Privacy Policy

The 5Cs Limited ("we", "our", "us") is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website www.the5cs.co.uk and use our services.

We are registered in England and Wales under company number [XXXXXXXX]. Our registered office is located at Innovation Centre, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom.

Please read this policy carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it. By using our website and services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

We may collect, use, store, and transfer different kinds of personal data about you:

Personal Information

• Identity Data: First name, last name, username, title
• Contact Data: Email address, telephone number, postal address
• Professional Data: Professional qualifications, certifications, employment details (for practitioners and coaches)

Technical Data

• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent, click patterns, navigation paths
• Device Data: IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system
• Cookie Data: Cookie identifiers, preferences, and tracking data

Financial Data

• Payment Information: Payment card details (processed securely via third-party processors - we do not store full card details)
• Transaction Data: Purchase history, billing information, subscription details

We will only use your personal data when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we use your personal data in the following circumstances:

• Service Delivery: To provide accreditation, courses, resources, and events you have requested
• Communication: To send newsletters, event updates, and educational content (with your consent)
• Account Management: To create and maintain your user account, verify credentials
• Payment Processing: To process payments and prevent fraudulent transactions
• Analytics & Improvement: To understand how our services are used and improve user experience
• Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce agreements
• Research: To conduct anonymized research in sport psychology (with explicit consent)

We may share your personal data with the following categories of third parties:

• Email Service Providers: For sending newsletters and communications (e.g., Mailchimp, SendGrid)
• Payment Processors: For secure payment processing (e.g., Stripe, PayPal)
• Analytics Providers: For website analytics and performance monitoring (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Hosting Providers: For website hosting and data storage (e.g., Vercel, AWS)
• Professional Advisers: Legal, accounting, and other professional service providers

We do not sell your personal data to third parties for marketing purposes.

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our website and store certain information. Types of cookies we use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for website functionality (authentication, security)
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with the website
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings
• Marketing Cookies: Track effectiveness of marketing campaigns (with consent)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK data protection laws, you have the following rights:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to Restriction: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to Object: Object to processing of your personal data for certain purposes
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer at privacy@the5cs.co.uk. We will respond within one month of receiving your request.

We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data, including:

• Encryption: HTTPS/TLS encryption for data in transit, encryption at rest for sensitive data
• Access Controls: Role-based access control, multi-factor authentication for staff
• Regular Audits: Periodic security assessments and vulnerability testing
• Staff Training: Regular data protection training for all personnel
• Incident Response: Data breach notification procedures in compliance with GDPR

While we strive to protect your personal data, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but will notify you promptly of any data breaches as required by law.

We will retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

• Account Data: Retained for the duration of your account plus 7 years (for tax/legal purposes)
• Transaction Records: Retained for 7 years as required by UK tax law
• Marketing Data: Retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent
• Analytics Data: Anonymized after 26 months

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 16 without parental consent.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us at privacy@the5cs.co.uk and we will delete such information from our systems.

Your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the United Kingdom. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
• Data Processing Agreements with third-party processors ensuring GDPR compliance
• Transfers only to countries with adequate data protection laws

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on this page with a new "Last updated" date
• Sending an email notification to registered users
• Displaying a prominent notice on our website

Your continued use of our services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues: www.ico.org.uk