Woods & Cooper respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy notice will inform you as to how we look after your personal data when you visit our website (regardless of where you visit it from) and tell you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you.

Important information and who we are

Purpose of this privacy notice
This privacy notice aims to give you information on how Woods & Cooper collects and processes your personal data through your use of this website, including any data you may provide through this website.

This website is not intended for children and we do not knowingly collect data relating to children.

It is important that you read this privacy notice together with any other privacy notice or fair processing notice we may provide on specific occasions when we are collecting or processing personal data about you so that you are fully aware of how and why we are using your data. This privacy notice supplements the other notices and is not intended to override them.

Controller
Woods & Cooper is the controller and responsible for your personal data (collectively referred to as Woods & Cooper, 'we', 'us' or 'our' in this privacy notice).

We have appointed a data privacy manager who is responsible for overseeing questions in relation to this privacy notice. If you have any questions about this privacy notice, including any requests to exercise your legal rights, please use the "Contact Us" page and ask your question of the data privacy manager.

You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk). We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO so please "Contact Us" in the first instance.

Changes to the privacy notice and your duty to inform us of changes
This version was last updated on 1st. May 2023 and historic versions can be obtained from "Contact Us".

It is important that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal data changes during your relationship with us.

Third-party links
This website may include links to third-party websites. Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements. When you leave our website, we encourage you to read the privacy notice of every website you visit.

The data we collect about you
Personal data, or personal information, means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data).

We may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you which we have grouped together as follows:

Identity Data
Includes first name and last name given by you, to us via the "Contact Us" page.

Contact Data
Includes company or personal address, email address and telephone numbers.

We do not collect any Special Categories of Personal Data about you (this includes details about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health and genetic and biometric data). Nor do we collect any information about criminal convictions and offences.

How is your personal data collected?
This website will only collect data from you when you freely give us that data via our "Contact Us" form.

Our website does not use cookies nor do we track your usage of the Woods & Cooper website via "analytics".

How we use your personal data
We will only use the personal data collected from this site when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal data to contact you as a result of an enquiry via our "Contact Us" page.

Generally we do not rely on consent as a legal basis for processing your personal data other than in relation to sending third party direct marketing communications to you via email or text message. You have the right to withdraw consent to marketing at any time via the "Contact Us" page.

Purposes for which we will use your personal data
We have set out below a description of all the ways we plan to use your personal data, and which of the legal bases we rely on to do so. We have also identified what our legitimate interests are where appropriate.

Note that we may process your personal data on more than one lawful ground depending on the specific purpose for which we are using your data. Please "Contact Us" if you need details about the specific legal ground we are relying on to process your personal data.

Marketing
We strive to provide you with choices regarding certain personal data uses, particularly around marketing and advertising.

Promotional offers from us
We may use your Identity, Contact, Technical, Usage and Profile Data to form a view on what we think you may want or need, or what may be of interest to you. This is how we decide which products, services and offers may be relevant for you (we call this marketing).

You will receive marketing communications from us if you have requested information from us or purchased services from us and, in each case, you have not opted out of receiving that marketing.

Third-party marketing
We will get your express opt-in consent before we share your personal data with any company outside of Woods & Cooper for marketing purposes.

Opting out
You can ask us to stop sending you marketing messages at any time by following the opt-out links on any marketing message sent to you or by using the "Contact Us" page at any time.

Where you opt out of receiving these marketing messages, this will not apply to personal data provided to us as a result of a service purchase or other transaction.

Cookies
This website does not use cookies. A cookie is a small text file stored in your computer containing text data. Cookies can be used for certain functions to improve the usability of a website.

Change of purpose
We will only use your personal data for the purposes for which we collected it, unless we reasonably consider that we need to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If you wish to get an explanation as to how the processing for the new purpose is compatible with the original purpose, please use the "Contact Us" page.

If we need to use your personal data for an unrelated purpose, we will notify you and we will explain the legal basis which allows us to do so.

Please note that we may process your personal data without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law.

Disclosures of your personal data
We may have to share your personal data with other parties to provide services you have asked us to procure on your behalf. 
We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal 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.

International transfers
We do not transfer your personal data outside the UK.

Data security
We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal data on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.

We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.

Data retention
How long will you use my personal data for?

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

Your legal rights
Under certain circumstances, you have rights under data protection laws in relation to your personal data. If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please "Contact Us".

No fee usually requiredYou will not have to pay a fee to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances.

What we may need from you
We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to speed up our response.

Time limit to respond
We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it may take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated.

Glossary

Lawful basis
Legitimate Interest
Means the interest of our business in conducting and managing our business to enable us to give you the best service/product and the best and most secure experience. We make sure we consider and balance any potential impact on you (both positive and negative) and your rights before we process your personal data for our legitimate interests. We do not use your personal data for activities where our interests are overridden by the impact on you (unless we have your consent or are otherwise required or permitted to by law). You can obtain further information about how we assess our legitimate interests against any potential impact on you in respect of specific activities via the "Contact Us" page.

