Last Updated: 16 August 2024
Assistance Dog Council (“we,” “our,” “us”) is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal data when you visit our websitewww.adcouncil.org.uk, engage with our services, or communicate with us in any other way.
1. Information We Collect
We may collect and process the following types of personal data:
- Personal Identification Information: Name, email address, postal address, phone number.
- Demographic Information: Age, gender, location.
- Technical Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, and other technical information about your device.
- Usage Data: Information about how you use our website and services.
- Communication Data: Any messages, emails, or other communications you send to us.
2. How We Use Your Data
We may use your personal data for the following purposes:
- To Provide Services: To manage and deliver our advocacy services, respond to your inquiries, and provide support.
- To Improve Our Services: To analyze usage data and improve our website and services.
- To Communicate with You: To send you updates, newsletters, and information about our activities, with your consent.
- To Manage Memberships: To process membership applications, maintain membership records, and communicate with members.
- To Comply with Legal Obligations: To meet our legal and regulatory obligations, including reporting requirements.
3. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal data under the following legal bases:
- Consent: Where you have provided consent (e.g., subscribing to our newsletter).
- Contractual Necessity: To fulfill our contractual obligations to you, including processing memberships.
- Legal Obligation: To comply with legal obligations to which we are subject.
- Legitimate Interests: For purposes such as improving our services, ensuring security, managing memberships, and communicating with you.
4. How We Share Your Data
We do not sell your personal data to third parties. However, we may share your data with:
- Service Providers: Third-party vendors who provide services on our behalf (e.g., hosting, analytics).
- Legal Authorities: If required by law or to protect our rights and interests.
- Partners: With your consent, to other advocacy organizations or partners that align with our mission.
5. Data Retention
We will retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy or to comply with legal obligations. When no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymize your data.
6. Your Rights
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Access: Request access to your personal data.
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data.
- Erasure: Request deletion of your data (right to be forgotten).
- Restriction: Request restriction of processing.
- Portability: Request transfer of your data to another service provider.
- Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
To exercise these rights, please contact us atEnquiries@ADCouncil.org.uk.
7. Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on our website. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, smartphone) when you visit certain websites. They help us understand how you interact with our website, remember your preferences, and improve the functionality and performance of our site.
Types of Cookies We Use:
- Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for the website to function properly. Without these cookies, certain features of the website would not be available. For example, they allow you to navigate our website, access secure areas, and use essential features such as shopping carts or payment pages.
- Performance Cookies: These cookies collect information about how visitors use our website, such as which pages are visited most often and if users encounter any errors. The data collected by these cookies is anonymous and used to improve how the website functions.
- Functionality Cookies: These cookies allow our website to remember the choices you make, such as your username, language, or region, and provide enhanced, more personalized features. They may also be used to remember changes you’ve made to text size, fonts, and other parts of web pages that you can customize.
- Targeting/Advertising Cookies: These cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are relevant to you and your interests. They also help measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaign. These cookies may be placed by third-party advertising networks with our permission. They remember that you have visited a website and share this information with other organizations, such as advertisers.
How We Use Cookies:
- To Improve Website Functionality: Cookies help us provide essential features and services on our website, such as account logins, shopping carts, and e-commerce functionality.
- To Analyze Website Performance: We use cookies to monitor and analyze how users interact with our website. This helps us improve the user experience and ensure that our content meets the needs of our audience.
- To Remember Your Preferences: Cookies allow us to remember your settings and preferences, such as language choice, so that you don’t have to set them every time you visit the site.
- To Provide Personalized Content and Advertising: We use cookies to show you content and ads that are relevant to you, based on your browsing history and preferences.
Third-Party Cookies:
In some cases, we may use third-party cookies provided by trusted partners. For example, we use Google Analytics to help us understand how you use our site and ways to improve your experience. These cookies may track things such as how long you spend on the site and the pages you visit, so we can continue to produce engaging content. Third-party cookies are subject to the respective privacy policies of these external services.
Your Choices Regarding Cookies:
You have the right to choose whether or not to accept cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser settings to decline cookies if you prefer. Please be aware that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of this website and your ability to use certain features.
- Managing Cookies: You can manage or delete cookies through your web browser settings. Instructions for doing this will vary depending on the browser you use, but generally, you can find these settings in the “options” or “preferences” menu of your browser. You can also use the “Help” function in your browser for more details.
- Opting Out of Targeted Advertising: If you do not want to receive targeted advertising based on your interests, you can opt out by managing your cookie settings or using opt-out tools provided by advertising networks.
Cookie Consent:
When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie banner or notice that informs you about the use of cookies. By continuing to use our website, you consent to the placement of cookies on your device as described in this policy. You can withdraw your consent at any time by deleting cookies from your browser and adjusting your cookie settings.
Changes to Our Cookie Policy:
We may update this cookie policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legislation, or our data practices. Any updates will be posted on this page, and where appropriate, we will notify you via email or through a prominent notice on our website.
8. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. However, please note that no online service can be completely secure.
9. International Transfers
If we transfer your data outside the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA), we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with the UK GDPR.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page, and we will notify you via email or other means if the changes are significant.
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:
Assistance Dog Council Suite 2, 5 Pennine Way, Peterborough, CAMBS. PE4 7TA Email: Enquiries@ADCouncil.org.uk Telephone: +44 (0) 330 120 0863