Policies and Terms

Here at The Skills and Business Hub we take your privacy seriously. To comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 and to prevent unauthorised access, we follow procedures regarding the storage and disclosure of information that you have given us. This Privacy Policy does not apply to the Berkshire Growth Hub, which is delivered by us.

The type of personal information we collect

We currently collect and process the following information:

• Personal identifiers, contacts and characteristics (for example, name and contact details)
• Personal identifiers, contacts and characteristics (for example, name and contact details) from correspondence with us

How we get the personal information and why we have it

Most of the personal information we process is provided to us directly by you for one of the following reasons:

• Information that you provide by filling in forms on our website
• If you contact us, we may keep a record of that correspondence

Who might we share your information with?

We do not share your information with anyone outside of The Skills and Business Hub, however, our website may, from time to time, contain links to other websites which may be of interest to you. If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies.  Please check these policies before you submit any personal data to these websites.

What do we do with your information?

We would like to send you e-updates on The Skills and Business Hub’s programmes and other stakeholder information, which may be of interest to you.

If you have consented to receive marketing, you may opt out at any time.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are:

(a) Your consent. You are able to remove your consent at any time. You can do this by contacting us on 0118 209 0209 or emailing: [email protected]

How we store your personal information

Your information is securely stored using servers located in the UK

We will dispose of your information by removing all details from our databases, cloud storage and email systems

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

Your right of access – You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.

Your right to rectification – You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.

Your right to erasure – You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to restriction of processing – You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to object to processing – You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

You can request your information from us at any time by emailing [email protected]

We want to make sure that your personal information is accurate and up to date. You may ask us to correct or remove information you think is inaccurate.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us by emailing [email protected]  or writing to us at MyWorkSpot, Grenfell Road, Maidenhead SL6 1HN.

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk

Background

We want you, or the entity you are authorised to represent (“you”, or “your”) to visit our website knowing that you have control over your personal data. Your rights to privacy and data security is a primary concern and we will take all reasonable measures to protect the information you share with us while it is in our care. We will only collect and use personal data in ways that are described here and, in a manner that is consistent with our obligations and your rights under the law.

This policy explains the data processing practices of the  Berkshire Growth Hub. By submitting identifying data when using the website, telephone, email, mail or any other form of engagement, you are agreeing to our use of such data as described in this privacy policy. Should you have questions concerning your personal information or any questions on our use of the information, feel free to direct these to Abby Lacey at [email protected] in the first instance.

About Us

The Berkshire Growth Hub project is delivered by The Skills and Business Hub, formerly Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) , a limited company registered in England under company number 07885051.

The Data Controller for the Berkshire Growth Hub project is The Skills and Business Hub.

Our Data Protection Officer is Abby Lacey and can be contacted by email at [email protected], by telephone on 0118 209 0209, or by post at MyWorkspot Proxima, 1 Grenfell Rd, Maidenhead, England, SL6 1HN.

What personal data do we collect?

Depending which services you use, and the support you require, we may collect some or all of the following personal [and non-personal] data (please also see section ‘Our use of Cookies’).

Details of the information we may collect

• Personal identification such as name and date of birth
• Contact information such as email addresses and telephone numbers
• Demographic information such as post code, preferences, and interests
• Online identification such as IP address
• Education and qualifications
• Employment history
• Photographic images (eg at events or for use in case studies)
• Information about your business (including financial data)

We can only process special category data with a legal reason to do so. The special categories of data we collect, and process are detailed below with our legal reason for using the information.

How do we use your data?

All personal data is processed and stored securely, for no longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected. We will comply with our obligations and safeguard your rights under Data Protection Act 2018 at all times.