Performance of Contract
Means processing your data where it is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party or to take steps at your request before entering into such a contract.

Comply with a legal or regulatory obligation
Means processing your personal data where it is necessary for compliance with a legal or regulatory obligation that we are subject to.

Third parties

External third parties
Service providers [acting as processors] based in the United Kingdom who provide IT and system administration services.

Professional advisers [acting as processors or joint controllers] including lawyers, bankers, auditors and insurers based in the United Kingdom who provide consultancy, banking, legal, insurance and accounting services.

HM Revenue & Customs, regulators and other authorities [acting as processors or joint controllers] based in the United Kingdom who require reporting of processing activities in certain circumstances.

Your legal rights

You have the right to:

Request access to your personal data (commonly known as a “data subject access request”).

This enables you to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it.

Request correction of the personal data that we hold about you.

This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you corrected, though we may need to verify the accuracy of the new data you provide to us.

Request erasure of your personal data

This enables you to ask us to delete or remove personal data where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete or remove your personal data where you have successfully exercised your right to object to processing (see below), where we may have processed your information unlawfully or where we are required to erase your personal data to comply with local law. Note, however, that we may not always be able to comply with your request of erasure for specific legal reasons which will be notified to you, if applicable, at the time of your request.

Object to processing of your personal data

Where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground as you feel it impacts on your fundamental rights and freedoms. You also have the right to object where we are processing your personal data for direct marketing purposes. In some cases, we may demonstrate that we have compelling legitimate grounds to process your information which override your rights and freedoms.

Request restriction of processing of your personal data

This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of your personal data in the following scenarios: (a) if you want us to establish the data’s accuracy; (b) where our use of the data is unlawful but you do not want us to erase it; (c) where you need us to hold the data even if we no longer require it as you need it to establish, exercise or defend legal claims; or (d) you have objected to our use of your data but we need to verify whether we have overriding legitimate grounds to use it.

Request the transfer of your personal data to you or to a third party

We will provide to you, or a third party you have chosen, your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format. Note that this right only applies to automated information which you initially provided consent for us to use or where we used the information to perform a contract with you.

Withdraw consent at any time where we are relying on consent to process your personal data

However, this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdraw your consent. If you withdraw your consent, we may not be able to provide certain products or services to you. We will advise you if this is the case at the time you withdraw your consent.

Disclaimer
The information provided on this web site is of a general nature. It is not a substitute for specific advice in your own circumstances. You are recommended to obtain specific professional advice from a professional accountant before you take any action or refrain from action.

Whilst we endeavour to use reasonable efforts to furnish accurate, complete, reliable, error free and up-to-date information, we do not warrant that it is such. We and our associates disclaim all warranties.

The information can only provide an overview of the regulations in force at the date of publication, and no action should be taken without consulting the detailed legislation or seeking professional advice.

Third Party Sites
This website may contain links to websites operated by third parties. Such links are provided for your convenience only and we have no control over their individual content. We therefore make no warranties or representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any of the information appearing in relation to any linked websites nor as to the suitability or quality of any of their products or services. The provision of links to third party sites does not imply any endorsement of the sites or those that control them.

Intellectual Property
The contents of this website including but not limited to text, images, sound clips, video clips, page layouts, underlying code and software is our or our affiliates property. The content may not be reproduced, transmitted or stored in whole or in part other than in accordance with the following permissions.

You may print, reproduce, copy, download or store any of the content of this website for your own personal use or use by others within your organisation provided that any such material is reproduced in full without any amendment and that it is not incorporated into any other material whether in hard copy or electronic form.

You specifically agree that you will not use the content of this website for any commercial purpose.

Liability
We will not be liable for any claims, penalties, losses, damages, costs or expenses arising from the use of or inability to use, interruption or availability of, this website, its operation or transmission, computer viruses or any unauthorised access to or alteration of the website. We do not warrant that the contents of this website are compatible with all computer systems and browsers.

Emails
We do not guarantee that any email sent to us will be received or that the contents will remain private during transmission. If you are concerned about this please consider other means of communication. You are responsible for ensuring any electronic message or information you send to us is free from any virus or defect that may harm our systems in any way.

Changes to this policy
We will post any changes to this policy on our website. Those changes will then apply to any future use by you of our website.

What is Accessibility?
Accessibility is the term used to describe whether a website can be used by people of all abilities / disabilities on a range of differing digital devices.

The way a person perceives information is affected by their ability / disability along with how they navigate between website pages.  A website can only be classed as accessible if all people, including the elderly and disabled, can use it.

Browsers include many features which make the browser itself and web content accessible to all users, including those who have low vision, no vision, or limited ability to use a keyboard or mouse.  Modern browsers support screen readers and magnifiers and offer people with low vision full-page zoom, high-contrast colour and other extensions.

Whilst every effort has been made to make this website as accessible as possible, Woods & Cooper and its affiliates cannot be held responsible for any perceived loss or expense as a result of problems you may have whilst using this website.  We welcome any genuine observations regarding the accessibility of our website and you can inform us of those observations via the "Contact Us" page.