Acacia Training GDPR
Privacy Notice

Acacia Training Ltd is committed to protecting your personal information and respecting your privacy.

This notice explains when and why we might collect personal information from you or how you otherwise interact with us and how we will store and use that information.

At the end of this Privacy Notice there is a copy of our Easy Read Privacy Notice and video links for both versions.

We may change this notice from time to time so please re-read the notice occasionally to ensure that you are happy with any changes. By continuing to use our website or access our services you agree to be bound by this notice.

Any questions about this notice or our privacy practices should be sent by email to datac@acaciatraining.co.uk or by writing to Data Controller (Toni Lucas Culverwell) – Acacia Training Ltd, Acacia House C1, Bellringer Road, Trentham Business Quarter, Trentham, ST4 8GB. Alternatively, you can telephone 01782 646346.

The UK GDPR is the UK General Data Protection Regulation. It is a UK law which came into effect on 01 January 2021. It sets out the key principles, rights and obligations for most processing of personal data in the UK, except for law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

It is based on the EU GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679) which applied in the UK before that date, with some changes to make it work more effectively in a UK context.

The DPA 2018 sets out the framework for data protection law in the UK. It updates and replaces the Data Protection Act 1998 and came into effect on 25 May 2018. It was amended on 01 January 2021 by regulations under the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, to reflect the UK’s status outside the EU.

It sits alongside and supplements the UK GDPR – for example by providing exemptions. It also sets out separate data protection rules for law enforcement authorities, extends data protection to some other areas such as national security and defence, and sets out the Information Commissioner’s functions and powers.

The UK GDPR sets out seven key principles:

  • Lawfulness, fairness, and transparency
  • Purpose limitation
  • Data minimisation
  • Accuracy
  • Storage limitation
  • Integrity and confidentiality (security)
  • Accountability

These principles should lie at the heart of your approach to processing personal data.

We are Acacia Training Ltd, an Independent Training Provider. We provide qualifications, and training through a number of funding routes, and contracts in the UK.

 

We may collect and process the following data about you:

Information you provide to us

Such as when you fill in a form on our website, provide us with your CV, create a login to one of our systems, make a purchase from us, get in touch by email or phone, give us feedback, enter a competition or prize draw, sign up for a training programme or speak to us at an event.

Information we collect about you

Such as how you use our websites and services using tracking tools like cookies and other similar technologies stored on your computer, mobile or other device. For more information, please see our website.

Information we receive from other sources

We may receive information about you if you use the services of certain third parties and their privacy policy allows the sharing of information with third parties. We receive information about learners from other approved Government departments or bodies, for example, Learner records service (a government organisation that stores details of accredited qualifications you may have enrolled onto) if you attend a conference which shares delegate information with exhibitors and sponsors, or if you interact with us on certain third-party websites or social media.

Learner Records Service Privacy notice

The information you supply is used by the Learning Records Service (LRS). The LRS issues Unique Learner Numbers (ULN) and creates Personal Learning records across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and is operated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE).For more information about how your information is processed, and to access your Personal Learning Record, please refer to: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lrs-privacy-notices

We may use the following information for the purposes set out in this privacy notice, depending on the nature of our relationship with you.

Contact details

We will hold contact details such as your name, address, email addresses, phone number, and other information relevant to the products and services that we provide.

Training – personal data collected

If you are wanting to enroll onto one of our training programmes, in addition to the above we will collect the following details – title, gender, living addresses, date of birth, National Insurance number, unique learner number (ULN), emergency contact details, next of kin details, residency status in the UK, identity, disabilities, learning difficulties, ethnicity, employment status, employer & job details, household situation, prior qualifications and prior experience, in some specific situations we may need to collect information relating to criminal convictions.

Information from your use of our websites and systems

When you use our websites or systems, we may collect information about your use of these from our server logs, including information such as your IP address. We may also look at how you found our website and what information you looked at on our website to analyse activity on our website.

Email activity

We may collect information about how you respond to our emails and whether you open them or click any links in them.

Other online or offline dealings

We may collect details of your interactions with us at conferences, events, and meetings, on social media, and correspondence via email or telephone.

