Privacy Notice – Use of Magic Notes
Introduction
The privacy notice is a statement explaining how personal and confidential data about individual is collected, used and shared by Bradford Council. This notice details the collect and usage of personal information using the Magic Notes application (tool) during our interactions with you as part of our services, namely Adult Social Care and Children’s Services.
Bradford Council is the data controller collected through the use of Magic Notes. This means we are responsible for deciding how and why your personal data is processed, in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We are committed to ensuring your personal data is handled fairly, lawfully and transparently.
If you have any questions about how your information is used, you can contact our Data Protection Officer using the details provided at the end of this notice.
What is Magic Notes and how is it used?
Magic Notes is a secure digital application used by our staff to support the recording of meetings, conversations and interactions with individuals. It is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to record conversations and ensure an accurate and comprehensive record is created to enhance your health and wellbeing, assisting with tailoring services to your individual needs. Magic Notes is used only to support the creation of records.
The tool uses AI to:
- Accurately record conversations (where enabled)
- Transcribe speech into written text
- Generate structured summaries and key actions from discussions
The purpose of using Magic Notes is to:
- Improve the accuracy and completeness of records about you and your needs
- Ensure your views, wishes, and circumstances are captured clearly and consistently
- Support informed decision-making and appropriate care or service planning
- Enable staff to deliver practice centred around you in the meetings
All the transcripts and summaries generated by Magic Notes, are reviewed and, edited by a trained member of staff before being saved to our case management systems.
The AI is used only to assist in transcribing and summarising conversations. It does not make decisions about the services you receive, and no decisions are made without human involvement.
Your explicit consent is required for any conversation with council staff to be recorded using Magic Notes. If anyone present objects to the use of Magic Notes at the start of a meeting, the tool will not be used, and notes will instead be taken manually.
What information we collect
When Magic Notes is used, we may collect and process the following information:
Personal data
- Your name, address, and contact details (such as telephone number and email address)
- Your date of birth and identifying information
- Details of conversations, meetings, and interactions with staff
- Information about your personal circumstances, situation, and support needs
- Contact details for family members, carers, or representatives involved in your care
Special category data
Where relevant to the service we provide, we may also collect sensitive personal information, including:
- Information about your physical or mental health
- Disabilities or care and support needs
- Safeguarding information
- Racial or ethnic origin
- Religious or philosophical beliefs
- Sexual orientation (where this is relevant to providing services)
We only collect and use this information where it is necessary to provide appropriate services and support.
How we use your information
We use your personal information collected through Magic Notes to:
- Create accurate and comprehensive records of meetings and interactions
- Support assessments, care planning, and the delivery of services
- Ensure continuity and quality in the services we provide
- Enable staff to focus on meaningful engagement rather than manual note-taking
- Meet our statutory duties and legal obligations
- Promote your wellbeing and safeguard individuals where necessary
Lawful basis for processing
We process your personal data under the following lawful bases:
Personal data (Article 6 UK GDPR)
- Article 6(1)(e) processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority
- Article 6(1)(c) processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation
Special category data (Article 9 UK GDPR)
- Article 9(2)(h) provision of health or social care
- Article 9(2)(g) substantial public interest, including safeguarding and statutory functions
Use of Magic Notes (recording and AI processing)
Where Magic Notes is used to record conversations:
- You will be informed at the start of the interaction
- You have the right to object to the use of the tool*
- If you object, recording will stop (or will not begin), and notes will be taken manually instead
*Article 6(1)(a), we rely on your consent for recording using Magic Notes. Where this applies, you can withdraw your consent at any time.
How Magic Notes processes your data
Magic Notes processes your personal data through the following steps:
- A trained staff member begins recording a meeting or interaction (where applicable)
- The conversation is securely recorded
- The recording is transcribed into written text using advanced speech-to-text
- The system generates a structured AI summary of the discussion
- The staff member reviews, edits, and approves the transcript and summary
- Relevant information is transferred into our secure case management systems
All access to recordings, transcripts, and summaries is restricted to authorised personnel only and is controlled through secure systems.
Sharing your information
We may share your personal information, where necessary and appropriate, with:
- Internal departments and teams involved in delivering your care or service
- Partner organisations, including NHS bodies and care providers
- Regulatory bodies, inspectors, or auditors
- Law enforcement agencies or courts where we are required to do so by law
We will only share your information where it is necessary, proportionate, and in accordance with data protection legislation.
How we protect your information
We take the security of your personal data seriously and have appropriate technical and organisational measures in place to protect it, including:
- Secure, access-controlled systems
- Encryption and secure data storage
- Role-based access to ensure only authorised staff can view information
- Staff training and confidentiality agreements
- Procedures to identify and respond to data breaches
All information processed through Magic Notes is handled securely. No data is used to train AI models and it always remains confidential.
Data retention
- Recordings, transcripts, and summaries created within Magic Notes are retained for a limited period (typically up to 30 days) and are then automatically and securely deleted.
- Staff are responsible for transferring any required information into official case management systems during this time.
- Once transferred, the information is retained in accordance with our standard records retention schedules.
Your rights
Under data protection law, you have the right to:
- Request access to your personal information
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Request deletion of your data (in certain circumstances)
- Object to the processing of your data
- Request restriction of processing
- Request that your data is transferred to another organisation
Where we rely on your consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.
Rights for individuals under UK GDPR
What are your rights?
Please contact the Corporate Information Governance Team at dpo@bradford.gov.uk to exercise any of your rights, or if you have a concern about why your information has been collected, how it has been used or how long we have kept it for.
You can contact our Data Protection Officer at dpo@bradford.gov.uk or write to: Data Protection Officer, City Hall, Centenary Square, Bradford, BD1 1HY.
Complaints about how the Council has handled personal data are considered under the Council’s complaints policy, section 17: Data Protection complaints in line with the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, ICO guidance and any statutory complaint handling requirements that apply.
For further information related to complaints or to make a complaint visit the complaints section of our website.
You also have the right to approach the supervisory authority. The supervisory authority in the UK is the Information Commissioner who may be contacted on 03031 231113 or through the Information Commissioner's website.