Privacy Policy

|Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy 2019-07-15T17:07:53+00:00

Privacy Notice – Polar Medical Ltd

 

How we use your information

This privacy notice tells you what to expect when Polar Medical Limited collects personal information.

This policy is updated from time to time. The latest version is published on this page.

This privacy policy was updated on: 18th April 2018

 

Visitors to our websites

When someone visits www.polarmedical.co.uk we use two third party services Aether Digital and MTC Media to collect standard internet log information and details of visitor behaviour patterns. We do this to find out things such as the number of visitors to the various parts of the site. This information is only processed in a way which does not identify anyone. We do not make, and do not allow Aether Digital or MTC Media to make, any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting our website. If we do want to collect personally identifiable information through our website, we will be up front about this. We will make it clear when we collect personal information and will explain what we intend to do with it.

 

Search engine

Search queries and results are logged anonymously to help us improve our website and search functionality. No user-specific data is collected by either Polar Medical or any third party.

The only personal information gained from analytical data is the location of the IP Address which visited the website. This informs us of the Country and City from which the website user visited Polar Medical’s website.

 

People who email us

We will monitor any emails sent to us, including file attachments, for viruses or malicious software. Please be aware that you have a responsibility to ensure that any email you send is within the bounds of the law.

 

People who contact us via social media

If you send us a private or direct message via social media the message will not be shared with any other organisations.

 

People who use our LiveChat service 

We supply and support our LiveChat service in house.

If you use the LiveChat service we will collect your name, email address (optional) and the contents of your LiveChat session. This information will be retained for two years and will not be shared with any other organisations.

You can request a transcript of your LiveChat session if you provide your email address at the start of your session or when prompted at the end.

 

Mailchimp

This is used for marketing purposes only.  We hold your email address and do not share this information with any third parties.

 

People who make a complaint to us

When we receive a complaint from a person we make up a file containing the details of the complaint. This normally contains the identity of the complainant and any other individuals involved in the complaint.

We will only use the personal information we collect to process the complaint and to check on the level of service we provide.

We usually have to disclose the complainant’s identity to whoever the complaint is about. This is inevitable where, for example, the accuracy of a person’s record is in dispute. If a complainant doesn’t want information identifying him or her to be disclosed, we will try to respect that. However, it may not be possible to handle a complaint on an anonymous basis.

We will keep personal information contained in complaint files in line with our retention policy. This means that information relating to a complaint will be retained for two years from closure. It will be retained in a secure environment and access to it will be restricted according to the ‘need to know’ principle.

Similarly, where enquiries are submitted to us we will only use the information supplied to us to deal with the enquiry and any subsequent issues and to check on the level of service we provide.

 

Job applicants, current and former Polar Medical employees

Lindare Medical Ltd is the data controller for the information you provide during the process unless otherwise stated. If you have any queries about the process or how we handle your information please contact us at customerservices@polarmedical.co.uk.

All of the information you provide during the process will only be used for the purpose of progressing your application, or to fulfil legal or regulatory requirements if necessary.

We will not share any of the information you provide during the recruitment process with any third parties for marketing purposes or store any of your information outside of the European Economic Area. The information you provide will be held securely by us and/or our data processors whether the information is in electronic or physical format.

We will use the contact details you provide to us to contact you to progress your application. We will use the other information you provide to assess your suitability for the role you have applied for. 

What information do we ask for, and why?

We do not collect more information than we need to fulfil our stated purposes and will not retain it for longer than is necessary.

The information we ask for is used to assess your suitability for employment. You don’t have to provide what we ask for but it might affect your application if you don’t. 

We ask you for your personal details including name and contact details. We will also ask you about your previous experience, education, referees and for answers to questions relevant to the role you have applied for. Our recruitment team will have access to all of this information.

You will also be asked to provide equal opportunities information. This is not mandatory information – if you don’t provide it, it will not affect your application. This information will not be made available to any staff outside of our recruitment team, including hiring managers, in a way which can identify you. Any information you do provide, will be used only to produce and monitor equal opportunities statistics.

Conditional offer

If we make a conditional offer of employment we may ask you for information so that we can carry out pre-employment checks. You must successfully complete pre-employment checks to progress to a final offer. We are required to confirm the identity of our staff, their right to work in the United Kingdom and seek assurance as to their trustworthiness, integrity and reliability. 

You will therefore be required to provide: 

  • Proof of your identity – you will be asked to attend our office with original documents, we will take copies.
  • Proof of your qualifications – you will be asked to attend our office with original documents, we will take copies.
  • You may be asked to complete a criminal records declaration to declare any unspent convictions.
  • We may provide your email address to the Government Recruitment Service who will contact you to complete an application for a Basic Criminal Record check via the Disclosure and Barring Service, or Access NI, which will verify your declaration of unspent convictions.
  • We may contact your referees, using the details you provide in your application, directly to obtain references
  • We may also ask you to complete a questionnaire about your health. This is to establish your fitness to work. This is done through a data processor (please see below).

