Privacy Policy
1. Who we are
This website is operated by Shakila Mahmood, trading as STOW People Advisory. In this policy, "I", "me" and "my" refer to Shakila Mahmood / STOW People Advisory.
Contact: hello@stowpeople.co.uk
2. What information we collect
I may collect personal information in the following circumstances:
Booking system
This website uses Microsoft Bookings to allow visitors to schedule a free initial consultation. When you book through this website, you are submitting information directly to Microsoft Bookings, a service provided by Microsoft Corporation. The information you provide — including your name, email address and any notes — is collected and processed by Microsoft in accordance with Microsoft's Privacy Statement.
Confirmed bookings result in a calendar invitation sent via Microsoft Outlook and a meeting link via Microsoft Teams. These services are operated by Microsoft. Please do not submit unnecessary confidential employee data or sensitive personal information about third parties through the booking form.
Enquiry form and email
If you contact me directly by email or, once the website enquiry form is connected, by submitting the form, I will retain a copy of your name, contact details and the content of your enquiry for the purpose of responding to you and managing our professional relationship.
Analytics
This website does not currently use analytics tracking or third-party cookies.
3. How I use your information
I use the personal information you provide to:
- Respond to your enquiry
- Arrange and confirm an initial consultation
- Communicate with you about your situation and any agreed work
- Maintain records of our correspondence and engagement
I do not sell, rent or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.
4. Legal basis for processing
I process your personal information on the basis of your consent (given when you submit an enquiry or booking) and my legitimate interest in responding to professional enquiries. Where I enter into an agreement to provide services, I may also process information on the basis of contractual necessity.
5. Data retention
I retain personal information for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law. For general enquiries that do not proceed to an engagement, I typically retain correspondence for up to two years. If you ask me to delete your information and there is no legal obligation to retain it, I will do so promptly.
6. Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information I hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Request deletion of your information (subject to legal obligations)
- Object to or restrict processing in certain circumstances
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
To exercise any of these rights, please contact me at hello@stowpeople.co.uk.
7. Security
I take reasonable steps to protect the personal information you share with me. This website is hosted as a static site and does not process or store form data server-side. Booking data is handled securely by Microsoft's infrastructure.
8. Cookies
This website does not use non-essential cookies. The Microsoft Bookings widget embedded on the contact page may use cookies required for its authentication and scheduling functionality. These are set by Microsoft, not by this website.
9. Links to external websites
This website contains links to external services, including Microsoft Bookings and LinkedIn. I am not responsible for the privacy practices of those services. Please review their policies before submitting information to them.
10. Changes to this policy
I may update this privacy policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page reflects when it was last revised.
11. Contact
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how your information is handled, please contact: hello@stowpeople.co.uk