Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: [DATE — PLACEHOLDER]

Note: This is a template privacy policy intended to give users a reasonable understanding of how their information is handled. It should be reviewed and confirmed by the business owner before publishing, and updated whenever services or data practices change. This document does not constitute legal advice.

1. Who we are

This website is operated by Shakila Mahmood, trading as STOW — Supporting Talent & Optimising Workplaces. In this policy, "we", "I", "us" and "our" refer to Shakila Mahmood / STOW.

Contact: hello@stowpeople.co.uk [PLACEHOLDER — confirm contact details]

2. What information we collect

We may collect personal information in the following circumstances:

Enquiry form

When you submit an enquiry through this website, we collect:

  • Your name
  • Your company name
  • Your email address
  • Your telephone number (if provided)
  • A description of your situation or enquiry
  • Your preferred availability for a call (if provided)

Booking system

If you use the external booking link on this website, any information you provide is collected and processed by the third-party booking provider (such as Calendly or Microsoft Bookings). Their own privacy policy applies to that data. Please review their terms before submitting information to them. [PLACEHOLDER — confirm which booking provider is used]

Email correspondence

If you contact us directly by email, we will retain a copy of your correspondence and any information it contains for the purpose of managing our relationship with you.

Analytics

[PLACEHOLDER — if no analytics are used, replace this section with: "This website does not use analytics tracking or cookies for this purpose." If analytics are added in future, document the tool, what is collected, and the legal basis here.]

3. How we use your information

We use the personal information you provide to:

  • Respond to your enquiry
  • Arrange an initial consultation
  • Communicate with you about your situation and any agreed work
  • Maintain records of our correspondence and engagement

We do not sell, rent or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.

4. Legal basis for processing

We process your personal information on the basis of your consent (given when you submit the enquiry form) and our legitimate interest in responding to professional enquiries. Where we enter into an agreement to provide services, we may also process information on the basis of contractual necessity.

5. Data retention

We retain personal information for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law. [PLACEHOLDER — define specific retention periods in consultation with a data protection adviser if required.]

If you ask us to delete your information and there is no legal obligation to retain it, we will do so promptly.

6. Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we 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 us at hello@stowpeople.co.uk.

7. Security

We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information you share with us. Enquiry form submissions are transmitted securely to our form processing provider. [PLACEHOLDER — confirm form provider and update if necessary.]

8. Cookies

This website does not currently use non-essential cookies. [PLACEHOLDER — review and update if analytics or other tools are added that use cookies. A cookie consent mechanism may then be required.]

9. Links to external websites

This website may contain links to external services, including booking providers and LinkedIn. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those services. Please review their policies before submitting information to them.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page reflects when it was last revised. Continued use of this website following an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how your information is handled, please contact: hello@stowpeople.co.uk [PLACEHOLDER — confirm contact details]