Privacy Notice

1 Introduction

This Privacy Notice explains in detail the types of personal data we may collect about you when you interact with us. It also explains how we’ll store and handle that data and keep it safe.

We know that there’s a lot of information here, but we want you to be fully informed about your rights, and how Essential Site Skills uses your data; for example, we will explain things such as our credit checking procedure, and how we combine with third parties.

We hope the following sections will answer any questions you have but if not, please do get in touch with us.

It’s likely that we’ll need to update this Privacy Notice from time to time. We’ll notify you of any significant changes, but you’re welcome to come back and check it whenever you wish.

2 Privacy Notice

2.1 Explaining the legal bases, we rely on

The law on data protection sets out a number of different reasons for which a company may collect and process your personal data, including:

Consent

In specific situations, we can collect and process your data with your consent. (For example, when you tick a box to receive email newsletters).

When collecting your personal data, we’ll always make clear to you which data is necessary in connection with a particular service.

Contractual obligations

In certain circumstances, we need your personal data to comply with our contractual obligations (for example to enable us to register and certificate qualifications that you have chosen or to access funding where applicable).

Legal compliance

If the law requires us to, we may need to collect and process your data.

Legitimate interest

In specific situations, we require your data to pursue our legitimate interests in a way which might reasonably be expected as part of running our business and which does not materially impact your rights, freedom or interests. (For example, we will use your purchase history to send you or make available personalised offers. We will also use your address details to send you direct marketing information by post, telling you about products and services that we think might interest you.

2.2 When do we collect your personal data?

When you visit our website and input your details to sign up to our services.
When you engage with us on social media.
When you request information regarding training or assessment.
When you sign up to or are enrolled on training courses.
When you contact us by any means with queries, complaints etc.
When you choose to complete any surveys, we send you.
When you’ve given a third-party permission to share with us the information they hold about you.

2.3 What sort of personal data do we collect?

When you enquire about undertaking a training course or qualification with Essential Site Skills: your name, company name, contact details, date of birth, CITB registration number and national insurance number.
To register you with an Awarding Organisation for certification purposes: your name and Date of Birth.
To access government funding streams, comply with the information required to be collected by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, to form the Essential Site Skills Self-Assessment Report, monitoring and information advice and guidance: your name, address, date of birth, gender, national issuance number, ethnicity, any disabilities or learning difficulties.
To undertake the leaning and assessment process: your name, address, date of birth, gender any disabilities or learning difficulties.
For payment purposes your payment card number, expiry date, security code, address, name, email, phone number, bank details.
To conduct credit searches: contact names and addresses, email, phone numbers
To verify identity and eligibility for funding: driving licence details, passport details, birth certificate details.
Information gathered by the use of cookies in our web browser.
Personal details which help use to recommend items of interest.

2.4 How and why do we use your personal data

We use your personal data to deliver the qualifications and training that you have expressed an interest in and supply you with information about the services and qualifications we provide.

We want to give you the best possible customer experience. One way to achieve that is to get the richest picture we can of who you are by combining the data we have about you.

We then use this to offer you promotions, products and services that are most likely to interest you. In the case of loyalty scheme members, we’ll also offer you relevant rewards.

The data privacy law allows this as part of our legitimate interest in understanding our customers and providing the highest levels of service.

Of course, if you wish to change how we use your data, you’ll find details in the ‘What are my rights?’ section below.

2.5 Using your data for personalised direct marketing

We want to bring you offers and promotions that are most relevant to your interests at times. To help us form a better, overall understanding of you as a customer, we combine your personal data gathered from the training and qualifications you have undertaken with us and others, for example qualifications you have previously undertaken that are recorded on your Personal Learning Record and Held by the CITB and other Awarding Organisations. For this purpose, we also combine the data that we collect directly from you with data that we obtain from third parties to whom you have given your consent to pass that data onto us.

2.6 How we protect your personal data

We know how much data security matters to all our customers. With this in mind we will treat your data with the utmost care and take all appropriate steps to protect it.

