GDPR and Data Protection Policy

Who is responsible for your data?

Care Connectors is the data controller for the personal information processed through this website. We decide how and why your personal data is used in connection with our care-matching service.

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your information, email us at hello@careconnectorsnow.com.

What personal data we collect

We collect only the information we need to run the service:

• Email address and authentication details when you create an account
• Profile information you choose to add, such as your name, postcode area, bio and care specialisms
• Verification confirmations you tick during onboarding, such as police-check or insurance status
• Contact details you choose to make available to members who unlock your profile
• Payment information processed by our payment provider for contact unlocks
• Reviews you leave for carers or providers

Why we process your data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• To create and manage your account and profile
• To show your profile to members searching in your postcode area
• To let members unlock and view contact details you have chosen to share
• To process contact-unlock payments
• To keep the platform safe, prevent fraud and respond to your enquiries
• To send service-related emails such as verifications, password resets and account updates

Legal basis for processing

We rely on different legal grounds under UK and EU data protection law depending on the activity:

• Performance of a contract — processing needed to provide your account, profile and contact-unlock service.
• Legitimate interests — keeping the platform secure, preventing fraud and improving the service, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Legal obligation — complying with laws, regulations or lawful requests.
• Consent — where you explicitly agree, for example to optional notifications or non-essential cookies.

Your data protection rights

Under UK and EU data protection law you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Access — ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Erasure — ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Restriction — ask us to limit how we use your data.
• Objection — object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
• Data portability — receive your data in a structured, commonly used format and transfer it to another service.
• Withdraw consent — withdraw any consent you have given at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@careconnectorsnow.com. We will respond within one month, or longer for complex requests, and will let you know if we need more information.

How long we keep your data

We keep your personal information for as long as your account is active. If you ask us to close your account, we will delete your personal data unless we are required to keep it for legal, accounting or regulatory reasons. Some information, such as payment records, may need to be retained for a limited period to meet our legal obligations.

Sharing your data

We do not sell your personal data. We only share it where necessary to provide the service or comply with the law:

• Other members — only the contact details you choose to list are shown to a member who pays to unlock your profile.
• Service providers — trusted providers who help us host the site, process payments, send emails and prevent fraud. They only process data on our instructions and under contractual safeguards.
• Legal and regulatory bodies — when we are required to disclose information by law or to protect our rights and users.

International transfers

We use service providers that may process data outside the UK and European Economic Area. Where this happens, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses approved by the UK or European Commission to protect your information.

Keeping your data secure

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from loss, misuse and unauthorised access. This includes encryption in transit, access controls and regular review of our security practices. No online service can guarantee complete security, so please keep your account credentials safe.

Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the site and, with your consent, to understand how it is used. You can manage your choices through the cookie banner or your browser settings. See our Cookie Policy for more details.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data, please contact us first at hello@careconnectorsnow.com. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues, at ico.org.uk.

Changes to this policy

We may update this GDPR policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the date at the top of this page. Please check back occasionally to make sure you are aware of any changes.