Your privacy
What we do with what you tell us.
What this website knows about you. What happens if you contact us. When we'd have to tell someone else. And what you can expect from us. In plain English, because a policy nobody reads protects nobody.
Using this website
This site doesn't know who you are.
We count how many people read each page, and that is all. No cookies. No name. No way to pick you out from anyone else. If you're reading this on a shared phone or a work laptop, that matters — so here's exactly what happens.
What we don't do
- No cookies. This site sets none at all. That's why you've never seen a cookie banner here.
- No Google Analytics and no profile of you. Nothing here builds a picture of who you are, remembers you between visits, or follows you to other websites. We do count page visits — see below for exactly how.
- No advertising and no social media pixels. Nothing on this site reports back to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or anyone else.
- No accounts and no logins. There's nothing to sign up for.
The one thing the site does remember
- On the front page you pick a door: families, young people, or people who use. Your browser remembers that choice, so the site doesn't ask again while you're reading. It's stored on your own device, never sent to us, and it disappears the moment you close the tab.
The one thing we count
- We count page visits. We use a tool called Cloudflare Web Analytics. It tells us how many people read a page, roughly which country they were in, and whether they were on a phone or a computer. It does not tell us who you are.
- It sets no cookies. It stores nothing on your device, which is why there is still no cookie banner here. It cannot tell one visitor from another and it cannot follow you to any other website.
- If you've asked not to be tracked, we don't count you. If your browser or phone sends “Do Not Track” or Global Privacy Control, the counter never loads and nothing at all is sent.
- Why we do it. So we know whether this site is reaching the people who need it. That is the only reason.
Things worth knowing anyway
- Your browser keeps its own history. We can't see it, but somebody else using your device could. The Quick Exit button at the top of every page leaves at once. It also replaces this page in your history. On a shared device, private or incognito browsing is safer still.
- Everything else on the page comes from this site. The fonts, the images and the code all load from here, not from Google or anyone else. The visit counter above is the only thing that connects anywhere else — and not at all if you've asked not to be tracked.
- Links to other organisations. Follow a link to NHS inform, ALISS, WEDINOS or anyone else and you're on their website. Their rules apply there, not ours.
If you contact us
Confidential, and honest about the limits.
We say "confidential" a lot on this site, and we mean it. But confidential has never meant “we will never tell anyone anything”. You deserve to know where the line sits before you talk to us, not after.
What you tell us stays with us
What you say to a worker at RCA Trust stays between you, them, and the team working with you. We don't tell your family, your employer, your landlord or the police that you've been in touch.
You don't have to give your real name to phone us and ask a question. You can ring on behalf of someone else. You can ring, decide it's not for you, and never ring again.
When we'd have to pass something on
There are three situations where we couldn't keep something to ourselves:
- If we believe you're at serious risk of harm — including from yourself
- If we believe someone else is at serious risk, particularly a child or a vulnerable adult
- If we're required to by law, for example by a court order
We would tell you first. We'd talk to you first. We'd tell you what we're worried about, what we think needs to happen, and who we'd be speaking to. The only exception is an emergency, where there isn't time. You wouldn't find out afterwards.
Two things people worry about
"Will you take my kids off me?" Telling a drug service you use cocaine does not, on its own, mean social work gets involved. What we're required to act on is a child being at risk of harm. Being honest with us about your use is far more likely to help you keep your family together than hiding it. Parents ring us all the time and go on being parents.
"Will you tell the police?" No. We're not an arm of the police and we don't report people for using drugs. Call 999 for someone who's overdosing and the crew's job is to keep that person alive. Not to get anyone arrested.
Your records and your rights
- If you become a service user we keep notes, because we have to. They're stored securely and only seen by people who need to see them.
- UK data protection law gives you three rights. You can ask to see what we hold about you. You can ask us to correct anything wrong. And you can ask us to delete it, where the law allows. Email info@rcatrust.org.uk.
- Unhappy with how we've handled your information? You can complain to us. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk.
Our code of practice
What you're entitled to expect from us.
Everyone who works for RCA Trust signs up to a code of practice. This is what the important parts of it mean for you, in normal words.
You're in charge of your own life
- You get treated as an individual, not a case.
- You decide what you want to change, and how fast. We support your right to control your own life and make your own informed choices.
- You have the right to take risks. That's written into our code, and it's why this site is built the way it is. Our job is to help you understand and manage risk — not to make your decisions for you.
- Your dignity and privacy get respected. So does your background, your culture and your values.
We'll be straight with you
- We'll be honest and we'll talk to you in plain, open language.
- If we say we'll do something, we'll do it — and if we can't, we'll tell you why.
- We'll explain our confidentiality rules clearly, rather than leaving you to guess.
What we will never do
- Abuse, neglect or harm you, or take advantage of you in any way.
- Misuse what we know about you, or the access we have to your home or your life.
- Form an inappropriate personal relationship with you.
- Discriminate against you — for any reason.
If we get it wrong, tell us. You have every right to complain, and our code says we have to help you do it and take it seriously. Email info@rcatrust.org.uk or phone 0141 887 0880 and ask for the complaints procedure. Complaining will not affect the support you get.
This page is a plain-language summary. The formal documents are RCA Trust's Code of Practice, Code of Confidentiality and data protection policy. You can ask for any of them from the office at 8 Incle Street, Paisley PA1 1HP.