Privacy Policy

<h2 id="introduction">Introduction</h2>

<p>C&G Education ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services.</p>

<p>We are a data controller under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. We are committed to complying with all applicable data protection laws and regulations.</p>

<p>This policy applies to:</p>

<ul> <li>Visitors to our website at cgeducation.com</li> <li>Students enrolled in our educational programmes</li> <li>Parents, carers, and family members of students</li> <li>Professionals who make referrals to our services</li> <li>Job applicants and employees</li> <li>Anyone who contacts us with enquiries</li> </ul>

<h2 id="information-we-collect">Information We Collect</h2>

<h3>Information You Provide Directly</h3>

<p>We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:</p>

<ul> <li><strong>Submit a referral:</strong> Student name, date of birth, contact details, educational history, SEND information, EHCP details, safeguarding information, and relevant health or social care information</li> <li><strong>Make an enquiry:</strong> Name, email address, phone number, organisation, and the content of your message</li> <li><strong>Apply for a job:</strong> CV, cover letter, qualifications, employment history, references, and right to work documentation</li> <li><strong>Subscribe to updates:</strong> Name and email address</li> <li><strong>Attend our programmes:</strong> Attendance records, progress notes, achievement records, photographs (with consent), and incident reports</li> </ul>

<h3>Special Category Data</h3>

<p>Given the nature of our services supporting young people with SEND and SEMH needs, we may process special category data including:</p>

<ul> <li>Health information relevant to educational provision</li> <li>Information about disabilities and special educational needs</li> <li>Information about social, emotional, and mental health needs</li> <li>Safeguarding and child protection information</li> </ul>

<p>This data is processed with appropriate safeguards and only for the purposes of providing our educational services and fulfilling our safeguarding duties.</p>

<h3>Information Collected Automatically</h3>

<p>When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information including:</p>

<ul> <li>IP address and browser type</li> <li>Device information and operating system</li> <li>Pages visited and time spent on our website</li> <li>Referring website or search terms</li> <li>Cookie data (see our Cookies section below)</li> </ul>

<h3>Information from Third Parties</h3>

<p>We may receive information about students from:</p>

<ul> <li>Local authorities and SEND teams</li> <li>Schools, PRUs, and other educational settings</li> <li>Social workers and youth workers</li> <li>Health professionals</li> <li>Parents and carers</li> </ul>

<h2 id="how-we-use-your-information">How We Use Your Information</h2>

<p>We use your personal information for the following purposes:</p>

<h3>Delivering Educational Services</h3>

<ul> <li>Assessing suitability for our programmes</li> <li>Planning and delivering personalised learning</li> <li>Monitoring progress and achievement</li> <li>Arranging work experience placements</li> <li>Communicating with students, families, and referrers</li> <li>Providing progress reports</li> </ul>

<h3>Safeguarding</h3>

<ul> <li>Fulfilling our statutory safeguarding duties</li> <li>Conducting risk assessments</li> <li>Sharing information with relevant agencies when necessary to protect a child or vulnerable adult</li> <li>Recording and reporting safeguarding concerns</li> </ul>

<h3>Administration and Operations</h3>

<ul> <li>Processing referrals and enquiries</li> <li>Managing student records</li> <li>Invoicing and payment processing</li> <li>Maintaining attendance records</li> <li>Fulfilling contractual obligations with commissioners</li> </ul>

<h3>Communication</h3>

<ul> <li>Responding to enquiries and requests</li> <li>Sending service-related communications</li> <li>Providing updates about our programmes (where consent is given)</li> </ul>

<h3>Recruitment</h3>

<ul> <li>Processing job applications</li> <li>Conducting interviews and assessments</li> <li>Verifying qualifications and references</li> <li>DBS checking and safer recruitment processes</li> </ul>

<h3>Website Improvement</h3>

<ul> <li>Analysing website usage to improve user experience</li> <li>Ensuring website security</li> <li>Troubleshooting technical issues</li> </ul>

<h2 id="legal-basis-for-processing">Legal Basis for Processing</h2>

<p>Under UK GDPR, we process personal data on the following legal bases:</p>

<ul> <li><strong>Contract:</strong> To fulfil our contractual obligations with commissioners and service users</li> <li><strong>Legal obligation:</strong> To comply with our legal duties, including safeguarding, education law, and health and safety regulations</li> <li><strong>Legitimate interests:</strong> To operate our business effectively, respond to enquiries, and improve our services (where this doesn't override your rights)</li> <li><strong>Consent:</strong> For marketing communications and photography (you can withdraw consent at any time)</li> <li><strong>Vital interests:</strong> In emergency situations to protect someone's life</li> <li><strong>Substantial public interest:</strong> For processing special category data in connection with safeguarding and educational provision</li> </ul>

