CONTEXT:

Why Focus Ecology keep personal data

Focus Ecology holds minimal personal data for clients, staff and suppliers. We retain written communications (e-mails, letters), keep contact details (phone, e-mail, address) and banking details so we can:

• recognise people e.g. our clients and suppliers;
• contact people e.g. our clients, suppliers and people with a legitimate interest in obtaining environmental consultancy services;
• respond appropriately to enquiries we receive on the phone, by e-mail or in hard copy;
• pay suppliers and staff.

Such information is kept securely, solely for the purposes of environmental consultancy and the pursuit of the Company’s aims. Under General Data Protection Regulation, our legal bases for doing so are Consent, Contract, and Legitimate Interests.

How we contact you

Our preferred method of communication is via phone and email. We may also use postal services where this is necessary. To indicate a communication preference or otherwise restrict how we can contact you, please contact us in writing.

Accessing the information we hold

You have the right to request access to your personal data that we hold. Such requests are known as Subject Access Requests (SARs). Please provide all SARs in writing marked for the attention of ‘Company Directors’, to help us provide you with the information you want and deal with your request quickly you should include enough details to enable us to verify your identity.

DPA 2018 requires that we comply with a SAR promptly and in any event within 1 month of receipt. There are however some circumstances in which the law allows us to refuse to provide access to personal data in response to a SAR. E.g. if you have previously made a similar request and there has been little or no change in the data since we complied with the previous request. We will not charge you for dealing with a SAR.

You have the right to obtain the rectification of any inaccurate, personal data concerning you that we hold. You also have a right to have any incomplete personal data that we hold about you completed. Should you become aware that any personal data that we hold about you in inaccurate and/or incomplete, please inform us immediately so that we can correct and/or complete it. To access, correct, update or remove the personal information we hold about you please contact us.

Removal of data

In certain circumstances you have the right to have the personal data that we hold about you erased. Further information is available on the ICO website. If you would like your personal data to be erased please inform us immediately and we will consider your request. In certain circumstances we have the right to refuse to comply with a request for erasure. If applicable we will supply you with the reasons for refusing your request. If your request for erasure/deletion is approved, we will delete your details from our databases and include you in a list of deleted contacts, to ensure that you are not inadvertently contacted again in the future.

Security

The databases containing your personal data (your name and contact details) are password protected and can only be accessed by Focus Ecology Ltd and approved associates. We do not share personal data with third-parties without permission, except where necessary for crime prevention and detection, or if required to do so by law. We do not trade personal data and we do not use it for profiling, screening, or personal research.

Our purpose in keeping such information, how we use it, and how long we keep it, varies as follows:

Existing Clients

Purpose & use – So we can liaise with over the correct implementation of the agreed scope of work (quote), alert you to the need for additional work as soon as is reasonably practicable, send you quotes for new work, send you invoices for completed work, respond to enquiries and complaints as required.
Retention - Your details will be held for up to 2 years since your last transaction unless you otherwise opt-in to receiving marketing contact from Focus Ecology.

Legal Basis – Contract, Legitimate interest, Consent.

Prospective Clients

Purpose & use – So we can contact you in relation to services (Environmental Consultancy) that you may have a real and legitimate interest in securing. Prospective clients include people who have previously requested quotes from Focus Ecology directly, or commission equivalent services in the course of their day-to-day business.
Retention – Your details will be kept for up to 2 years since the last occasion you expressed an interest in receiving our services. You can request to be deleted from our marketing database at any point. Conversely, you can choose to opt-in to receiving continued marketing content from us if you wish.