# Data Separation

Source: https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/getting-started/data-separation

> How to separate Core Supports and Support Coordination using permissions and visibility.

## Overview

If your organisation provides both Core Supports and Support Coordination, choose how staff should share Participant information before setting up access. Separate accounts provide the clearest separation. Within one account, permissions control access, and duplicate profiles alone do not create a privacy boundary.

## Option 1: Use Two Separate Astalty Accounts

Use one account for Core Supports and another for Support Coordination when the departments need separate records and administration.

### Benefits

Each account has its own users, Participants and records. Staff sign in to the account they need to work in.

### Considerations

You will manage two accounts and keep their records up to date separately. Discuss your access and billing needs with [support](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/getting-help) before choosing this setup.

## Option 2: One Account with Duplicate Participant Profiles

You can keep a separate Participant profile for each service within the same account. Each profile has its own records, but staff with access to both can still see the information their permissions allow.

### Important

The Account Owner must enable [Participant Duplication](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/optional-features#participant-duplication) under **Settings > Optional Features** first.

Give each profile a different **External ID** so staff can distinguish them in Participant pickers. The ID is not added to a standard invoice automatically, but document templates and some exports can include it.

### Benefits

Each service can keep its notes and documents on its own Participant profile while using the same organisational account.

### Considerations

Keep both profiles up to date and review who can access each one. Users who can view all Participants can access both profiles. Read the [duplication guidance](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/optional-features#participant-duplication) before using this option for billing or reporting.

## Option 3: One Account, One Participant Profile (Permission-Based Separation)

Keep one Participant profile and use permissions and visibility settings to control which information staff can open.

### What Can Be Separated

For Support Workers, review case note access, document visibility and support plan item visibility. Their assigned shifts and Participant access also affect the information available in the app.

For case notes, **Can view all case notes** takes precedence over **Can only view case notes written by users in their user groups**. These settings work within records the user can access; they do not grant access to every Participant. See [Notes and Tasks Visibility](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/settings/role-permissions#notes--tasks-visibility).

Support Coordinators with the **Team Member** role can have more limited note access than Admins or Managers. Check the actual role and permissions for each person, including anyone who works across both services. See [Managing Note Visibility](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/setup/scheduling-settings#managing-note-visibility).

### Key Limitation

Admin and Manager access can span departments. A single profile is not a way to keep all information isolated between services. Other controls, such as form privacy settings, still apply to the records they protect.

## Quick Summary: The Three Ways to Isolate Departments

| Setup                               | What it separates                                                     |
| ----------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Two accounts                        | Users, Participants, records and account administration               |
| One account with duplicate profiles | Records attached to each profile; access still depends on permissions |
| One account with one profile        | Selected information through role permissions and visibility settings |