OUR PRIVACY NOTICE

Who we are
This Privacy Notice provides information (data) about the way we hold, collect and use your personal information (data) in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulations (UKGDPR).  We are committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of visitors to our website and the protection of your personal information is very important to us.

Read Dunn Connell Limited (trading as RDC Solicitors) is a Company registered in England and Wales under Company Number 9559492.  The Registered Office is 30 Park Road, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 4JD.  Read Dunn Connell Limited is a data controller and registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.  Our Data Protection contact is Robert Anderson.

Types of data we collect
Most pages on our website can be accessed without giving us your personal information.  However, you may choose to provide us with your personal information such as your name, address, email details to confirm you wish us to contact you to receive further information about us and our services.  This may be through an enquiry form, requesting marketing literature, telephoning us or calling into our office with an enquiry, expressing an interest at a seminar or event.  By submitting your personal information you consent to our use of the information as set out in this Privacy Notice.  We may also contact you to follow up about enquiries you have made with us.  If you engage us to carry out work on your behalf, you will be provided with a copy of our Privacy Notice for clients.  If you do not agree to our use of your personal information in this way, please refrain from using our website, or contacting us with an enquiry.

Cookies, Google Analytics and IP addresses
A cookie is an element of data that a website can send to your browser, which may then store it on your system.  Cookies allow us to understand who has seen the pages to determine how frequently particular pages are visited, and to determine the most popular areas of our website.  We use cookies so that we can give you a better experience when you return to our website.  Most web browers automatically accept cookies.  You do not have to accept cookies and you should read the information that came with your browser software to see how you can set up your browser to notify you when you receive a cookie.  This will give you the opportunity to decide whether to accept it.  Refusing cookies may mean that you cannot access certain feature of our website.

Please note any cookies connected via our social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook etc are not within our control.  Please refer to their respective privacy policies about how their cookies work.

Google Analytics may be used to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns.  This is to establish details such as the number of visitors to various pages of our website.  This information is only processed in a way which does not identify any individual.  We do not make, or allow Google to make any attempt to identify those individuals visiting our website.

When you visit our website, we may collect information about your device and IP address for reasons of fraud and statistical data about user browsing actions and patterns, but this does not identify any individual.

Legal Basis for processing your personal information
We will only use your personal information were the law allows us to.  Generally this will be for one or more of the following circumstances:
•    To enable us to perform the contract you have engaged us for
•    For compliance with a legal or regulatory obligation we are subject to
•    Where you have provided your consent
•    For our legitimate interests, such as facilitating the provision of services to you, business analysis to help improve the management of our practice, governance and good practice and notify you about changes to our services

Sharing your information
Personal information provided by you when contacting us about our services, will be disclosed to our personnel to facilitate any enquiries you have, or for the provision of services to you.  It may also be disclosed to companies we work with who support us in providing those services (where applicable), such as IT hosting companies.  Where we use external companies to process your personal information, we require third parties to comply strictly with our instructions and data protection laws and we will make sure that appropriate controls are in place where third parties have access to personal data. We enter into contracts with all of our data processors and regularly monitor their activities to ensure they are complying with our policies and procedures.

Transfer of your data to other countries
In the course of carrying out the activities referred to above, we may transfer your personal information to other countries, which may not have the same legal protections as your personal information in the UK.

Where personal information is being transferred outside of the European Economic Area we will take steps to ensure that your personal information is adequately protected in accordance with UK legal requirements.

Your legal rights

It is important that the information we hold about you is accurate and up to date.  Please keep us informed if there are changes to the personal information we hold about you.  Your legal rights are:

• Request access to your personal data, which is referred to as a “data subject access request”.  This allows you to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you and check we are processing it lawfully
• Request the correction of personal data we hold about you.  This enables you to correct any incomplete or inaccurate information we hold about you
• Request erasure of your personal data.  This enables you to remove or erase your personal data where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it.  Please note we may be unable to erase personal data where we have an ongoing legal obligation to process it.  Where we do erase your personal data, we will retain a record of your name, the date of your request and the date the data was erased
• Object to processing your personal data (where we rely on legitimate interest or those of a third party) and there is a particular reason regarding your situation for you to object.  Where we process your personal data for direct marketing, you also have a right to object.
• Request a restriction of processing your personal data.  This enables you to request a suspension in processing your personal data.
• Request the transfer of your personal information to another party.

If you wish to inform us of any changes, object, withdraw consent for us processing your personal data or access the information we hold about you, please contact Robert Anderson.  Please note in some cases we may not be able to delete, correct, restrict or grant an objection to processing your personal data if we have a legal obligation, legitimate interest or contractual reason to process it.  If we refuse such a request, we will advise you, together with your right of appeal.

If you are requesting access to personal information, please also let us have sufficient information to identity you (including proof of your identity and address – e.g. a copy of your passport, driving licence and a recent utility bill or bank or credit card statement).  You should also let us know the information to which your request relates, including any matter or reference numbers if you have them.  This request is free of charge unless the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.

We hope that we can resolve any query or concern your raise about our use of your personal information.  If you are unsatisfied with our response to any issues you raise you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner, who is the supervisory authority for data protection in the UK.  They may be contacted at www.ico.org.uk or telephone 0303 123 1113.  Further information about your rights can also be found on their website.

Changes to this Privacy Notice
We may change this privacy notice from time to time. If you use our website regularly, please visit this page from time to time to check this notice.
 
OUR WEBSITE TERMS OF BUSINESS

About us
Read Dunn Connell Limited (trading as RDC Solicitors) is a Company registered in England and Wales under Company Number 9559492.  We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority under SRA Number 622886.

We are registered for VAT and our VAT registration number is 708 4212 55.

Disclaimer
This website and other materials posted on our website contain general information based on English law and, whilst we make every effort to ensure that the contents are accurate and up to date, nothing in these pages should be construed as legal advice.  We therefore disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on such materials by any visitor to our website, or by anyone who may be informed of its contents.  Please contact us for specific legal advice.

Accessing our website
Access to our website is permitted on a temporary basis and we reserve the right to withdraw or amend the service we provide on our website without notice.  We will not be liable if for any reason our website is unavailable at any time or for any period.

From time to time, we may restrict access to some parts of our website, or our entire website, to users who have registered with us.

You are responsible for making all arrangements necessary for you to have access to our website.  You are also responsible for ensuring that all persons who access our website through your internet connection are aware of these terms, and that they comply with them.

Social Media
Any social media accounts we have are managed by the marketing team.  Social media does not replace our other contact processes.  This practice does not accept service of any documents via social media.

We do not use any automation to post content on Twitter.  Please note that we do not automatically follow back new followers, and being followed by us on Twitter, does not imply endorsement of any kind.

Links to other websites
These Terms of Business and our Privacy Notice only covers this practice’s website.  We are not responsible for the data policies, procedures, practices or content of any linked or third party websites.  We recommend that you check the privacy and security policies of each website you visit.

Security
We endeavour to take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information but cannot guarantee the security of any data you disclose online.  Please note that email is not a secure medium and should not be used to send confidential or sensitive information.  You accept the inherent security risks of providing information and dealing online over the internet and will not hold us responsible for any breach of security unless this is due to our negligence or wilful default.

Complaints Handling
We want to give you the best possible service.  However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service we have provided then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.

In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues at this stage.  If you would like to make a formal complaint, please contact our Complaints Handling Director, Ram Saroop (email: ram@rdcsolicitors.co.uk or telephone him on 01274 735511).  A copy of our Complaints Handling Policy is available HERE or via the link at the bottom of this website under "Complaints Handling".  Alternatively a copy can be requested by contacting our Complaints Handling Director.  Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help you if you are concerned about our behaviour.  This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.  You can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority .

What to do if we cannot resolve your complaint
The Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints about service issues with lawyers and can help you if we are unable to resolve your complaint ourselves. They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case.

Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

• Within one year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned; or
• Within one year of you realising there was a concern
• You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you.

If you would  like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them as follows:

Visit: www.legalombudsman.org.uk

Call: 0300 555 0333 between 10am to 4pm

Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Legal Ombudsman PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

If you have any concerns about material which appears on our site, please contact Judith Fitzpatrick, RDC Solicitors, 30 Park Road, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 4JD.  Telephone 01274 723858 or email judith@rdcsolicitors.co.uk..

Accessibility
Please note if you have a disability, please let us know and we will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments to provide you with suitable access to our services.  Where are you unable to access our offices, we can arrange an appointment at an alternative office, or a home visit.  Please contact us for further information.

Governing law
These website terms and all issues regarding our website are governed by English law.

Changes to these Terms of Business
We may update these Terms of Business by posting a new version on this website.  You should check this page occasionally to ensure you are familiar with any changes.