Introduction

SDF’s Drug and Alcohol Services Directory is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use and safeguard your information when you visit and use this website. Please read this policy carefully to understand how personal information may be collected and used.

The Drug and Alcohol Services Directory helps people find information about alcohol services, drug services, residential rehabilitation services and needle exchange provision in Scotland.

The directory is maintained by Scottish Drugs Forum. For data protection purposes, Scottish Drugs Forum is responsible for personal information processed through this website.

You can use the directory to search for services without creating an account or giving us your name.

Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following information about you.

Information You Give Us

This includes information you provide when you complete a form on the website, contact us directly, or ask us to update a service listing.

This may include:

• your name
• email address
• telephone number
• organisation
• the service you are contacting us about
• the content of your message
• any nformation provided when updating a service listing or adding a new service

If you are contacting us on behalf of a service listed in the directory, we may also collect administrative contact details used to help keep the listing accurate and up to date. These details are for directory administration and will not be published unless they have been provided as public-facing contact information.

Sensitive Personal Information (Special Category Data)

We do not ask you to provide sensitive personal information to use the directory. This includes information about health, drug use, alcohol use, treatment, support needs or personal circumstances.

We do not require or ask for sensitive personal information via this directory site. If a form submission contains sensitive personal information, we will delete it without acting on it. This form is for service listing updates or the addition of new services only. If you or someone you know needs support, please use the directory to find an appropriate service.

Information We Collect About You

When you use the website, we may collect technical and usage information, including:

• Internet Protocol address
• browser type and version
• time zone setting
• browser plug-in types and versions
• operating system and platform
• device type
• pages visited
• date and time of visit
• website usage data
• search terms or filters used
• information about website errors, performance or security events

Where possible, we use this information in a way that does not directly identify individual users.

If the website includes map or location-based features, we may process location information that you choose to enter, such as a postcode, town or place name. If the website asks for access to your device location, this will only be used if you choose to allow it.

Information About Services Listed in the Directory

The directory contains information about organisations and services. This may include:

• service name
• service type
• address
• telephone number
• public enquiry email address
• website address
• services provided

Where a public enquiry email address or phone number identifies an individual, this may be personal information. We only publish contact details that are intended to be used for public enquiries or have been provided to us for publication.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect in the following ways:

• To provide and improve the directory: Ensuring that directory content is presented clearly and works effectively for users and their devices.
• To maintain accurate service listings: Processing update requests, checking information with services, and keeping directory information as accurate and up to date as possible.
• To respond to enquiries: Responding to messages, questions or update requests submitted through the website.
• To manage the website: Administering the site, troubleshooting issues, monitoring performance, improving search and filtering, and maintaining website security.
• To understand how the website is used: Reviewing website usage data to help improve the directory, its content and user experience.
• To protect the website: Preventing misuse, spam, unauthorised access or other security issues.
• To comply with legal obligations: Processing information where required by law or regulation.

We do not use information submitted through the directory to send marketing emails or newsletters unless you have separately asked to receive them. We will use the administrative contact details / email addresses provided to contact services to maintain up to date service listing details

You do not need to provide personal information to search the directory. The directory is not a referral service, treatment service or emergency support service. It is designed to help people find information about relevant services.

Our Lawful Basis for Using Your Information

Under UK data protection law, we need a lawful basis to use personal information.

We may rely on the following lawful bases:

• Legitimate interests: to operate, maintain, secure and improve the directory; respond to enquiries; manage update requests; keep service listings accurate; and understand how the website is used.
• Consent: where we use non-essential cookies, analytics or similar technologies that require consent.
• Legal obligation: where we need to process information to comply with the law, respond to data protection requests, or deal with regulatory matters.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the impact on people’s rights and freedoms and only use personal information in ways that are reasonable and expected in the context of this directory.

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade or otherwise transfer your personal information to outside parties for marketing purposes.

We may share information where necessary with trusted organisations who help us operate and maintain the website. This may include website hosting, development, maintenance, security, analytics, map, form-processing or email service providers.

These organisations are only permitted to use personal information for agreed purposes and must keep it confidential and secure.

We may also share information where necessary:

• with SDF staff who maintain or administer the directory
• with a listed service, where needed to check or process an update request
• with relevant partners, where necessary to respond to an enquiry or maintain accurate information
• with professional advisers, regulators or authorities where required by law
• to protect our rights, property, safety or the safety of others

Information in the directory may come from existing directory data, service providers, SDF staff, public information, partner organisations, update requests submitted through the website, and periodic checks carried out to maintain the directory.

We take reasonable steps to keep directory information accurate and up to date. However, services may change any of their service information or contact details without notifying us. People using the directory should check directly with a service before attending.

International Transfers

Some of the services we use to operate this website transfer personal data outside the UK.

We use Google Analytics to understand how the website is used, and Google reCAPTCHA to protect our contact forms from spam and misuse. Both services are provided by Google LLC, based in the United States. Google transfers personal data to the US under the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, which provides appropriate safeguards as required by UK data protection law.

Where other suppliers process personal data outside the UK, we take steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place before any transfer takes place.

Cookies and Website Analytics

The website may use cookies and similar technologies to help it work properly, keep it secure, understand how people use it and improve the directory.

Some cookies are essential. Others, such as analytics, embedded content or third-party map cookies, may only be used where consent has been given.

We use CookieYes to manage cookie consent on this website. CookieYes helps us provide information about the cookies used on the site and allows users to manage their cookie preferences.

Cookies and similar technologies may collect technical information such as IP address, browser information, device information, pages visited and interactions with the website.

Data Security

We have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access.

These measures may include:

• limiting access to authorised people
• secure website hosting
• website security updates
• access controls for website administration
• two-factor authentication where appropriate
• monitoring for website errors, misuse or security issues
• website backups
• working with trusted suppliers

No website or online system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect the information we process.

Data Retention

We keep personal information only for as long as needed for the purpose it was collected.

General enquiries and update requests are kept for as long as needed to respond, manage follow-ups and to maintain an appropriate record of directory changes.

Administrative contact details for service providers are kept while the service is listed, unless the contact asks to be removed or replaced.

Website analytics and technical data are kept according to the retention settings of the relevant platform or service.

We may keep some information for longer where required for legal, security, audit or regulatory reasons.

Your Data Protection Rights

Under data protection law, you have rights in relation to your personal information. These include:

• Right to access: You have the right to request copies of your personal information.
• Right to rectification: You have the right to ask us to correct information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
• Right to erasure: You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information, under certain conditions.
• Right to restrict processing: You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information, under certain conditions.
• Right to object to processing: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal information, under certain conditions.
• Right to data portability: You have the right to ask that we transfer information we have collected to another organisation, or directly to you, under certain conditions.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

These rights do not apply in every situation, but we will explain our response if you contact us.

If you make a request, we normally have one month to respond to you.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.

Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

Any changes we make in the future will be posted on this page and, where appropriate, brought to your attention. Please check back from time to time to see any updates or changes to this Privacy Policy.

Last Update Date: 28 April 2026

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this site, please contact us at:

Email: enquiries@sdf.org.uk

TEL: 0141 221 1175

Address:
Scottish Drugs Forum
91 Mitchell Street
Glasgow
G1 3LN

Scottish Drugs Forum is a company limited by guarantee, registration no. 106295, with charitable status and is also a registered Scottish charity, registered SC008075.