<h2 id="data-sharing">Data Sharing</h2>

<p>We may share your personal information with:</p>

<h3>Service Delivery Partners</h3>

<ul> <li>Work experience placement providers (limited student information with consent)</li> <li>Community venues where we deliver programmes</li> <li>External tutors or specialists</li> </ul>

<h3>Public Bodies and Authorities</h3>

<ul> <li>Local authority SEND teams and commissioners</li> <li>Ofsted (for regulatory purposes)</li> <li>Safeguarding boards and agencies</li> <li>Police and social services (where required for safeguarding)</li> <li>NHS and health services (where relevant to student wellbeing)</li> </ul>

<h3>Service Providers</h3>

<ul> <li>IT and hosting providers</li> <li>Email service providers</li> <li>Payment processors</li> <li>Professional advisors (legal, accounting)</li> </ul>

<p>We require all third parties to respect the security of your data and to treat it in accordance with the law. We do not allow our third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes and only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.</p>

<h3>International Transfers</h3>

<p>We primarily store and process your data within the UK. If any data is transferred internationally (for example, through cloud service providers), we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in compliance with UK GDPR.</p>

<h2 id="data-retention">Data Retention</h2>

<p>We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected:</p>

<ul> <li><strong>Student records:</strong> Retained until the student reaches 25 years of age, or 35 years for records involving safeguarding concerns</li> <li><strong>Referral information (not proceeding):</strong> Deleted after 12 months</li> <li><strong>Job applications (unsuccessful):</strong> Deleted after 6 months</li> <li><strong>General enquiries:</strong> Deleted after 2 years</li> <li><strong>Financial records:</strong> Retained for 7 years as required by law</li> <li><strong>Website analytics:</strong> Aggregated data retained indefinitely; individual data deleted after 26 months</li> </ul>

<h2 id="your-rights">Your Rights</h2>

<p>Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights:</p>

<ul> <li><strong>Right to access:</strong> Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you</li> <li><strong>Right to rectification:</strong> Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data</li> <li><strong>Right to erasure:</strong> Request deletion of your data in certain circumstances</li> <li><strong>Right to restrict processing:</strong> Request limitation of how we use your data</li> <li><strong>Right to data portability:</strong> Request transfer of your data in a machine-readable format</li> <li><strong>Right to object:</strong> Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for marketing</li> <li><strong>Rights related to automated decision-making:</strong> Rights concerning decisions made without human involvement</li> </ul>

<p>To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below. We will respond within one month of receiving your request.</p>

<h3>Right to Withdraw Consent</h3>

<p>Where we rely on consent to process your data (such as for marketing or photography), you can withdraw consent at any time by contacting us. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.</p>

<h3>Right to Complain</h3>

<p>If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):</p>

<ul> <li><strong>Website:</strong> <a href="https://ico.org.uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ico.org.uk</a></li> <li><strong>Helpline:</strong> 0303 123 1113</li> </ul>

<p>We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns before you contact the ICO, so please reach out to us first.</p>

<h2 id="data-security">Data Security</h2>

<p>We take the security of your personal data seriously and have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it, including:</p>

<ul> <li>Encryption of data in transit and at rest</li> <li>Secure access controls and authentication</li> <li>Regular security assessments and updates</li> <li>Staff training on data protection and security</li> <li>Incident response and breach notification procedures</li> <li>Regular data backups</li> <li>Physical security measures for paper records</li> </ul>

<p>However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.</p>

<h2 id="cookies">Cookies</h2>

<p>Our website uses cookies to improve your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us understand how you use our website.</p>

<h3>Types of Cookies We Use</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Essential cookies:</strong> Required for the website to function properly. These cannot be disabled</li> <li><strong>Analytics cookies:</strong> Help us understand how visitors interact with our website (e.g., Google Analytics)</li> <li><strong>Preference cookies:</strong> Remember your settings and preferences</li> </ul>

<h3>Managing Cookies</h3>

<p>You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:</p>

<ul> <li>View and delete cookies</li> <li>Block third-party cookies</li> <li>Block all cookies</li> <li>Clear all cookies when you close the browser</li> </ul>

<p>Please note that blocking certain cookies may affect website functionality.</p>

<h2 id="contact-us">Contact Us</h2>

<p>If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:</p>

<ul> <li><strong>Data Protection Contact:</strong> Data Protection Officer</li> <li><strong>Email:</strong> <a href="mailto:privacy@cgeducation.com">privacy@cgeducation.com</a></li> <li><strong>General enquiries:</strong> <a href="mailto:info@cgeducation.com">info@cgeducation.com</a></li> <li><strong>Phone:</strong> <a href="tel:+441234567890">+44 (0) 123 456 7890</a></li> <li><strong>Website:</strong> <a href="/contact">Contact Form</a></li> </ul>

<h3>Changes to This Privacy Policy</h3>

<p>We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will post the updated policy on this page with a new "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.</p>

<p>For significant changes that affect how we use your data, we will notify you directly where possible.</p>