Privacy Policy - Cleaners Dulwich

Effective date: This Privacy Policy applies to all Cleaners Dulwich customers in the Dulwich area and explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data in line with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We are committed to handling personal information lawfully, fairly, and transparently. This policy sets out what data we collect, why we collect it, the legal basis we rely on, how long we keep it, who may process it on our behalf, and the rights available to you under data protection law.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We only collect personal data that is relevant to delivering our cleaning services, managing customer relationships, maintaining accurate records, and meeting legal or operational obligations. The types of data we may collect include:

• Identity details: your name and any business or household contact name.
• Contact details: address within the Dulwich area, email address, and telephone number.
• Service information: service preferences, booking details, property access instructions, cleaning requirements, and communication notes.
• Payment information: billing records, payment status, and transaction references. We do not keep unnecessary payment data beyond what is needed for accounting and processing purposes.
• Correspondence: messages you send to us, including queries, complaints, feedback, and service updates.
• Technical information: limited records such as IP address or device information if you interact with our digital systems, where applicable and necessary for security or functionality.

We do not intentionally collect special category data, such as information about health, religion, ethnicity, or political views, unless you voluntarily provide it and it is strictly necessary for a service or legal purpose. In such cases, we will apply additional safeguards and only process it where permitted by law.

2. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• to provide and manage cleaning services;
• to confirm bookings, schedules, and service instructions;
• to communicate with customers about appointments, amendments, and service matters;
• to process payments and maintain financial records;
• to manage complaints, disputes, and customer support;
• to improve service quality and customer experience;
• to comply with legal, accounting, insurance, and tax obligations;
• to protect against fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access.

We will only use your data in ways that are compatible with the purposes described in this policy. If we need to use your information for a new purpose that is not reasonably compatible, we will inform you and, where required, ask for consent or rely on another lawful basis.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we must have a lawful basis before processing personal data. Cleaners Dulwich relies on the following bases:

3.1 Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you. This includes taking bookings, delivering services, sending service-related updates, and handling payments.

3.2 Legal Obligation

We may process data when required to comply with a legal obligation, such as tax rules, accounting requirements, insurance obligations, or record-keeping duties.

3.3 Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include improving our services, managing our business efficiently, preventing fraud, securing systems, and handling routine customer communication.

3.4 Consent

In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where it is the most appropriate basis for a particular optional communication or use of data. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

4. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods are based on the type of information and the reason it is held.

• Customer and booking records: retained for the duration of the customer relationship and for a reasonable period afterwards for administration, dispute resolution, and auditing.
• Financial and tax records: retained for the period required by law, typically up to six years for accounting purposes.
• Complaint and correspondence records: retained as long as needed to manage the issue and maintain business records.
• Marketing-related data: kept until you opt out or withdraw consent, where applicable.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in accordance with our data retention practices. We aim to avoid keeping information longer than necessary.

5. Data Processors and Sharing

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who process data on our behalf. These organisations act as processors and are only permitted to use your data under our instructions and for specified purposes. Examples may include:

• payment service providers;
• accountants or bookkeeping services;
• IT, cloud storage, and software providers;
• customer management or scheduling platforms;
• professional advisers, such as legal or insurance advisers;
• regulatory bodies, courts, or law enforcement where required by law.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that any processor we use provides appropriate safeguards for personal data and meets GDPR standards. We do not sell personal data. Where information is shared, it is limited to what is necessary and handled under appropriate confidentiality and security arrangements.

6. International Transfers

If any processor stores or accesses data outside the UK, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent lawful transfer mechanisms. These protections are designed to keep your data safe and to maintain a level of protection comparable to UK standards.

7. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, secure storage, staff awareness, and confidentiality arrangements. While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to reduce risks and respond appropriately to any suspected incident.

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal limits and exemptions, these include:

• Right of access: to ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification: to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure: to ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restriction: to request that we limit how we use your data in certain cases.
• Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Right to data portability: to request your data in a structured, commonly used format where the legal conditions are met.
• Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, we will respond in accordance with data protection law. We may need to verify your identity before actioning a request. Some rights may not apply in all situations, especially where we must retain information for legal reasons.

9. Complaints and Supervisory Authority

If you have concerns about how we handle personal data, we encourage you to raise them so we can address the issue promptly. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, our services, or our data handling practices. Any updated version will apply from the date it is published or otherwise communicated. We recommend reviewing this policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we protect your personal data.

11. Summary of Our Commitment

Cleaners Dulwich is committed to using personal data responsibly and only where necessary to deliver services, comply with the law, and support our legitimate business operations. We aim to keep information accurate, secure, and limited to what is relevant. Your privacy matters to us, and we work to ensure all customer data for people in the Dulwich area is handled in a lawful, transparent, and respectful manner.