Consent to obtain and share information

To assess this referral, determine whether Verto Living CIC can safely and appropriately meet your needs, and plan any accommodation and support provided, we may need to obtain information from and share information with relevant organisations involved in your care, support, supervision or safeguarding.

These organisations may include:

• Probation services, prisons, police and youth justice services;

• GPs, NHS services and mental health teams;

• Drug and alcohol services;

• Adult social care, local authorities and safeguarding teams;

• Current or previous accommodation and support providers; and

• Other professionals directly involved in your care, support or risk management.

Information requested or shared will be limited to what is relevant and necessary. This may include information about your:

• Housing history and support needs;

• Physical and mental health;

• Medication and treatment;

• Substance use;

• Safeguarding concerns and vulnerabilities;

• Criminal convictions, offending history, licence conditions and probation requirements;

• Risks to yourself or other people; and

• Existing care, support and risk-management arrangements.

This information may be used to assess your suitability for accommodation, decide whether your needs can be safely met, complete risk assessments, develop your support plan and work effectively with other professionals.

Applicant’s consent

 I explicitly consent to Verto Living CIC requesting, receiving, recording and, where necessary, sharing the information described above with relevant organisations and professionals for the purposes of assessing my referral and providing safe and appropriate accommodation and support.

I understand that:

• I can ask which organisations have been contacted and what information is being requested;

• I can withdraw my consent at any time by contacting Verto Living CIC, although this will not affect information already obtained or used;

• Refusing or withdrawing consent may mean that Verto Living CIC cannot fully assess my referral or safely provide accommodation and support;

• Consent does not require another organisation to disclose information if it is not legally permitted or appropriate for it to do so; and

• Information may sometimes be used or shared without my consent where this is required or permitted by law, including where necessary to protect me or another person from serious harm, respond to a safeguarding concern, prevent or detect crime, or comply with a legal obligation.

Where verbal consent has been given

I confirm that I have explained the above information to the applicant in a way they can understand. The applicant has provided clear verbal consent to Verto Living CIC obtaining and sharing the information described above.