I am committed to preserving the privacy of all clients, and to ensuring compliance with GDPR. Please read the following privacy policy to understand how I use and protect the information that you provide to me.
What I need
I will collect your name, email address and project details when you contact me. I may also collect a sample of the work to be proofread or edited.
In the event that we agree to work together, I might also collect your postal address (which I might include on invoices) and any files required to perform the agreed work. If you agree to provide it, I might also collect your phone number.
What I do with your data
All of the personal data I hold about you will be processed by me. It will be used to contact you to enable me to perform the agreed work, and to collect payment for my services. Your name (or your business name) and general details of the service I am providing (e.g. project size and description, hours worked and agreed fees) will be stored on spreadsheets I use to keep track of my accounts. I will share this data with HMRC in the event that they audit me.
Before April 2024 I intend to use secure online software to keep track of my accounts, in preparation for laws relating to HMRC’s Making Tax Digital. When filling in records I will include the same details as would be stored on my spreadsheets. I will not include any additional details (such as your email address) unless this is specifically agreed with you.
I might also, in the future, share details of the work I have performed with the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP). This would be to demonstrate my experience and professional development when applying to upgrade my membership to one of their higher professional levels. These details would include the same details as I store on my spreadsheets (mentioned above). I would not include contact details unless this was specifically agreed with you. If you wish for me to remove your identifying information when using data for this purpose, please let me know by email (philridgers@gmail.com). The details I would need to provide to the CIEP can be found on their website here, under ‘What information should I include?’ Further details of the CIEP’s privacy policy can be found here.
I will never use your data for promotional purposes (e.g. to publish a testimonial on social media) unless I have obtained your permission to do so in writing.
No one else will have access to your information, unless I am required by law to provide it. The only potential exception to this will be in the case of a major unexpected event (e.g. serious illness or injury) that prevents me from being able to fulfil my contractual obligations. In this case my wife, Emma Ridgers, will have access to my emails to contact current clients regarding a project’s schedule or my ability to complete it. She will not save or copy these details for her own purposes, and will state in any communications that she is sending the emails.
Security and data retention
I will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your personal data is processed securely. The data you provide to me, such as on contracts and invoices, is stored securely on a computer and in paper format. I use security measures to protect your information from access by unauthorised persons and against unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction and damage. These include keeping my home (where I store data) secure, and employing security measures on my home computer (password protection, keeping software up to date, anti-virus software and a firewall).
I will generally keep your personal data for a minimum of 7 years to fulfil my tax obligations to HMRC. After this time, it will be destroyed if it is no longer required for the lawful purpose(s) for which it was obtained.
Accessing and updating
You are entitled to see the information held about you and you may ask me to make any necessary changes to ensure that it is accurate and kept up to date. If you wish to do this, please contact me (philridgers@gmail.com). You may also request that I delete any data I hold about you, providing it is no longer necessary where required by law (e.g. to provide evidence of my self-employed work to HMRC).