Our use of your personal data will always have a lawful basis, either because it is necessary for our performance of a contract with you, because you have consented to our use of your personal data (e.g. by subscribing to emails), or because it is for our legitimate business purposes (i.e. in our legitimate interests). These purposes include:

• Providing and managing your Account;
• Providing and managing your access to our site;
• Supplying our services to you (please note that we require your personal data to enter into a contract with you);
• Personalising and tailoring our services for you;
• Replying to emails from you;
• Supplying you with emails that you have opted into (you may unsubscribe or opt-out at any time by emailing [email protected]
• Market research;
• Analysing your use of Our Site [and gathering feedback] to enable us to continually improve our site and your user experience;
• Informing you of our projects and programmes;
• Engaging with local businesses to deliver our roles in promoting economic growth and development;
• Improving our services and planning;
• Meeting our corporate governance requirements

With your permission and/or where permitted by law, we may also use your data for marketing purposes which may include contacting you by email AND/OR telephone AND/OR text message AND/OR post with information, news and offers on Our services. We will not, however, (save where this is permitted by law) send you any unsolicited marketing or spam and will take all reasonable steps to ensure that we fully protect your rights and comply with Our obligations under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.

You can ask us to stop sending you marketing communications at any time, but if you opt out of receiving marketing communications only, this opt-out does not apply to our use of personal data provided as a result of other interactions. However, you have the right to withdraw your consent to us using your personal data at any time, and to request that we delete it.

Who will my personal data be shared with and how will it be used?

Your details will be stored securely and retained in compliance with Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data Protection Act 2018. This information will be used to evaluate this project and to report to the European Regional Development Fund for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

We are required to submit non-aggregated (firm level) data (which could include personal data) to DBT on an annual (and ad-hoc) basis for all medium and high intensity diagnostics and interventions (including provision of primary unique business identifiers e.g. Companies House Registration Number or VAT/PAYE and postcode) to enable DBT to undertake an overarching evaluation of the performance, outputs and impact of all Growth Hubs.

Data (including potentially personal data) of Growth Hub customers who receive “medium” and “high” intensity support will be shared with DBT for research and evaluation purposes only. This is to enable the use of data for matching to other public and commercial datasets for the purposes of evaluating and monitoring the ongoing impact of Growth Hubs. DBT will not publish that or referred to it in a way which identifies any individual or business.

Individual’s rights
The data collected is your personal data, and you have the right, subject to lawful data requirements:

• to see what data, we have about you;
• to ask us to stop using your data;
• to ask us to delete your data, or to correct your data if there is no longer a justification to process it;
• to lodge a complaint with the independent Information Commissioner (ICO) if you think we are not handling your data fairly or in accordance with the law.

Other organisations we may share your data with:

We are contractually obliged to share data with data controllers and funders:

We may also share your information with third parties, some of whom we sub contract our processing to (processors).

These include the following:

Our Use of Cookies

When you visit our website information is collected about your use of our website and shared with Google Analytics. Our site may place and access certain first party Cookies on your computer or device. First party Cookies are those placed directly by us and are used only by us. We use Cookies to facilitate and improve your experience of our site and to provide and improve our services. We have carefully chosen these Cookies and have taken steps to ensure that your privacy and personal data is protected and respected at all times.

By using our site you may also receive certain third party Cookies on your computer or device. Third party Cookies are those placed by websites, services, and/or parties other than Us. Third party Cookies are used on our site for collecting anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

These Cookies are not integral to the functioning of our site and your use and experience of our site will not be impaired by refusing consent to them.

All Cookies used by and on our site are used in accordance with current Cookie Law. Before Cookies are placed on your computer or device, you will be shown a pop-up; We use Cookies to facilitate and improve your experience of our site and to provide and improve our services requesting your consent to set those Cookies. By giving your consent to the placing of Cookies you are enabling us to provide the best possible experience and service to you. You may, if you wish, deny consent to the placing of Cookies; however certain features of our site may not function fully or as intended. You will be given the opportunity to allow Strictly Necessary Cookies, 3rd Party Cookies, Additional Cookies.

Certain features of our site depend on Cookies to function. Cookie Law deems these Cookies to be “strictly necessary”. These Cookies are shown below. Your consent will not be sought to place these Cookies, but it is still important that you are aware of them. You may still block these Cookies by changing your internet browser’s settings, but please be aware that our site may not work properly if you do so. We have taken great care to ensure that your privacy is not at risk by allowing them.

