The purpose of this privacy policy is to inform you, as a user of the National Elf Service, about what information we collect when you visit the service, how we use it, whether it is disclosed to others, and the ways in which we protect your privacy. We want you to feel secure when using our website and associated services, and we are committed to respecting your privacy.
How do we use your information?
The National Elf Service is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. We will not disclose your data without your consent, except where we are lawfully permitted or required to do so under applicable data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
We analyse information to understand what is most effective about our website and associated services, to identify ways to improve them, and to make them more effective. Where we use your information for other purposes, we will explain this to you at the point of collection. All personal data will be processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with UK GDPR.
What information do we collect?
We collect information both indirectly and directly:
When you use the National Elf Service (www.nationalelfservice.net), we use technology to collect information indirectly, such as your internet address (IP address). This is standard practice across internet services and enables us to investigate issues such as malicious use. This information is retained in our internet access logs.
We also collect information directly from you in a number of ways. One way is through cookies — small files that save and retrieve information about your visit to our site, such as how you arrived, how you navigated the site, and what content interested you. This information helps us develop and improve our website and services. Please see our Cookies Policy for full details of the cookies we use.
We collect information when you provide it to us directly, for example by completing a feedback form. When we do so, we will tell you why we are asking for the information and how it will be used. Providing this information is entirely voluntary, but not doing so may affect our ability to provide certain services to you.
You may opt in to receive our free email newsletters. When you subscribe, we ask which topics you would like to receive emails about. You can withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email we send you, or by contacting us at [email protected].
Our lawful basis for processing
Under UK GDPR, we are required to have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. Depending on the context, we rely on the following bases:
- Consent – for example, when you sign up to our newsletter or complete a feedback form.
- Legitimate interests – for example, collecting IP addresses to maintain the security and integrity of our service.
- Legal obligation – where we are required to process data to comply with applicable law.
Donations
The National Elf Service may accept donations to support the running and development of our service. Where you choose to make a donation, we will collect the information necessary to process your payment securely. This may include your name, email address, and payment details.
We use trusted third-party payment providers, currently PayPal and Stripe, to process all donations. We do not store your payment card details on our systems. These providers process your payment data in accordance with their own privacy policies and applicable data protection law.
We will only use the personal data collected during the donation process to administer your donation and, where you have given consent, to contact you about our work. We will not share your donation information with third parties except where required to do so by law, or as necessary to process your payment.
If you have any questions about how your data is handled in connection with a donation, please contact us at [email protected].
Third-party sites
We will not share your data with third parties except where necessary to comply with a legal obligation or where otherwise permitted by law.
The National Elf Service links to third-party social media and bookmarking sites. We do not control the way these sites handle your information. If you access these sites via our links, their operators may collect data from you in accordance with their own privacy policies, which may differ from ours. We encourage you to read those policies carefully.
Where National Elf Service tools are embedded on third-party sites, usage will be tracked. No personal data is collected by these tools beyond the user’s IP address, the web page the tool is accessed from, and the number of times it is accessed. In some cases, tracking is used to understand user journeys through a tool. This information is the sole property of the National Elf Service and will not be shared with third parties.
Some tools store the number of times a user has visited and may retain “state” information so that a returning user finds the tool as they left it.
Privacy and confidentiality in comments and contributions
Whether you are commenting on your own behalf or on behalf of another person – for example, as a carer or parent – please do not include the names of individuals. Where commenting on someone else’s behalf, refer to them as “my husband”, “my aunt”, and so on.
To protect your privacy, any contributions that include personal information such as phone numbers, email addresses, or postal addresses will be removed. Any attempts to use the site to exchange personal information or arrange meetings with other users will also be removed.
Screennames and impersonation
Screen names used on the National Elf Service are moderated. Please choose a name that is not rude, offensive, or designed to impersonate another person or organisation. Please also avoid referencing businesses or commercial services in your screen name or comments.
We ask that anyone under the age of 16 obtains permission from a parent or guardian before posting on the National Elf Service, in accordance with Article 8 of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
- Right of access – to request a copy of the data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification – to request that inaccurate data be corrected.
- Right to erasure – to request deletion of your data where there is no lawful reason for us to continue processing it.
- Right to restrict processing – to request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
- Right to data portability – to receive your data in a structured, commonly used format.
- Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests.
- Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond within one calendar month of receiving your request.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.
How to submit a Subject Access Request
To request access to the personal information we hold about you, please write to us at [email protected]. Your request should include:
- Sufficient information (such as your full name) to verify your identity and locate your data.
- A description of the information you are requesting.
We will respond within one calendar month of receipt.
Retention of your data
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including any legal or reporting obligations. Once data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymised.
Security of your information
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure, in accordance with our obligations under UK GDPR.
Changes to this policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page and, where appropriate, notified to you by email. Your continued use of the National Elf Service following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact us
If you have any questions, comments, or requests regarding this privacy policy, or if you wish to have your data deleted or amended, please contact us at:
[email protected].
You may unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send, or by contacting us directly.
This policy covers the National Elf Service website at www.nationalelfservice.net. Links from this site to external websites are not covered by this policy.