Privacy policy.

PRIVACY POLICY

Mathewson Waters Architects LLP is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using our services and website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

This privacy policy sets out how Mathewson Waters Architects LLP uses and protects any personal data that you share with us and that we hold about you, including how we collect, process, protect and share that data.

WHAT PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT

We may collect the following information:

  • name and job title

  • contact information including email address

  • demographic information such as post code, preferences and interests

  • details of your property and land ownership

  • any other information relevant to your project such as the existence of any hidden services, way-leave, easements or covenants which may impact on the design or later construction of the project.

WHAT WE DO WITH THE INFORMATION WE GATHER

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

  • internal record keeping.

  • we may use the information to improve our services.

SHARING INFORMATION

We will keep the information about you confidential and we will only disclose your information with other third parties with your express consent with the exception of the following categories of third parties.

  • insurance companies, loss assessors, regulatory authorities and other fraud prevention agencies for the purposes of fraud prevention and to comply with any regulatory issues and disclosures;

  • any mailing or printing agents, contractors and consultants that provide a service to us or act as our agents on the understanding that they keep the information confidential;

  • anyone to whom we may transfer our rights and duties under any agreement we have with you;

  • any legal or crime prevention agencies and/or to satisfy any regulatory request if we have a duty to do so or if the law allows us to do so.

TRANSFER OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA OUTSIDE OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA (EEA)

Our website is hosted by Squarespace. In recognition of the global nature of their user base, Squarespace Ireland Limited, their Irish entity, is going to provide services to users outside of the US. For users who are not residents of or who do not have their principal place of business in the US, the Terms of Service will be an agreement with Squarespace Ireland Limited and the laws of Ireland will apply. They have restructured their Privacy Policy to be clearer about the ways they collect, use, process, and share personal information. It also explains rights and choices we have over our personal information (and that of visitors to our Squarespace site), including the ability to access, correct, and delete personal information.

Their privacy policy can be read at https://www.squarespace.com/privacy-new/ As noted in their Privacy Policy, Squarespace rely upon a number of means to transfer personal information which is subject to the European General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) in accordance with Chapter V of the GDPR.  These include:

  • Privacy Shield. Squarespace transfer, in accordance with Article 45 of the GDPR, personal information to companies that have certified their compliance with the EU-U.S. or Swiss-U.S.

  • Privacy Shield Frameworks (each individually and jointly, the “Privacy Shield”), including Squarespace, Inc.

  • Standard Data Protection Clauses. Squarespace may, in accordance with Article 46 of the GDPR, transfer personal information to recipients that have entered into the European Commission approved contract for the transfer of personal data outside the European Economic Area.

  • Other means. Squarespace may, in accordance with Articles 45 and 46 of the GDPR, transfer personal information to recipients that are in a country the European Commission or a European data protection supervisory authority has confirmed, by decision, offers an adequate level of data protection, pursuant to an approved certification mechanism or code of conduct, together with binding enforcement commitments from the recipient to apply the appropriate safeguards, including as regards data subjects’ rights, or to processors which have committed to comply with binding corporate rules.

HOW LONG DO WE KEEP THIS INFORMATION ABOUT YOU?

We keep information in line with our retention policy.  These retention periods are in line with the length of time we need to keep your personal information in order to manage and administer your project and handle any insurance claims or request for assistance made by our Professional Indemnity insurers.  They may also take into account our need to meet any legal, statutory and regulatory obligations.  In all cases our need to use your personal data will be reassessed on a regular basis and information which is no longer required will be disposed of.

SECURITY

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

How we use cookies

A cookie is a small file stored on your browser, for example Internet Explorer.  Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences. We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system. Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us. You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please email us as soon as possible, enquiries@mw-architects.co.uk or write to us at The Old Surgery, Crowle Road, Lambourn, Berkshire, RG17 8NR. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.