The following first party Cookies may be placed on your computer or device:

and the following third party Cookies may be placed on your computer or device:

Our site uses analytics services provided by Google Analytics. Website analytics refers to a set of tools used to collect and analyse anonymous usage information, enabling us to better understand how our site is used. This, in turn, enables us to improve our site and the services offered through it. You do not have to allow us to use these Cookies, however whilst our use of them does not pose any risk to your privacy or your safe use of our site, it does enable us to continually improve our site, making it a better and more useful experience for you.

The analytics service(s) used by our site use(s) Cookies to gather the required information.

The analytics service(s) used by our site use(s) the following Cookies:

In addition to the controls that we provide, you can choose to enable or disable Cookies in your internet browser. Most internet browsers also enable you to choose whether you wish to disable all cookies or only third party Cookies. By default, most internet browsers accept Cookies but this can be changed. For further details, please consult the help menu in your internet browser or the documentation that came with your device.

You can choose to delete Cookies on your computer or device at any time, however you may lose any information that enables you to access our site more quickly and efficiently including, but not limited to, login and personalisation settings.

It is recommended that you keep your internet browser and operating system up-to-date and that you consult the help and guidance provided by the developer of your internet browser and manufacturer of your computer or device if you are unsure about adjusting your privacy settings.

We may sometimes use third party data processors that are located outside of the European Economic Area (“the EEA”) (The EEA consists of all EU member states, plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein). Where we transfer any personal data outside the EEA, we will take all reasonable steps to ensure that your data is treated as safely and securely as it would be within the UK and complies with Data Protection Act 2018 and UK data protection laws.

We do not keep your personal data for any longer than is necessary in light of the reason for which it was first collected.

We want you to be confident that the personal information you share with us has the appropriate security measures in place to look after your data. If you would like to know more about our data security please read our IT security policy

Right to access your personal information
You have a right to request a copy of the information we hold about you and we will provide this to you unless there are any legal restrictions.

Right to have your personal information corrected
You have the right to have inaccurate or incomplete information we hold about you corrected. If you believe the information we hold about you requires updating, please provide us with details and we will make the changes necessary.

Right to restrict processing
You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of some or all of your information in the following situations:

• Some or all of the information we hold on you isn’t right
• We are not lawfully allowed to use it
• You need us to retain your information in order for you to establish, exercise or defend a legal claim
• Or you believe your privacy rights outweigh our legitimate interests to use your information for a particular purpose.

Right to be forgotten
You have the right to request that we remove or delete your personal data from our processing. Please contact us for more details at [email protected], or using the contact details below in Contact Us section.

Right to object to the use of your personal information
If we are processing your personal information based on legitimate interests or for scientific or historical research or statistics, you have a right to object to our use of your information.
If we are processing your personal information for direct marketing purposes and you wish to object, we will stop processing your information for these purposes as soon as possible.

Right to complain
If you are unhappy with the way we are using your personal information then we would appreciate your feedback so we can improve our services.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint about any use of your information with the Information Commissioners Office,

If you want to exercise any of these rights please contact us with the details of your request by email to Abby Lacey at [email protected] or by post at Berkshire LEP, The Curious Lounge, 1st Floor, Pinnacle Building, 20 Tudor Road, Reading, Berkshire RG1 1NH.

Please note that exceptions apply to a number of these rights and not all rights will be applicable in all circumstances. For more details please consult the guidance published by the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

There are a variety of ways in which we provide privacy information:

• Providing individuals with privacy information at the time we collect their personal data from them.
• If we obtain personal data from a source other than the individual it relates to, we provide them with privacy information:
  • within a reasonable of period of obtaining the personal data and no later than one month;
  • if we plan to communicate with the individual, we will do this at the latest when the first communication takes place;
  • if we plan to disclose the data to someone else, we will do this at the latest, when the data is disclosed.

Our site may, from time to time, contain links to and from the websites of our partner networks, advertisers and affiliates. If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites and any services that may be accessible through them have their own privacy notices and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies or for any personal data that may be collected through these websites or services. Please check these policies before you submit any personal data to these websites or use these services.

Personal Data shared with us before 1 April 2021

Until 31 March 2021, the Berkshire Growth Hub project was delivered by Oxford Innovation Services Ltd on behalf of Berkshire LEP. Berkshire LEP has been delivering the Berkshire Growth Hub project since 1 April 2021.

