Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 2026

Who we are

Eating Disorder Service Plymouth operates the website at www.eatingdisorderserviceplymouth.co.uk. We provide eating disorder support services across Plymouth and the surrounding area.

We take your privacy seriously. This policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and your rights under UK data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact us via our Contact page.

What information we collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

Information you give us directly, for example when you complete a referral form, send us a message, or sign up to hear from us:

• Your name
• Your contact details (email address, phone number, address)
• Information about your situation or needs, where relevant to a referral
• Any other information you choose to share with us

Information collected automatically when you visit our website:

• Your IP address
• Browser type and version
• Pages visited and time spent on them
• How you arrived at our website

This automatically collected information is handled through cookies. Please see our Cookie Policy for full details.

Why we collect your information and our legal basis

We only collect and use your personal information where we have a lawful reason to do so. The table below explains how we use your data and the legal basis we rely on under UK GDPR.

Where we process special category data — such as information about your health — we will always obtain your explicit consent unless another legal basis applies.

How we use your information

We use your personal information to:

• Respond to your enquiries and referrals
• Provide and manage the support services we offer
• Improve our website and the way we work
• Communicate with you where you have asked us to
• Meet our legal and safeguarding obligations

We will never sell your personal data to third parties. We will never use it for advertising purposes.

Who we share your information with

We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers who help us operate our website and services (such as our website hosting provider), who are bound by strict data processing agreements.
• Statutory bodies such as the NHS, social services, or the police, where we have a legal duty to do so or where there is a safeguarding concern.
• With your consent, where you have asked us to share information with another organisation or professional on your behalf.

We do not share your personal information with any other third parties without your knowledge.

Health and sensitive information

We understand that information relating to eating disorders and mental health is particularly sensitive. Any health-related information you share with us is treated with the utmost care and confidentiality. It is only accessed by staff and volunteers directly involved in providing your support, and only shared with others in line with the circumstances described above.

How long we keep your information

We only keep your personal information for as long as necessary. Retention periods depend on the type of information and why we collected it. As a general guide:

• Enquiry and contact form data: up to 2 years
• Service user records: in line with health sector guidance, typically up to 8 years from the end of support
• Website analytics data: as set out in our Cookie Policy

When information is no longer needed, it is securely deleted or anonymised.

Keeping your information secure

We take appropriate technical and organisational steps to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. Our website uses secure connections (HTTPS). Access to personal data is restricted to authorised staff only.

No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, but we do everything reasonably practicable to protect your information.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access — you can ask for a copy of the information we hold about you.
• Right to rectification — you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to erasure — you can ask us to delete your information in certain circumstances.
• Right to restrict processing — you can ask us to limit how we use your data.
• Right to data portability — you can ask for your data in a portable format in certain circumstances.
• Right to object — you can object to us processing your data where we rely on legitimate interests.
• Right to withdraw consent — where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us via our Contact page. We will respond within one month.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal information, you have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator:

ICO Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF Website: www.ico.org.uk Helpline: 0303 123 1113

We would, however, always appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns directly before you contact the ICO, so please do reach out to us first.

Third-party links

Our website may contain links to other websites, including support organisations and resources. This privacy policy applies only to our website. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third-party sites and encourage you to read their privacy policies before sharing any personal information.

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated date at the top. We encourage you to check back periodically.

Contact us

Eating Disorder Service Plymouth www.eatingdisorderserviceplymouth.co.uk Contact us via: eatingdisorderserviceplymouth.co.uk/contact