Privacy and data protection

This page gives details on privacy and data protection for users of findsexualhealth.co.uk.

The information we collect

We collect the following kind of information from people visiting the website:

  • feedback through visitors and sexual health service providers emailing us or completing online forms
  • anonymised site usage information, using cookies

After we reply to your feedback, a record of your message will be kept for the minimum time required before it’s deleted.

How we use your information

Information we collect is used to:

  • improve the design and content of the website
  • respond to you directly about a question or comment, via our contact forms or website feedback forms.

We will never share your information with other organisations for marketing, market research or commercial purposes. We don’t pass on your personal information to any other website.

We only hold your information for as long as we provide the services, we’ve told you about.

How we keep your information safe

In accordance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) we are committed to keeping the personal information we collect through our website safe and secure.

We have measures in place to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used, altered, disclosed, or accessed without permission. The only people allowed access to your personal data are employees and partners who look after our digital services and communications.

We use Google Analytics to provide us with information about how our website is used, such as what pages are the most popular and the length of a visit. The data gathered is anonymous and can not be used to identify individual users.

You may block the collection of the data related to your use of this website, as well as the processing of this data by Google, by downloading and installing a browser plugin available from the Google Analytics opt-out webpage.

Examples of the type of anonymised Google Analytics data we collect from your browsing session include, but are not limited to, your IP address, geographical location, operating system, browser type and version, referral source, page views, length of visit and website navigation paths, as well as information about the timing, frequency and pattern of your service use.

Third party links

This website may include links to third-party websites and their applications. Clicking on those links and taking any other actions on those websites may allow those third parties to collect information about you. We’re not responsible for those websites and don’t have any control over

how they collect information, so we recommend that you read the privacy statement of any site linked to this one.

When you come to our website from another website, we may get personal information about you from the other website.

Third party website content and tools

We embed external content from third party websites. This content is not published on our website. It is delivered using tools and services from third party sites that can be inserted into our site. These websites may use cookies. Their content is subject to the privacy policy of the relevant third party provider and not ours.

We use Google Analytics (website analytics) on our website to improve the user experience.

How we use Cookies on this website

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts.

If you’d prefer not to use cookies when visiting our website, please set your browser preferences to refuse to accept cookies from www.findsexualhealth.co.uk

More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

Performance Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.

Functional Cookies

These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.

Targeting Cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Updates to this policy

We may need to update our privacy policy if the service we provide changes. If this happens, we’ll let you know about the updates on this webpage.

Your rights

GDPR is one of the biggest changes to data privacy in recent years. Its purpose is to put you in control of how your information is collected and used by organisations.

That means you have the right to know exactly for what purpose your information is used, how it’s looked after and how you can change or remove that information.

If you have any queries about how we collect and use your information, which we haven’t already answered on this page, please feel free to get in touch with our data controller at infogov@lambeth.gov.uk

If you’d like to know more about your rights, the Information Commissioner’s website is a good source of general information.