Privacy Notice

1. Who is responsible for your information

Matthew Gardiner trading as Stead Consultancy is the controller of personal information used for the consultancy business.

Email: matt@steadconsultancy.co.uk
Telephone: 07974 341393

2. Information collected

Identity and contact details. Names, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers and authorised contacts.

Project information. Property and site details, drawings, quotations, contracts, programmes, approvals, reports, photographs and project-team information.

Commercial and payment information. Fees, invoices, payment records and relevant bank-transaction references. Stead Consultancy does not need to retain full payment-card details.

Communications. Emails, messages, meeting notes, call notes, instructions, complaints and decisions.

Website or enquiry information. Information submitted through an enquiry form and basic technical information where a website or online service collects it.

Sensitive information. This is not normally required. Where health, accessibility or other sensitive information is genuinely needed, it will be limited and handled carefully.

3. Where information comes from

Information normally comes directly from the client or prospective client. It may also come from a jointly authorised contact, contractor, architect, engineer, Building Control body, insurer, professional adviser, public authority or public record where relevant to the project.

4. Why information is used

• To respond to enquiries and prepare proposals.
• To provide agreed services and manage appointments.
• To communicate with project teams and maintain project records.
• For invoicing, accounting and tax records.
• To manage complaints, insurance matters and legal claims.
• For proportionate service improvement and business administration.
• For marketing or case studies only where the necessary permission has been obtained.

5. Who information may be shared with

Information is shared only where reasonably necessary. Recipients may include the client's authorised project team, professional advisers, insurers, accountants and bookkeepers, approved email, cloud-storage, document, project-management and IT providers, payment providers, and public authorities where required by law.

6. International processing

Some technology suppliers may store or support information outside the United Kingdom. Where this occurs, Stead Consultancy will use suppliers and safeguards intended to provide the protection required by UK data-protection law.

7. How long information is kept

• Unsuccessful enquiries: normally up to two years after the last meaningful contact, unless earlier deletion is appropriate.
• Client and project records: normally seven years after the appointment ends, or longer where reasonably required by law, insurance or a live claim.
• Accounting and tax records: for the period required by applicable tax and accounting rules.
• Complaints and claims: for as long as reasonably needed to investigate, resolve and protect legal rights.
• Marketing preferences: until consent is withdrawn or the record is no longer needed.

8. Security

Stead Consultancy uses proportionate physical, technical and organisational measures to protect personal information. Access is limited to people and suppliers who need it for an authorised purpose. No system can be guaranteed completely secure, but suspected loss or misuse will be assessed and handled promptly.

9. Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights to be informed, access your information, correct inaccurate information, request erasure or restriction, object to certain processing, receive portable information and withdraw consent. To exercise a right, contact Stead Consultancy using the details above.

10. Complaints

Please contact Stead Consultancy first if you have a privacy concern. You may also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK data-protection regulator.

11. Changes to this notice

This notice may be updated when the business, suppliers, legal requirements or processing activities change. The current version will be made available through this website.