If we make a final offer, we will also ask you for the following:

  • Bank details – to process salary payments
  • Emergency contact details – so we know who to contact in case you have an emergency at work

Our Code of Conduct requires all staff to declare if they have any potential conflicts of interest, or if they are active within a political party. If you complete a declaration, the information will be held on your personnel file.

How long is the information retained for?

If you are successful, the information you provide during the application process will be retained by us as part of your employee file for the duration of your employment plus 6 years following the end of your employment. This includes your criminal records declaration, fitness to work, records of any security checks and references.

If you are unsuccessful at any stage of the process, the information you have provided until that point will be retained for 6 months from the closure of the campaign.

Information generated throughout the assessment process, for example interview notes, is retained by us for 6 months following the closure of the campaign.

Equal opportunities information is retained for 6 months following the closure of the campaign whether you are successful or not.

How we make decisions about recruitment?

Final recruitment decisions are made by hiring managers. All of the information gathered during the application process is taken into account.

You are able to ask about decisions made about your application by speaking to your contact.

 

Higson and Co Accountants

If you are employed by Polar Medical Limited, relevant details about you will be provided to our accountants, Higson and co., who prepare our end of year accounts. This will include your name and salary details.

 

The Peoples Pension

Likewise, your details will be provided to The Peoples Pension who are the administrators of our Pension scheme. You will be auto-enrolled into the pension scheme and details provided to The Peoples Pension will be your name, address, date of birth, National Insurance number and salary. Your bank details will not be passed to the People’s Pension at this time.

 

Access to personal information

Polar Medical Ltd tries to be as open as it can be in terms of giving people access to their personal information. Individuals can find out if we hold any personal information by making a ‘subject access request’ under the Data Protection Act 1998. If we do hold information about you we will:

  • Give you a description of it:
  • Tell you why we are holding it;
  • Tell you who it could be disclosed to; and
  • Let you have a copy of the information in an intelligible form.

To make a request to Polar Medical Limited for any personal information we may hold you need to put the request in writing addressing it to our Managing Director or writing to the address provided below.

If you agree, we will try to deal with your request informally, for example by providing you with the specific information you need over the telephone.

If we do hold information about you, you can ask us to correct any mistakes by, once again, contacting Polar Medical’s Managing Director.

 

IT Support

We outsource our IT support to Net Vector Consulting Ltd with whom we have a written contract.  As they have access to our computer systems they will also have access to any data we hold in electronic format.  They are not permitted to use this data for any other purposes than to provider Polar Medical with IT support.

 

Use of cookies by Polar Medical Ltd

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small file placed on your computer’s hard drive. It enables our website to identify your computer as you view different pages on our website.

Cookies allow websites and applications to store your preferences in order to present content, options or functions that are specific to you. They also enable us to see information like how many people use the website and what pages they tend to visit.

We may use cookies to:

  • Analyse our web traffic using an analytics package. Aggregated usage data helps us improve the website structure, design, content and functions.
  • Identify whether you are signed in to our website. A cookie allows us to check whether you are signed in to the site.
  • Test content on our website. For example, 50% of our users might see one piece of content, the other 50% a different piece of content.
  • Store information about your preferences. The website can then present you with information you will find more relevant and interesting.
  • To recognise when you return to our website. We may show your relevant content, or provide functionality you used previously.

Cookies do not provide us with access to your computer or any information about you, other than that which you choose to share with us.

Controlling cookies

You can use your web browser’s cookie settings to determine how our website uses cookies. If you do not want our website to store cookies on your computer or device, you should set your web browser to refuse cookies.

However, please note that doing this may affect how our website functions. Some pages and services may become unavailable to you.

Unless you have changed your browser to refuse cookies, our website will issue cookies when you visit it.

To learn more about cookies and how they are used, visit the Information Commissioners Office ICO.

 

Disclosure of personal Information

In many circumstances we will not disclose personal data without consent. However when we investigate a complaint, for example, we will need to share personal information with the organisation concerned and with other relevant bodies.

We will never lease, distribute or sell your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or the law requires us to.

Any personal information we hold about you is stored and processed under our data protection policy, in line with the Data Protection Act 1998.

 

Security

We will always hold your information securely.

To prevent unauthorised disclosure or access to your information, we have implemented strong physical and electronic security safeguards.

We also follow stringent procedures to ensure we work with all personal data in line with the Data Protection Act 1998.

 

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites.

This privacy notice does not cover the links within this site linking to other websites. We encourage you to read the privacy statements on the other websites you visit. If you provide information to a website to which we link, we are not responsible for its protection and privacy.

Always be wary when submitting data to websites. Read the site’s data protection and privacy policies fully.

 

How to contact us

If you want to request information about our privacy policy you can email us (can we set up link to customerservices@polarmedical.co.uk) or write to:

Polar Medical Limited

Cole House

Ashford Road

Bethersden

Kent

TN26 3AT