Who we are
Cornwall Council is the data controller for Adult Social Care services. This means we are responsible for how your personal information is used and protected.
What this notice is about
We sometimes use a digital tool called Beam Notes to help us:
Record meetings and conversations
Transcribe (turn speech into text)
Summarise discussions and case information
This helps us make accurate and timely records about your care and support.
What information we collect
When using Beam Notes, we may collect and process:
Audio recordings of conversations or meetings
Written transcripts of what was said
Summaries generated from those conversations
Personal information you share, such as:
Name and contact details
Health and care needs
Personal circumstances
Why we use this information
We use Beam Notes to:
Keep accurate records of assessments, reviews, and discussions
Support decision-making about your care
Reduce paperwork so staff can focus more on supporting you
Improve the quality and consistency of our records
Our legal basis for processing
We process your information under:
UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e) – Public task (providing adult social care services)
UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h) – Health and social care purposes
Where we rely on your agreement to record conversations, we will ask for your consent.
How we use recordings
Recordings may be used temporarily to create transcripts and summaries
They will only be accessed by authorised staff involved in your care
Recordings are deleted as soon as they are no longer needed, in line with retention policies
Who we share your information with
Your information may be shared with:
Cornwall Council staff involved in your care
Health professionals (such as NHS services)
Other organisations involved in your support, where lawful and necessary
We do not use your information for marketing.
Use of AI technology (Beam Notes)
Beam Notes uses automated technology to generate transcripts and summaries
A trained professional will review and check the content for accuracy
Decisions about your care are not made by AI
Your choices and consent
You have the right to:
Be informed when recording is taking place
Ask questions about how your information is used
Decline recording – this will not affect the care you receive
Withdraw consent for recording at any time (where consent is used)
If you do not want a conversation recorded, we will take notes manually instead.
How we keep your information safe
We:
Store information securely on council systems
Limit access to authorised staff only
Follow strict data protection and confidentiality policies
Expect our suppliers, such as Beam Notes, apply the same level of security and data protection compliance that we do
How long we keep your information
Recordings are stored for a maximum of 30 days in Beam Notes. The Council retains your information in line with Cornwall Council’s retention schedule for adult social care records.
Your rights
Under data protection law, you have the right to:
Access your information
Ask us to correct inaccurate data
Request deletion (in some circumstances)
Restrict or object to processing
Contact us
If you have questions or concerns:
Data Protection Officer
Cornwall Council
Email: dpo@cornwall.gov.uk
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
Consent statement (to be read by social worker and recorded)
“You understand that Cornwall Council may use Beam Notes to record and summarise this conversation. You have been given information about how your data will be used and stored. You understand that you can ask for recording to stop at any time.”
☐ I agree to recording and transcription
☐ I do not agree to recording
This privacy notice should be read in conjunction with the Adult Social Care Privacy Notice and the Council’s Corporate Privacy Notice which are published on the Council’s website.