We secure access to all transactional areas of our websites and apps using ‘https’ technology. And is encrypted.
Access to your personal data is password-protected, and sensitive data (such as payment card information) is secured by SSL encryption.

We regularly monitor our system for possible vulnerabilities and attacks, and we carry out penetration testing to identify ways to further strengthen security.

2.7 How long will we keep your personal data?

Whenever we collect or process your personal data, we’ll only keep it for as long as is necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

At the end of that retention period, your data will either be deleted completely or anonymised, for example by aggregation with other data so that it can be used in a non-identifiable way for statistical analysis and business planning.

2.8 Who do we share your personal data with?

There are occasions where we are required to share your information with third parties to enable us to deliver the training which you chosen to undertake with us. These include:

Awarding Organisations to Register and Certificate your qualifications.
Colleges and other training providers who may be providing funding for your qualifications.
Third party Assessors, Tutors and Internal Quality Assurers to deliver the training and qualifications you requested.
The Learner Records Service to obtain and create your Unique Learner Number and access prior training records.
Operational companies such as delivery companies to deliver certificates.

Here’s the policy we apply to those organisations to keep your data safe and protect your privacy:

We provide only the information they need to perform their specific services.
They may only use your data for the exact purposes we specify in our contract with them.
We work closely with them to ensure that your privacy is respected and protected at all times.
If we stop using their services, any of your data held by them will either be deleted or rendered anonymous.

For further information please contact our Data Protection Officer.

2.9 What are your rights of your personal data

An overview of your different rights

You have the right to request:

Access to the personal data we hold about you, free of charge in most cases.
The correction of your personal data when incorrect, out of date or incomplete.
For example, when you withdraw consent, or object and we have no legitimate overriding interest, or once the purpose for which we hold the data has come to an end
That we stop using your personal data for direct marketing (either through specific channels, or all channels).
That we stop any consent-based processing of your personal data after you withdraw that consent.
Review by a Partner of any decision made based solely on automatic processing of your data (i.e. where no human has yet reviewed the outcome and criteria for the decision).

You have the right to request a copy of any information about you that the Essential Site Skills holds at any time, and also to have that information corrected if it is inaccurate. To ask for your information, please contact Data Protection Officer, Essential Site Skills, Suite 2, 1st Floor, Monarch House, Chrysalis Way, Eastwood, Nottingham, NG16 3RY.

email [email protected]

If we choose not to action your request, we will explain to you the reasons for our refusal.

Your right to withdraw consent

Whenever you have given us your consent to use your personal data, you have the right to change your mind at any time and withdraw that consent.

Where we rely on our legitimate interest

In cases where we are processing your personal data on the basis of our legitimate interest, you can ask us to stop for reasons connected to your individual situation. We must then do so unless we believe we have a legitimate overriding reason to continue processing your personal data.

Direct marketing

You have the right to stop the use of your personal data for direct marketing activity through all channels, or selected channels. We must always comply with your request.

Checking your identity

To protect the confidentiality of your information, we will ask you to verify your identity before proceeding with any request you make under this Privacy Notice. If you have authorised a third party to submit a request on your behalf, we will ask them to prove they have your permission to act.

There are several ways you can stop direct marketing communications from us:

Click the 'unsubscribe' link in any email communication we send you
Write to Data Protection Officer, Essential Site Skills Suite 2, 1st Floor, Monarch House, Chrysalis Way, Eastwood, Nottingham, NG16 3RY
email [email protected]

2.10 Contacting the Regulator

If you feel that your data has not been handled correctly, or you are unhappy with our response to any requests you have made to us regarding the use of your personal data, you have a right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office.

You can contact them by calling 0303 123 1113. Or go online to www.ico.org.uk/concerns (opens in a new window; please note we are not responsible for the content of external websites).

If you are based outside the UK, you have the right to lodge your complaint with the relevant data protection regulator in your country of residence.