We might add to the above information with information received from other companies (See table at end of this Privacy Notice for details) or sources including demographic information or market research. Combining this information with your information enables us to provide you with a better service and more focused information. For example, if your organisation is one we deliver any training or qualifications to we might provide you with information about other qualifications or training available

Learner data

Our other approved Government departments or bodies, provide us with information about learners that are registering on our training programs and qualifications, including name, date of birth, gender,

ethnicity and details of any reasonable adjustments or special considerations. This allows us to ensure required and necessary checks are carried out to comply with any funding requirements in place.

We may use your information to: –

  • fulfil any agreements we have made, whether with you as an individual or with the organisation you represent.
  • process orders that you have
  • process a job
  • Forward your CV onto a prospective
  • communicate with you in a relevant
  • personalise our communications with
  • assist your use of our website and systems
  • measure and understand the effectiveness of our website and communications
  • improve our website and systems generally
  • contact you and advise you of the products and services that we provide
  • make suggestions and recommendations about products and services that may interest you
  • dealing with entries into a competition or prize draw
  • seek your views or comments on the products and services we provide or may be developing
  • notify you about changes to our

If you are a learner registered on one of our qualifications or training programmes, we use your information to ensure you can participate and achieve your programme of learning, we will;

  • record details of your registration on our qualifications and programmes
  • record details of your achievements
  • facilitate your participation in externally set assessments
  • award any certificates or unit transcripts you are entitled to
  • administer requests (or the need) for special considerations or reasonable adjustments if required
  • provide you with any additional support needs or adjustments you may have/need
  • monitor the use of our qualifications and ensure their validity and accessibility

Sensitive Personal Data

In some cases, we collect sensitive personal data for the legitimate activity of performing the agreed training, relating to learners’ age, ethnicity, employment status, ability status, gender and in some specific situations we may need to collect information relating to criminal convictions. We may use this data in aggregate and anonymously to allow us and Government

Agencies to measure use and accessibility of our qualifications, training programmes and assessments across different sections of society.

In certain circumstances we may require sensitive personal data relating to a learner’s physical or mental health to enable us to administer requests for support, special considerations, or reasonable adjustments this could include the consideration of conditions or restrictions placed on an individual as part of the criminal justice process. We may also need to request such information if it is required for the investigation of a complaint or appeal

Grounds for processing

We may process information on the following grounds:

  1. Where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract. For example, if you are enquiring about taking our qualifications or becoming a learner or if you are a learner registered on a qualification or any other programme of study with us.
  2. Where processing is with the consent of the natural person. For example, where you have indicated that you wish to receive information from us.
  3. Where processing is in the legitimate interests of the controller, or a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the natural person. For example, where we are required to make information about our qualifications and services available, particularly, but not limited to, cases where there is a regulatory requirement, or where the communication is in the interests of learners or potential learners. This could be to notify you about changes to existing qualifications, or the availability of new qualifications.
  4. Where processing is a Legal Obligation, as an example we may claim funding from ESFA to cover the cost of your training programme or to ensure the quality of what training you are receiving from us your data may be shared with Ofsted for inspection purposes.

You have the right to decide whether to supply your information or not.

We have a regulatory requirement to hold certain information about individuals involved in the delivery of our qualifications and training programmes (this information is detailed on page 2) and some services require that we hold contact and personal information for named individuals. This information may be provided when applying for Government Funded Training or Qualifications or during the on-going operation of your account. Failure to supply this information may mean that you are unable to meet your obligations under certain Funding Rules Agreements and therefore you may not be able to work with us or undertake any training or qualifications. If the personal information processing falls outside of the consent of the natural person, you will not be able to withdraw your consent at a later date.

We will not sell or rent your data to third parties.

We will not share your data with third parties for marketing purposes.

