly.
We will follow ethical and legal practice. We will handle all information about you in confidence. All information which is collected about you on the WORKWELL platform will be kept strictly confidential and only the authorised staff involved in managing the WORKWELL platform will have access to your personal data.
WORKWELL will ensure that personal data is not kept for longer than is necessary. It will process personal data during the duration of any registration and will continue to store only the personal data needed for six years after the registration has expired to meet any legal obligations in accordance with the University of Salford guidelines. Data will also be extracted from WORKWELL, and anonymised for research purposes, so it can no longer traced back to the individual. The anonymised data will be retained in a spreadsheet format, securely stored at the University of Salford, for audit and research purposes. As WORKWELL may disclose your personal information to meet legal obligations, regulations, or valid governmental request.
The servers hosting the WORKWELL website are physically located in London, UK and managed by the Gas Mark 8 Ltd, our third-party digital partner. This ensures that your data is processed and stored under the UK’s robust data protection regulations.
Standard contractual terms and conditions are in place detailing the obligations for both the data controller(s) and data processor(s). The third party must provide sufficient guarantees on how it will process and protect the data before any data is shared. Third parties processing personal data on behalf of the University are required to provide assurance that staff have received appropriate training.
WORKWELL is sponsored by the University of Salford, which has appropriate measures and records in place to be able to demonstrate compliance with the accountability principle. This includes recording decisions relating to data sharing, implementing data protection policies and taking a “data protection by design” approach. The University documents its records of processing.
The University, as Data Controller, exercises overall control over how and why personal data are processed. The University has a Data Protection Officer who monitors compliance with the Regulations, advises on data protection obligations and acts as a contact point for the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
A data subject is any person whose personal data is being collected, held or processed. Data subjects have a number of rights in relation to the way we process their personal data. At any point whilst the WORKWELL is in possession of or processing your personal data, all data subjects, have the following rights:
You can withdraw consent at any time by completing the online form GDPR Checklist or by phoning +44 (0) 161 295 0211 or e-mailing workwelldigital@salford.ac.uk. If you decide to withdraw your consent and request to delete your account, we may retain any data collected up to the point of your withdrawal as allowed by law. Only anonymized data, which cannot be linked back to your personal data, may be used for research reports, academic publications, and presentations at conferences. We will ensure that your personal data will no longer be processed and will be removed in accordance with GDPR requirements.
The University ensures that there are procedures in place for the assessment, management and monitoring of all individual rights requests. In the event that the WORKWELL refuses your request under rights of access, we will provide you with a reason as to why, which you have the right to legally challenge.
WORKWELL will accept the following forms of ID when information on your personal data is requested:
A copy of your driving licence, passport, or a birth certificate and a utility bill showing the home address not older than three months. A minimum of one piece of photographic ID listed above and a supporting document is required. If the WORKWELL is dissatisfied with the quality, further information may be sought before personal data can be released.
All requests should be made using the GDPR checklist, or by emailing to the workwelldigital@salford.ac.uk or by phoning 0044 (0) 161 2950211. You can also write to us at the address below.
WORKWELL Digital
Professor Yeliz Prior
Brian Blatchford
Frederick Road Campus
University of Salford
M6 6PU
In the event that you wish to make a compliant about how your personal data is being processed by the WORKWELL or its partners, you have the right to complain to the University of Salford using the contact details below. If you do not get a response within 30 days you can complain to the ICO.
The details for each of these contacts are:
Melanie Earp, Data Protection Officer
Legal and Governance Directorate
Maxwell 5th floor
University of Salford
M5 4WT
Or email foi@salford.ac.uk
Additionally, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”)
You can contact them by calling 0303 123 1113 or go online to https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ or by completing the online form at the https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-complaints/data-protection-complaints/ Please note we can’t be responsible for the content of external websites.
Date of last review: December 2023
Welcome to WORKWELL. Explore our website to learn more about managing your inflammatory arthritis.
Access your dashboard to view your saved work solutions.
Take this brief self assessment to help determine your risk for work instability, which can lead to work disability if not addressed.
You can use this platform to self-manage without logging in but if you want to be able to save resources and get tailored solutions. you’ll need to register.
Engage with interactive learning activities to improve your understanding of how best to deal with problems at work.