This notice explains what information we collect, when we collect it, and how we use it. During the course of our activities, we will process personal data (which may be held on paper and/or electronically) about you and we recognise the need to treat it in an appropriate and lawful manner. The purpose of this notice is to make you aware of how we will handle your information.

Penelope Sarah Ann Jones and David Michael Knight members of Allef. We take the issue of security and data protection very seriously and strictly adhere to guidelines published in the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 which is applicable from the 25th May 2018, together with any domestic laws subsequently enacted.

Any questions relating to this notice and our privacy practices should be sent to us by email to d.knightknight@btinternet.com.

We collect information about you:

• From your application for an exchange
• From your personal referees, and from your child’s school

We may hold the following information about you if relevant:

• Names and dates of birth of applicant child, adults with parental responsibility, siblings and half siblings, any other persons living in your household or with frequent unsupervised contact with your children.
• Your email address(es), telephone numbers, address (including any previous addresses), marital status, nationality, name of school your child attends.
• Family backgrounds, physical or mental health issues, bereavements, divorces/separations,.miscarriages or stillbirths in the family.
• Political associations and membership of associations, clubs or societies. Religious beliefs.
• Educational background and employment status.
• Details of previous and pending criminal convictions and cautions.
• Email correspondence, and notes of telephone conversations, with you, and between exchange co-ordinators, about your exchange.

We need this information in order to assess whether your family is suitable to participate in the exchange programme, and to determine whether we can propose a good match for your child.

The information which you provide on your application form, together with that which is provided by your referees and your child’s school, is shared in the first instance with exchange co-ordinators in our partner organisations in France and Germany.

If we are able to propose a match, and you accept it in principle, your application form, but not the other information from referees or the school, is shared with the family we are proposing so that they can decide whether to proceed with the exchange (you will receive equivalent personal information about them).

Before the exchange child comes to stay with you, we will share certain key personal data (name, address, contact details, the fact that you are participating in an exchange) with your local Children’s Services, for safeguarding purposes.

During your exchange we will provide support and guidance, and we may make notes of conversations, and retain copies of email correspondence with you and between co-ordinators about your exchange to assist us in this.

The information you provide to us will be treated by us as confidential and will be processed only by any third party, acting on our behalf, within the UK/EEA with the possible exception of data backed up to Microsoft OneDrive. We will disclose your information to third parties only for the purposes set out in this notice or for purposes approved by you.

Unless required to do so by law or legitimate reason, we will not otherwise share, sell or distribute any of the information you provide to us without your consent.

Your information will only be stored within the UK and EEA except in relation to Microsoft OneDrive Cloud Storage.

Security
When you give us information we take steps to make sure that your personal information is kept secure and safe. Your personal information is stored partly in paper format in a secure place, and partly on our computers. Our computers are password protected, have commercial anti-virus software and all software is set to update automatically as soon as updates are issued. Your data is backed up on Microsoft OneDrive with password protection.

We review our data retention periods regularly and will only hold your personal data for as long as is necessary for the relevant activity, or as required by law.

Our retention period is 7 years unless required by law to extend this.

You have the right at any time to:

• ask for a copy of the information about you held by us in my records;
• require us to correct any inaccuracies in your information; and
• make a request to us to delete what personal data of yours we hold.

If you would like to exercise any of your rights above please contact us at d.knightknight@btinternet.com.

Should you wish to complain about the use of your information, we would ask that you contact us to resolve this matter in the first instance. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office in relation to my use of your information. The Information Commissioner’s contact details are noted below:

England:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Telephone: +44 303 123 1113
Email: casework@ico.org.uk