We may need to share your information with selected third-party business partners, those who may provide the platforms we use to collect, store and share relevant data, suppliers, Government Agencies for example Education Skills Funding Agency ESFA (ESFA Privacy Notice

– https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-privacy-notice/esfa-privacy-notice & ILR Privacy Notice – https://guidance.submit-learner-data.service.gov.uk/22-23/ilr/ilrprivacynotice) and OFSTED, Awarding organisations and End Point Assessment Organisations for the performance of a contract or a legal obligation we have with them. In such circumstances we only share the data necessary for them to deliver the service and have in place a contract or data sharing and usage agreement that requires them to keep your data secure and not to use it for their own marketing purposes.

If Acacia Training Ltd, or a substantial part of its assets, is acquired by a third party we may need to transfer your personal information to this third party as part of any business restructuring or reorganisation.

We may be required to share your information if we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal information to comply with a legal obligation or as required by the relevant regulator.

Currently we store your data in the UK, the European Economic Area (EEA) or a jurisdiction that complies with the UK GDPR. The data we collect from you may be transferred to, and stored at, a destination outside of these areas, however we have no current plans to do this. Should this ever become the case we will take steps to ensure that appropriate security measures are taken with the aim of ensuring that your privacy rights are protected as outlined in this notice.

We will retain your information in line with our data retention schedule. Typically, we retain your information for no longer than three years (for commercial delivery) after the end of your relationship with us. Learner data held for some qualifications or training programmes, funded via a Government agency could be retained for a minimum of 10 years in line with the requirements of the relevant regulator.

We will ensure that all data is disposed securely and in line with UK GDPR requirements, any paper documentation will be securely destroyed, and electronic data will be permanently removed from all electronic storage locations

Depending on the nature and reason for data collected you may have a right to request withdrawal, restriction, a data transfer (data portability) or change the consent you have given us, and you also have the right to object to processing for legitimate interests. You can do this in writing to, Data Controller (Toni Lucas Culverwell) – Acacia Training Ltd, Acacia House C1, Bellringer Road, Trentham Business Quarter, Trentham, ST4 8GB

The accuracy of your information is important to us. If you have changed your email address or believe any of the other information we hold about you may be inaccurate or out of date, please email us at datac@acaciatraining.co.uk or write to Data Controller, Toni Lucas Culverwell – Acacia Training Ltd, Acacia House C1, Bellringer Road, Trentham Business Quarter, Trentham, ST4 8GB. Alternatively, you can telephone 01782 646346.

Individuals have the right to access and receive a copy of their personal data, and other supplementary information. This is commonly referred to as a subject access request or ‘SAR’.

You can make this request verbally or in writing, Acacia Training Ltd will need to verify your identity as part of this process and may require further information to establish you are the owner of the data, such as having sight of a form of photographic ID to do this. You can do this by using the contact details listed above.

Normally the data will be supplied within one month of receipt of the request. However we may need to extend the time limit by a further two months if the request is complex or if we receive a number of requests from an individual.

In the event that you wish to make a complaint about how your personal data is processed by Acacia Training Ltd (or the third parties we work with), or how your complaint has been handled, you have the right to lodge a complaint, please contact us using the details below: –

Data Controller – datac@acaciatraining.co.uk

Toni Lucas Culverwell

Acacia Training Ltd, Acacia House C1, Bellringer Road,

Trentham Business Quarter, Trentham,

ST4 8GB

Telephone 01782 646346

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113 ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk

Organisations who may have access to your data (via platforms we use) or your data may be shared with: –

 

Organisation

Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)

OFSTED

European Skills Fund (ESF)

Learner Records Service (LRS)

Pellcomp (PICS)

Cognassist

The Skills Network

NCFE

Pearson

Highfield

VTCT

City & Guilds

Active IQ

Focus Awards

BKSB

TQUK

One File

Zoho

Microsoft

Fifteen Group Ltd

Monday.com

Learning Curve

Staffordshire County Council

Stoke County Council

Video Links to: –

Full Privacy Notice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v7-woB_4xY

Easy Read Privacy Notice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Us_dwGEWP8

Comp 020a Easy read guide to our privacy notice

Current version: 8

Previous version: 7

Reviewed by: H Marriott

Changes made: Annual review  

Issued: 28.02.25

Next review date: 27.02.26

Signed by: (Name & role) H Marriott – Operations Director

Signature: