1. Introduction
Viscend Advisory is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of individuals who visit our website, contact us or engage with our professional services.
We recognise the importance of confidentiality, particularly when handling information relating to businesses, financial matters and management decisions.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose and protect personal information, as well as the rights individuals may have in relation to that information.
We process personal data in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the UK Data Protection Act 2018 and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR), where applicable.
2. Who We Are
Viscend Advisory is an independent business and financial consulting firm providing financial management, business planning and management advisory services.
For the purposes of applicable data protection legislation, the organisation responsible for processing personal data is:
Company: Viscend Advisory
Website: https://www.viscendadvisory.com
Email: info@viscendadvisory.com
Viscend Advisory acts as a data controller where it determines the purposes and means of processing personal information. In certain client engagements, we may act as a data processor on behalf of a client, subject to the relevant contractual arrangements.
3. Information We Collect
Depending on the nature of your interaction with us, we may collect and process the following categories of personal information.
3.1 Personal and Contact Information
This may include:
- Full name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Job title or professional position
- Company name
- Business address
- Information voluntarily provided through correspondence or enquiries
3.2 Business and Professional Information
Where relevant to our advisory services, we may process:
- Business ownership and management information
- Professional responsibilities and employment details
- Business correspondence
- Financial information relating to identifiable individuals
- Information supplied in connection with business planning, financial management or advisory engagements
We only seek information reasonably necessary for the relevant professional purpose.
3.3 Website and Technical Information
When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Device type and operating system
- Pages visited and interactions with the website
- Date and time of access
- Website referral information
- Cookie identifiers, where applicable
The information actually collected depends on the technologies and services used by our website.
3.4 Communications
When you contact us by email, telephone or through our website, we may retain relevant correspondence and information necessary to respond to your enquiry or maintain our professional relationship.
4. How We Collect Personal Information
We may obtain personal information:
- Directly from you when you contact us.
- Through our website or contact forms.
- During meetings, consultations and professional engagements.
- From representatives of businesses with which we work.
- From publicly available professional or corporate sources, where lawful and relevant.
- From third parties authorised to provide information to us.
Where personal information is obtained indirectly, we provide the information required by applicable data protection legislation, subject to relevant exceptions.
5. How We Use Personal Information
We may process personal information for the following purposes:
Responding to Enquiries
To respond to questions, requests for information and potential business enquiries.
Providing Professional Services
To deliver financial management, business planning and management advisory services, including communicating with clients and their authorised representatives.
Managing Client Relationships
To administer professional engagements, maintain business records, arrange meetings and communicate about ongoing work.
Business Administration
To manage contractual arrangements, invoicing, payments, recordkeeping and other administrative responsibilities.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance
To comply with applicable laws, regulatory requirements and lawful requests from competent authorities.
Website Operation and Security
To maintain the functionality, reliability and security of our website and associated systems.
Business Communications
To send relevant professional updates or service-related communications where permitted by applicable law.
Where consent is required for marketing communications, we will obtain it before sending them.
6. Legal Bases for Processing
Where the UK GDPR or EU GDPR applies, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases, depending on the purpose of processing:
Contractual Necessity
Where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with an individual.
Legitimate Interests
Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by the rights and freedoms of the individuals concerned.
Such interests may include responding to business enquiries, maintaining professional relationships, administering our operations and protecting our systems.
Legal Obligations
Where processing is required to comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations.
Consent
Where an individual has given valid consent for a specific purpose, such as certain marketing communications or non-essential website technologies.
Where processing is based on consent, that consent may be withdrawn at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out beforehand.
Where financial or professional information relates to an identifiable individual, we will assess the appropriate legal basis before processing it.
We do not rely on contractual necessity merely because information relates to a contract between two businesses.
7. Confidentiality and Professional Information
Confidentiality is an important part of our professional approach.
During the provision of advisory services, Viscend Advisory may receive confidential business information, financial records, management reports, forecasts and other commercially sensitive material.
We take reasonable measures to protect such information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration or loss.
Access to confidential information is restricted according to legitimate professional requirements.
Where appropriate, confidentiality obligations and data processing responsibilities are addressed in our agreements with clients and service providers.
This Privacy Policy applies to personal data. Confidential business information that does not identify an individual may also be protected through contractual and professional confidentiality arrangements.
8. Sharing Personal Information
We do not sell personal information.
We may disclose personal information to third parties where necessary and legally permitted, including:
- Professional service providers supporting our operations.
- Website hosting and information technology providers.
- Email and business communication service providers.
- Accountants, legal advisers and other professional advisers.
- Regulatory bodies, public authorities or law enforcement agencies where disclosure is legally required.
- Other parties where disclosure is authorised by the relevant individual or otherwise permitted by law.
Where third parties process personal information on our behalf, we seek to ensure that appropriate contractual and data protection safeguards are in place.
We only disclose information to the extent reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.
9. International Data Transfers
In the course of operating our business and providing professional services, personal information may be transferred to, accessed from or stored in countries outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area.
Where such transfers occur and data protection legislation requires safeguards, we will use an appropriate lawful transfer mechanism.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include:
- An applicable adequacy decision or regulation.
- Approved standard contractual clauses.
- The UK International Data Transfer Agreement or UK Addendum, where appropriate.
- Another transfer mechanism permitted by applicable law.
Individuals may contact us to request further information about relevant international transfers and applicable safeguards.
10. Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including applicable legal, contractual, accounting and regulatory requirements.
Retention periods depend on the nature of the information and the purpose of processing.
In determining appropriate retention periods, we consider:
- The nature and sensitivity of the information.
- The purpose for which it was collected.
- Applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
- Contractual obligations.
- The need to maintain appropriate professional records.
- The potential need to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
Once personal information is no longer required, we will take appropriate steps to delete, anonymise or securely dispose of it.
11. Data Security
Viscend Advisory takes appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, alteration and unlawful disclosure.
Depending on the systems involved, these measures may include:
- Access controls and authentication.
- Secure storage and transmission.
- Appropriate confidentiality restrictions.
- Software and system security measures.
- Controlled access to client information.
- Secure disposal of records.
- Periodic reviews of relevant security practices.
Although we take reasonable precautions, no method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
12. Cookies and Website Technologies
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to support its operation, maintain security, remember preferences and, where implemented, understand website usage.
Cookies are small files or identifiers stored on or accessed through a visitor’s device.
Depending on the website’s configuration, these may include:
Strictly Necessary Cookies
Technologies required for the website to function correctly, maintain security or provide services requested by the visitor.
Analytics Cookies
Technologies used to understand website traffic, visitor behaviour and the performance of website content.
Preference Cookies
Technologies that remember selected settings or preferences.
Third-Party Cookies
Technologies associated with third-party services integrated into the website, where applicable.
Where consent is required under applicable law, non-essential cookies and similar technologies will only be used after valid consent has been obtained.
Visitors will be able to manage or withdraw their consent through the available cookie preference controls.
13. Your Data Protection Rights
Subject to applicable law and the circumstances of the processing, individuals may have the following rights:
Right of Access
To request confirmation of whether their personal information is being processed and obtain access to that information.
Right to Rectification
To request correction of inaccurate personal information or completion of incomplete information.
Right to Erasure
To request deletion of personal information in circumstances where the law provides this right.
Right to Restriction
To request that the processing of personal information be restricted in certain circumstances.
Right to Data Portability
To receive certain personal information in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and, where applicable, transfer it to another controller.
Right to Object
To object to processing based on legitimate interests in circumstances provided by law.
Individuals have the right to object at any time to processing of their personal data for direct marketing purposes.
Right to Withdraw Consent
Where processing is based on consent, to withdraw that consent at any time.
Rights Relating to Automated Decision-Making
To exercise applicable rights concerning decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling, that produce legal or similarly significant effects.
Not all rights apply in every circumstance, and certain legal exemptions may apply.
To exercise your rights, please contact:
We may request information reasonably necessary to verify your identity before responding.
We will respond within the time limits required by applicable law.
14. Automated Decision-Making
If accurate, the following statement may be used:
Viscend Advisory does not use personal information to make decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling, that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.
If such processing is introduced, we will provide the information and safeguards required by applicable law.
15. Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to websites operated by third parties.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security or content of websites that we do not control.
Visitors are encouraged to review the privacy policies of external websites before providing personal information.
16. Children’s Privacy
Our website and professional services are intended for businesses and adult professional users.
We do not intentionally seek to collect personal information from children through our website.
If we become aware that personal information relating to a child has been collected without an appropriate lawful basis, we will take steps consistent with applicable data protection requirements.
17. Providing Personal Information
Certain personal information may be necessary to respond to enquiries, establish a professional relationship or provide requested services.
Where information is required by law or necessary to enter into or perform a contract with an individual, we will explain the relevant requirement and the consequences of not providing it.
Providing information for general enquiries is ordinarily voluntary. However, without sufficient contact details, we may be unable to respond.
18. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our services, business operations, website technologies or applicable legal requirements.
The latest version will be made available on our website, together with its last updated date.
Where changes materially affect the processing of personal information, we will provide additional notice where required by law.
19. Complaints
We encourage individuals to contact us directly if they have concerns about how their personal information is handled.
We will review privacy-related concerns and respond appropriately.
Individuals may also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority.
For matters falling within the jurisdiction of the European Union, individuals may contact the relevant supervisory authority in the applicable EU Member State.
20. Contact Information
For questions about this Privacy Policy, requests concerning personal information or any data protection matter, please contact:
Viscend Advisory
We will endeavour to address all legitimate privacy-related enquiries in a timely and professional manner.