Informed Consent and Candidate Transparency Policy

Effective Date: July 2024
Last Updated: July 2024

At Thrive Training, we are committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of our candidates and clients. This policy outlines how we collect, use, and protect your personal data, and ensures that you are fully informed about your rights and the purposes of data processing, in compliance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable data protection laws.

By using our services, enrolling in our programs, or engaging in our professional recognition assessments, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Informed Consent and Candidate Transparency Policy.

1. What Personal Data We Collect

We collect the following types of personal data from our candidates:

Personal Identification Information: Name, address, phone number, and email address.
Professional Information: Employment history, qualifications, certifications, and professional references.
Assessment Information: Data related to your participation in our assessments, including performance and feedback.
Payment Information: For the purpose of processing payments for our services, where applicable.
Sensitive Information: Any information you voluntarily provide, such as disability or health data, that may require reasonable adjustments during assessments.

2. How We Use Your Personal Data

We collect and process your personal data for the following purposes:

Assessment and Certification: To assess your professional competencies and grant professional recognition awards on behalf of the Institute of Hospitality.
Communication: To keep you informed about your assessment process, results, and any follow-up actions.
Compliance: To ensure that we meet our legal and contractual obligations, including GDPR compliance and regulatory reporting.
Improvements to Service: To improve our services and provide a better experience for our candidates by analyzing anonymized data.
Marketing (With Consent): If you opt-in, we may use your contact information to send you updates on relevant training programs and services offered by Thrive.

3. Legal Basis for Processing Your Data

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

Consent: We rely on your explicit consent to process certain data, including sensitive personal data or for sending marketing materials. You have the right to withdraw consent at any time.
Contractual Necessity: Processing your data is necessary for us to fulfill our contract with you (e.g., conducting assessments and granting professional awards).
Legitimate Interests: We may process your data for legitimate business purposes, such as improving our services or ensuring compliance with our legal obligations.

4. How We Store and Protect Your Data

We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect it, including:

Encryption: We use encryption technologies to safeguard your data during transmission and storage.
Access Control: Personal data is only accessible to authorized personnel involved in the assessment and certification process.
Data Retention: We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy. After this period, your data will be securely deleted.

5. International Data Transfers

As we assess both domestic and international candidates, your personal data may be transferred to third-party processors or partners outside the UK, such as the Institute of Hospitality or other authorized entities. We ensure that any such data transfers are compliant with UK GDPR regulations, using appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or transferring only to countries with an adequacy decision by the UK government.

You will be informed if your data is transferred internationally, and we will ensure your data is protected regardless of its location.

6. Your Rights as a Candidate

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

Right to Access: You have the right to request access to your personal data that we hold and receive a copy of it.
Right to Rectification: You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
Right to Erasure: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data, provided that it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request the restriction of the processing of your personal data under certain conditions.
Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and to transfer it to another data controller.
Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for direct marketing purposes or based on our legitimate interests.
Right to Withdraw Consent: If we are processing your data based on consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [Insert Contact Email]. We will respond to your request within one month.

7. Transparency About Data Collection and Processing

We believe in being transparent with how we handle your personal data. We will always inform you about:

The Purpose of Data Collection: Why we are collecting your data and how it will be used.
Third-Party Sharing: Whether your data will be shared with third parties, including the Institute of Hospitality or any other partners. We will only share your data with trusted entities that comply with GDPR.
International Transfers: Whether your data will be transferred to countries outside the UK, along with the safeguards in place to protect your data.
Changes to this Policy: Any updates to this policy will be communicated to you in advance, and your continued use of our services will indicate your acceptance of the changes.

8. Consent for Data Processing

By providing your personal data and using our services, you are giving Thrive Training Ltd consent to process your personal data in accordance with this policy. You will be asked to confirm your consent explicitly when you sign up for our services or participate in our assessments.

If we need to process any sensitive personal data (e.g., health information for reasonable adjustments), we will seek your explicit consent for this purpose.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this policy or how your personal data is processed, please contact us at:

Thrive Training Ltd
[Insert Address]
Email: [Insert Contact Email]
Phone: [Insert Contact Number]

We are committed to resolving any concerns or complaints you may have and will respond to your queries as quickly as possible.

10. Filing a Complaint with the ICO

If you believe that your personal data has been mishandled, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane
Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
Website: www.ico.org.uk
Phone: 0303 123 1113

By using our services and providing your personal data, you confirm that you have read and understood this Informed Consent and Candidate Transparency Policy and if overseas our SCC for Data Handling