Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions

In brief
We take your privacy seriously. We only collect and use personal data in the ways described here, consistent with our obligations and your rights under UK data protection law (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018). We do not sell or rent your information to anyone. This policy covers this website, email and phone contact, and contact via social media.

Who we are
Southbourne Accountancy Limited (company no. 14274528, registered office: 49 Station Rd, Polegate, East Sussex, BN26 6EA) is the data controller for the personal data described in this notice. We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under registration number [ICO registration number].

Information we collect
If you contact us through the website, by email, text or social media, or register to download something, we collect the information you provide, such as your name and contact details, and the content of your message. We may also collect technical information automatically, such as your IP address, browser and operating system, and how you arrived at the site. We do not attempt to gather information about websites you visited before ours.

Why we process your data
We only process personal data where the law allows us to. For client work, engagement letters and invoicing, the lawful basis is contract. For running this website and responding to enquiries, it is our legitimate interests. For marketing emails and non-essential cookies, it is your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

How we use it

• To provide the information or services you have asked for.
• To manage our content so it stays relevant.
• To let you know about news, events and services, where you have asked to hear from us.
• In aggregated, anonymised form to understand how the website is used.

How long we keep your data
We keep personal data for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with our legal and accounting obligations (typically six years for financial records), after which it is securely deleted.

How we keep your data secure
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including SSL encryption on this website, password-protected and access-controlled systems, and using reputable providers for storage and processing.

Cookies
This site may use a session cookie to recognise your browser as you move between pages, and third party cookies for analytics and advertising, such as Google Analytics and the Facebook pixel. These third party cookies are not essential and are only set with your consent, which you can give or withdraw at any time via the cookie banner. Refusing them will not impair your use of the site. Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your browser; the data itself is held on the servers operating the website.

Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site. It collects information anonymously and reports trends without identifying individual visitors. Google Analytics may transfer data outside the UK; Google provides appropriate safeguards for this under Standard Contractual Clauses. To opt out of Google Analytics across all websites, visit tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Engagement letters (Signable)
We use Signable to send proposals, letters of engagement, and other documents for electronic signature. All data stored and processed within Signable remains securely within the UK, hosted in Amazon AWS’s data centre in London, so you remain protected under UK GDPR. Signable stores the personal data needed to send you that documentation and to record your acceptance. To retrieve or delete your data from Signable, contact us, or refer to Signable’s privacy policy at signable.co.uk for details of how to make a request directly to them.

Third party links
This site may link to external websites. We have no control over their content or how they handle data, and we recommend reading the privacy policy of any site you visit.

Your rights and opting out
You can unsubscribe from our communications, or ask what data we hold about you, ask for it to be corrected, or ask for it to be deleted, at any time:

• By email: debbie@southbourneaccountancy.co.uk
• In writing: Southbourne Accountancy Limited, 49 Station Rd, Polegate, East Sussex, BN26 6EA
• By phone: 07919 147889

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how we have handled your data. You can contact them at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.

Age
By providing us with your data, you confirm you are over 13 years of age.