Our Privacy Policy
This notice explains how Horizon Mediation (HM) uses and protects your personal information when you contact us or when you use our services. It outlines the basis upon which we will collect your data, how your data will be processed and your rights in relation to that data. This is a requirement of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)
HM provides mediation services in respect of family related issues including separation and divorce, finances, and children arrangements.
HM is a collective of independent lawyer mediators who specialise in and provide mediation to individuals.
We are totally committed to ensuring your privacy and your data is protected. Any information we request from you will be processed and kept safe.
All individual mediators at Horizon are identified as Data Controllers for the purposes of processing your information. We are all currently registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). This is a legal requirement.
Protection of Information
All your information and data is stored securely and there is no unauthorised access to it. We have procedures and technology in place to ensure that the risk of loss, damage or misuse of data is minimised and ensure that there is no unauthorised use of your information or disclosure to any third parties without your consent.
All information and data will be treated as highly confidential. However, there are exceptions. If we become aware of any safeguarding issues or criminal activity (such as money laundering or fraudulent activities) then the information will be shared with the appropriate institution without necessarily any notice being given to you.
Any third parties that become involved in your case will be subject to, and contractually bound, by their appropriate obligations and responsibilities. Only information and data that we consider appropriate will be given to them and your consent will be sought.
If any breaches of personal data were to occur then we have in place procedures for informing you and the appropriate data protection regulator.
Requesting a Copy of your information
If you wish to exercise any of your rights, or request a copy of the information we hold for you, you should inform us in writing.
We will process your request within one month of the request being made. Identification must be provided before the release of any information.
The information requested will be provided if the rights apply in those particular circumstances.
Complaints
You have a right to complain to us if you feel that we have breached our duties in the way that we hold your information or the way that we use it.
We hope that we will be able to resolve this with you directly. However, if you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint you can raise it with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) www.ico.org.uk or by contacting them at Customer Contact, Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow SK9 5AF.
Please contact us by email info@horizonmediation.co.uk if you have a enquiry, complaint or want to exercise any of your rights outlined above.
Horizon Mediation Website
Cookies
When visiting a website that uses cookies a file is placed on your computer or phone. It will store the website’s name and show you as a user of that website. It means that the owners of that website are able to tailor the information to you as they already have information about you.
The cookies we use vary over time. You can use browser extensions to view exactly which ones are in use at any given time. It is not possible to opt out of cookies as they are important for the performance of the website and the service provided to the website users. Further information about cookies can be found at www.allaboutcookies.org
Links to other websites
We may provide other website links on our website. If you use these links you must be aware that once you have left our site we do not have any control over those sites and we are not responsible for them.
Processing of Personal Information
During the mediation process, whether it be an enquiry, assessment or mediation, it will be necessary to collect and process personal data, which may include contact, personal, financial details and documents. This is essential information and will enable us to carry out our service.
We may receive your referral from a third party, usually a solicitor, who will provide your contact details so that we can process your case and make contact with you.
We will actively monitor activity on our website. Any information obtained through our use of cookies or other technology will be used to measure visits to our website and to monitor and assist us in improving the scope of the site. Such data will not be used for any other purpose. See below.
The processing of your information will have a legal basis either because you have made an enquiry or have entered into an Agreement to Mediate (Contract) to enable us to provide the mediation service to you.
If you are a business organisation, and we have contacted you to provide you with information regarding our services, there will be an option to opt out of such future contact.
Retention of Information
Your personal information will only be kept during the course of your case. It will then be securely archived for the requisite period.
Sharing your Information
Your information will only be shared, other than as outlined below, with your mediator and the other party/parties involved in your case.
In the event of any complaint about your mediation that is referred to the FMSB, or to any other regulator or relevant complaints handling organisation, you agree that we may release any information or your file to which the complaint pertains to either or both, for the purposes of resolving any complaint.
HM’s quality assurance standards also require monitoring of mediation files. From time to time our Professional Practice Consultants (PPCs) may have sight of files, but access is strictly controlled and on a similar confidential basis. We also ask you to agree that the mediation and any summaries may be reviewed on a strictly confidential basis by PPCs/ supervisors and that anonymised details about your case may be used for training purposes.
We will not share your information with any third parties without your consent. Third parties may include your solicitor should you wish us to pass on any information. Any other third parties would potentially be employed to offer their expertise and advice in various aspects of your case and will be bound, as above, by their own contractual obligations and responsibilities and they will retain the information for the duration of their involvement in your matter under those terms.
Your Rights
You have the following rights;
- Right to be informed – as to what data we hold and for what purposes
- Right of access – to the information we hold for you
- Right of rectification – if you feel the information we have for you is not correct or appropriate or incomplete then you should inform us and we will update the information we hold for you
- Right to erasure – you can ask for us to erase information we hold for you, in certain circumstances. However, we may need to retain information to show what service we have provided to you
- Right to restrict processing – in certain circumstances you have the right to restrict the information we hold for you
- Right to data portability – you can ask us to transfer the information we hold for you to another organisation in certain circumstances. This is usually to a solicitor or other advisor.
- Right to object – if you are a company or business organisation that we have contacted for marketing purposes, and you have consented to us contacting you, you can withdraw your consent at any time
- Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling – you have the right not to be subjected to a decision based on automated processing or profiling
Contact
You can contact our Data Protection Officer about your data or marketing issues at:
Elaine Clarke
Graylaw House,
21 Goldington Road,
Bedford, MK40 3JY
Tel:0333 772 9383
info@horizonmediation.co.uk
