Clear privacy information for care providers

Unclear communication in care can cause confusion, undermine trust and put service users at risk. Care providers need to explain what support they offer, how care will be delivered and what people are being asked to agree to. These explanations often involve personal information, including details about health and the support a person needs. People need to understand how that information will be used and who will receive it.

A dense privacy notice or an unclear consent form can prevent a person from making an informed choice. It can also make it harder for families and staff to understand their responsibilities. Clear wording, a useful structure and appropriate formats all help, but they need to reflect how the service actually works.

Our joint white paper with Law Accent explains how care providers can apply plain language to their communications. It covers risks, legal requirements and practical steps for improving information. The sections below focus on privacy information and consent, where the explanation must make the person's position clear.

Download Every care provider needs plain language (PDF, 19 pages).

Explain what people are agreeing to

Care services involve different kinds of permission and information. A privacy notice explains how an organisation uses personal data; a consent request asks someone to agree to a particular use. Consent to care or treatment is a separate decision, with its own requirements. Combining these purposes under a general signature can leave people unclear about what they have agreed to.

Consent is one possible lawful basis for using personal data. The team responsible for information governance needs to establish which basis applies before the explanation is written. Clear language then describes the actual arrangements, without suggesting that all processing depends on the person's consent.

Organise privacy information around the service user's needs

The ICO's guidance identifies the privacy information organisations need to provide. This includes who is responsible, why information is used and the relevant arrangements for sharing and retention. Establish those facts with the people responsible for information governance, then organise the explanation so service users can find them.

The structure should also help people find their rights and how to use them. A description of a right has limited practical value if the person cannot identify who to contact or what to do. Use specific headings and explain necessary terms where they first appear. This gives staff a clearer basis for answering questions consistently.

Make each consent request specific

Where the organisation relies on consent, people need to understand the particular choice and the consequences of agreeing. Explain the purpose, the information involved and who will receive it. Avoid asking for a general agreement that leaves those arrangements unstated.

For an optional service that sends updates to a family member, the request should identify the updates and the intended recipient. It should also explain how the person can change their choice. The ICO states that withdrawing consent must be as easy as giving it, so the process needs attention alongside the wording.

Provide the format and support people need

Care information needs to work for people with different communication needs. Some may need an accessible format, assistance with reading or time to discuss the explanation. Ask about those needs and establish how staff will record and meet them. Age or diagnosis alone does not tell you how someone prefers to receive information.

Consider when the explanation will be given and how the person can return to it. An online notice may be useful, but it cannot be the only practical route where a service user needs another format. Staff guidance should support the same explanation and make the route for further questions clear.

Check understanding in the context of the service

Testing should establish what people can explain and do after reading the information. Ask service users to find who receives their information and explain a particular use in their own words. Where consent is relevant, check whether they understand the choice and can find how to change it. Include the format and support they would use in practice.

The findings may reveal difficulties with wording, the information provided or the process itself. Review them with the responsible teams and agree what needs to change. Checking the revised information then helps establish whether the identified difficulty has been addressed.

How Narratology can help

We help care providers review privacy notices, consent requests and related guidance. Our work connects plain language with document structure, accessibility and the practical decisions service users need to make. We can help your team identify problems, rewrite the information and plan research with the people who use it.

Discuss your care communications.

Sources and further reading

Narratology and Law Accent. Every care provider needs plain language. Joint white paper, 2025.

ICO: What privacy information should we provide?

ICO: Consent