Privacy Policy

1. About This Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how cqcratings.co.uk collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you visit our website or purchase our products and services. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your information with care and transparency.

By using our website or placing an order, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you have any questions, please contact us at the details provided at the end of this document.

2. Who We Are

cqcratings.co.uk is an independent compliance support platform providing CQC Rating Display products and services to UK adult social care providers. For all data enquiries, you may contact us directly by email:

hello@cqcratings.co.uk

cqcratings.co.uk is operated by a registered UK company. Company details are available upon written request to the email address above.

3. What Data We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide

  • Your name and work email address
  • Your care provider organisation name and website or location
  • Billing and payment information (processed securely via Stripe — we do not store card details)
  • Your CQC provider details as submitted at checkout

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

  • IP address and browser type
  • Pages visited and time spent on site
  • Referral source (how you found us)

This data is collected via cookies and standard web analytics tools to help us improve our service.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • To process and fulfil your order, including production and dispatch of physical display materials
  • To send your Digital Compliance File and any digital assets purchased
  • To manage your subscription, including sending rating change alerts and compliance reminders
  • To send transactional emails related to your order or account
  • To improve our website and services based on usage patterns
  • To comply with our legal obligations

 

We will only contact you for marketing purposes if you have provided your consent. You may withdraw consent at any time by emailing hello@cqcratings.co.uk.

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following lawful bases as defined under UK GDPR:

  • Contract performance — to fulfil the products and services you have purchased
  • Legitimate interests — to improve our platform and prevent fraud
  • Legal obligation — where required by law
  • Consent — for any optional marketing communications

6. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties. We may share your data only with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business, including:

  • Stripe — secure payment processing
  • Microsoft 365 — email communications
  • HubSpot — CRM and subscription management
  • Postal / fulfilment partners — for dispatch of physical display kits

 

All third-party processors are contractually required to handle your data in accordance with UK GDPR.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to provide our services and meet our legal obligations. Typically:

  • Order and billing records are retained for 7 years in line with HMRC requirements
  • Subscription data is retained for the duration of your active subscription plus 12 months
  • Email communications are retained for up to 3 years

 

You may request deletion of your data at any time by contacting hello@cqcratings.co.uk, subject to our legal retention obligations.

8. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right to access — request a copy of the data we hold about you
  • Right to rectification — request correction of inaccurate data
  • Right to erasure — request deletion of your data (‘right to be forgotten’)
  • Right to restrict processing — ask us to limit how we use your data
  • Right to data portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format
  • Right to object — object to processing based on legitimate interests or for marketing

 

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@cqcratings.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. These include essential cookies required for the site to function, and optional analytics cookies. You may manage your cookie preferences via your browser settings or through our cookie consent tool on the site.

10. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. Payment data is handled entirely by Stripe and is never stored on our servers.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be published on this page with an updated revision date. Continued use of our website after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us:

Email: hello@cqcratings.co.uk

Website: cqcratings.co.uk

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.