DATA SUBJECT RIGHTS

Subject access requests

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) grants you (hereinafter referred to as the "data subject") the right to access particular personal data that we hold about you. This is referred to as a subject access request. We shall respond promptly, and certainly within one month from the point of receiving the request and all necessary information from you. Our formal response shall include details of the personal data we hold about you, including the following:

  • sources from which we acquired the information;

  • the purposes for processing the information; and

  • persons or entities with whom we are sharing the information.

Right to rectification

You, the data subject, shall have the right to obtain from us, without undue delay, the rectification of inaccurate personal data we hold concerning you. Taking into account the purposes of the processing, you, the data subject, shall have the right to have incomplete personal data completed, including by means of providing a supplementary statement.

Right to erasure

You, the data subject, shall have the right to obtain from us the erasure of personal data concerning you without undue delay

Right to restriction of processing

Subject to exemptions, you, the data subject, shall have the right to obtain from us restriction of processing where one of the following applies:

a)      the accuracy of the personal data is contested by you, the data subject, and is restricted until the accuracy of the data has been verified;

b)      the processing is unlawful and you, the data subject, oppose the erasure of the personal data and instead request the restriction on its use;

c)      we no longer need the personal data for the purposes of processing, but it is required by you, the data subject, for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims;

d)      you, the data subject, have objected to processing of your personal data pending the verification of whether there are legitimate grounds for us to override these objections.

Notification obligation regarding rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing

We shall communicate any rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing as described above to each recipient to whom the personal data has been disclosed, unless this proves impossible or involves disproportionate effort. We shall provide you, the data subject, with information about those recipients if you request it.

Right to data portability

You, the data subject, shall have the right to receive your personal data, which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and have the right to transmit this data to another controller, without hindrance from us.

Right to object

You, the data subject, shall have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time to the processing of personal data concerning you, including any personal profiling; unless this relates to processing that is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or an exercise of official authority vested in us. We shall no longer process the personal data unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing, which override the interests, rights and freedoms of you, the data subject, or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

Right to not be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing

We do not carry out any automated processing, which may lead to an automated decision based on your personal data.

Invoking your rights

If you would like to invoke any of the above data subject rights with us, please write to us at The Old Surgery, Crowle Road, Lambourn, Berkshire, RG17 8NR or email enquiries@mw-architects.co.uk

Accuracy of Information

In order to provide the highest level of customer service possible, we need to keep accurate personal data about you. We take reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of any personal or sensitive information we obtain. We ensure that the source of any personal data or sensitive information is clear and we carefully consider any challenges to the accuracy of the information. We also consider when it is necessary to update the information, such as name or address changes and you can help us by informing us of these changes when they occur.

Important information

QUESTIONS AND QUERIES

If you have any questions or queries which are not answered by this Privacy Policy, or have any potential concerns about how we may use the personal data we hold, please write to The Old Surgery, Crowle Road, Lambourn, Berkshire, RG17 8NR or email enquiries@mw-architects.co.uk

Policy changes

This Privacy Policy is regularly reviewed. This is to make sure that we continue to meet the highest standards and to protect your privacy. We reserve the right, at all times, to update, modify or amend this Policy. We suggest that you review this Privacy Policy from time to time to ensure you are aware of any changes we may have made,however, we will not significantly change how we use information you have already given to us without your prior agreement. The latest version of this policy can be found at http://mw-architects.co.uk

If you have a complaint

If you have a complaint regarding the use of your personal data or sensitive information then please contact us by writing to The Old Surgery, Crowle Road, Lambourn, Berkshire, RG17 8NR or email enquiries@mw-architects.co.uk and we will do our best to help you.

If your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction and you wish to make a formal complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), you can contact them on 01625 545745 or 0303 123 1113. You also have the right to judicial remedy against a legally binding decision of the ICO where you consider that your rights under this regulation have been infringed as a result of the processing of your personal data. You have the right to appoint a third party to lodge the complaint on your behalf and exercise your right to seek compensation.