The Data Controllers for personal data shared with us up to 31 March 2021 in respect of the Berkshire Growth Hub project are the Ministry for Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and Berkshire LEP.

Until 31st March 2021, the ScaleUp Berkshire programme, Covid-19, EU Exit and Peer Networks 1.0 projects were delivered by Oxford Innovation Services Ltd, on behalf of the Berkshire LEP. These projects are completed.

The Data Controller for these projects was (and remains to the extent relevant) Berkshire LEP.
The Data Processor for the Growth Hub project, the ScaleUp Berkshire Programme Covid-19, EU Exit and Peer networks projects was, until 31 March 2021, Oxford Innovation Services Limited.
Details provided in relation to ERDF funded activities up until 31 March 2021 may continue (if required) to be used to support ERDF programme research and evaluation activities. MHCLG will need to share all or some of your personal data with the national evaluator of the ERDF programme. In some cases, the national evaluator, i.e. independent external contractors commissioned by MHCLG, may use the contact details to contact a sample of direct or indirect beneficiaries for the purpose of the National Evaluation of the programme. It is likely that the survey methodology will need to incorporate a variety of approaches in order to maximise the survey response rate (for example, telephone survey, written survey, and e-mail survey) – hence the need for a variety of contact details required for each participant. MHCLG may also need to share with other government departments and the European Commission where this is necessary to test the robustness of the data gathered or to inform the National Evaluation.

MHCLG will not give any personal data to any other organisation unless needed for the purpose of the evaluation and will instruct them not to use it to contact individuals for any reasons not connected with the purpose of the National Evaluation of the ERDF programme 2014-2020 or other matters directly relating to the evaluation. If MHCLG has to pass on the data, it will only provide what is needed, and if possible will remove the details that might identify individuals personally. MCHLG will not transfer personal data outside the European Union, to third countries or international organisations.

MHCLG will not keep your personal data for longer than it needs but as a minimum, will retain data for two years after the closure of the 2014-2020 ERDF programme in line with the European Regional Development Fund document retention guidance to ensure MHCLG meets reporting obligations and to demonstrate compliance with EU Requirements.

N.B. that ERDF participants cannot claim the following rights in terms of ERDF personal data:

• right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”);
• right to portability of their data.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

We review this Privacy Policy regularly (for example, if the law changes and annually). Any changes will be immediately posted on our site and you will be deemed to have accepted the terms of the Privacy Policy on your first use of our site following the alterations. We recommend that you check this page regularly to keep up-to-date.

Introduction

By registering for business support You are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions and You are agreeing that You shall be bound by them. Please read the terms and conditions carefully and contact Us or Your legal advisors if You have any questions. If You do not agree to be bound by all of the Terms and Conditions, please do not proceed with the registration process.

We reserve the right to withdraw or make changes and corrections to Our services at any time without notice.

The Terms and Conditions are effective from 1 April 2014. We may change the Terms and Conditions from time to time and advise You of such changes. You should then check the revised Terms and Conditions to ensure that You understand them, as they are legally binding on You.

Business Support

You may register with the Berkshire Growth Hub by submitting your personal details to Us. Registration is open to individuals, businesses and organisations.

By registering, You confirm that:

• You fulfil the criteria to qualify for business support as set out above: and
• You accept and will abide by all of the Terms and Conditions; and
• You agree that We may send You mailings, newsletters, alerts and invitations to events by email or phone that We think may be of interest to You; and
• You agree to provide true and accurate information when registering and to keep us informed of any changes to that information.
• You can request to unsubscribe at any time by emailing [email protected] 

We have the right terminate your registration at any time, if in our reasonable opinion:

• You do not meet Our registration eligibility requirements; or
• You have failed to comply with any of the provisions of these terms of use.

and You agree that We will have no liability to You as a result.

Information about You

We process information about You in accordance with Our Privacy Policy. By registering, You consent to such processing and You warrant that all data provided by You is accurate.

Access to Our website

Access to our website is subject to the Website Terms and Conditions available on the site.

Disclaimers and Limit of Liability

Please read these provisions carefully as they limit Our legal liability in connection with receiving business support which is subject to the following disclaimers:

Any information and materials we supply are provided by Us in good faith. Some materials are prepared on the basis of publicly available information and other sources which are believed to be reliable. We disclaim all responsibility and liability arising from any reliance placed on the content of such information.

We do not guarantee the accuracy or validity of the information and materials we provide. While We use reasonable endeavors to keep such information up to date and correct, neither We nor any third parties make any representations or provide any warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, completeness, or suitability of the information or materials provided. You acknowledge that such information and materials may contain inaccuracies or errors and We expressly exclude liability for any such inaccuracies or errors to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Nothing in the Terms and Conditions shall attempt to limit liability that is not permissible under applicable law including for death or personal injury arising from Our negligence or for fraudulent misrepresentation.

Except as expressly set out in the Terms and Conditions, in no event will We be liable (including in contract, tort, negligence, statutory duty or otherwise, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law) for any loss or damage whatsoever, including without limitation, direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage, incurred by any user resulting from whatever cause arising out of or in connection with the use of any information or material supplied by Us.

Copyright and Intellectual Property Rights

We are the owner or the licensee of all intellectual property rights, including copyright, in the content of any mailings, newsletters, alerts and other information we send you (“Content”) where Content includes any information, mode of expression, news, article, directory, database, image, animation, trademark, trade name, logo or other material or works. Where trademarks of Our partners are used in any Content, they are used with the relevant partner’s permission, for the purpose of advising You of their services.

If You redistribute or reproduce part or all of the Content in any form Our status and that of any identified contributors as authors of the Content must always be acknowledged.

You may not, except with Our express written permission, commercially exploit the Content. If you wish to make enquiries about a licence to reproduce material supplied by Us, please Contact Us.

Governing Law

The Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. Your registration is subject to the laws of England and Wales and You and We agree that the courts of England shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim brought by You arising from Your registration, although We retain the right to bring proceedings against You for breach of these conditions in Your country of residence or any other relevant country.

General

If any provision of the Terms and Conditions shall be unlawful, void or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions.

The Terms and Conditions constitute the entire agreement between You and Us with respect to the subject matter hereof and shall supersede all previous representations, agreements and other communications between You and Us, both oral and written.

At The Skills and Business Hub Limited (SBH), we are committed to conducting all our activities with integrity, transparency, and accountability. We operate a strict zero-tolerance policy towards bribery and corruption in any form.

We fully comply with the UK Bribery Act 2010 and the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.

We expect the same high standards from all of our employees, partners, suppliers, contractors, and stakeholders. No one acting on behalf of SBH is permitted to offer, give, solicit, or accept bribes or improper inducements of any kind.

We actively promote a culture of openness and encourage anyone who becomes aware of any suspicious or unethical conduct to report their concerns. All reports will be treated seriously and handled confidentially.

By embedding these principles into the way we work, we aim to protect our organisation, strengthen trust with our stakeholders, and contribute to a fair and ethical business environment.

If you have any questions about our anti-bribery approach or wish to raise a concern, please contact us at [email protected]

Cancellation Policy here?

Cookies have many uses, but fundamentally they are used to store session information as you move from page to page inside a website. Common uses are to enable shopping-basket functionality or to ensure you do not need to change language preferences each time you move to a new page within a site. None of the cookies used within this site enable us to track information on individual users.

To delete cookies or reject cookies
We recommend you allow the cookies set by this website; they help us to provide a better service. If you do not want to receive cookies from our website, please select cookie settings under the privacy settings in your browser options, then add thamesvalleyberkshire.co.uk to the list of websites you do not want to accept cookies from. Under settings you can also delete individual cookies or any cookies that your browser has stored. If you set your browser to refuse cookies, please be aware that there may be functionality on various websites that does not work for you.

The cookies we use are:
Cookies Set By Google Analytics

The Google Analytics cookie contains a randomly-generated ID which is used to recognise your browser when you view a page. The cookie contains some personal information about your browser configuration and your location, however we cannot identify you as an individual user from this cookie within Google Analytics. The data generated from this cookie is used to create a picture of an ‘average user’ to gain an understanding of which pages are most and least popular within the site to improve the user experience.