Privacy policy
Last updated
This policy explains how Darwin collects and uses personal data when you visit our website, contact us or work with us, and the rights you have over that data. We keep it short and in plain English. If anything is unclear, email us.
Who we are
Darwin is a trading name of MHDS Consulting Limited, a company registered in England and Wales.
For the purposes of UK data protection law, including the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, MHDS Consulting Limited is the controller of the personal data described in this policy.
You can contact us about anything in this policy at hello@wearedarwin.co.uk, on 01202 985108, or by post to 26 Commercial Road, Parkstone, Poole BH14 0JR.
What we collect
When you contact us. If you fill in our contact form, email or call us, we collect the details you give us: usually your name, email address, organisation, phone number and your message.
When you work with us. If you’re a client, supplier or partner, we keep the contact and business details we need to deliver and manage our work together, including invoices and correspondence.
When you visit our website. Our hosting provider automatically records basic technical information, such as your IP address, browser type and the pages requested, to keep the site secure and running. We don’t use this to identify you.
If you accept analytics cookies. Google Analytics and HubSpot record how you use the site, such as the pages you visit, roughly where you are and the device you use. If you later contact us, HubSpot can link your enquiry to the pages you visited. Leadinfo uses your IP address to recognise the company you’re visiting from (not you personally), so we can see which organisations are interested in our work. See our cookie policy.
We don’t collect special category data (such as health information) through this website, and we ask that you don’t send it to us.
How we use it, and why
| What we do | Our lawful basis |
|---|---|
| Reply to your enquiry and arrange a meeting | Legitimate interests (responding to people who contact us), or steps before entering a contract |
| Deliver and manage work for our clients | Performance of a contract |
| Send invoices and keep financial records | Legal obligation |
| Keep the website secure and working | Legitimate interests |
| Understand how people use our website (analytics cookies) | Consent, given in the cookie banner |
| Send occasional news about our work, if you’ve asked to receive it | Consent (you can withdraw it at any time) |
We never sell your data, and we don’t use it for automated decision-making or profiling.
Who we share it with
We only share personal data with trusted providers who help us run our business, and only as much as they need:
- Netlify, which hosts this website and processes contact form submissions
- Google (Google Analytics), HubSpot and Leadinfo, for website analytics, only if you accept analytics cookies
- Our email and office software provider
- Our accountants and professional advisers, where needed
We may also share data if the law requires it.
International transfers
Some of our providers, including Netlify, Google and HubSpot, may process data outside the UK, for example in the United States. Where that happens, we make sure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement.
How long we keep it
- Enquiries that don’t lead to work: up to two years, then deleted
- Client and supplier records: for as long as we work together, then six years for legal and accounting purposes
- Website server logs: for the period set by our hosting provider, usually no more than 30 days
Your rights
You have the right to:
- ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- ask us to correct anything that’s wrong or incomplete
- ask us to delete your data
- object to, or ask us to restrict, how we use your data
- ask us to transfer your data to another organisation
- withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on it
To use any of these rights, email hello@wearedarwin.co.uk. We’ll respond within one month, and there’s no charge.
Cookies
We only use analytics cookies if you accept them, and you can change your choice at any time with the Cookie settings link in the footer. You can read more in our cookie policy.
Complaints
If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your data, please tell us first so we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator, at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Changes to this policy
We’ll update this page if the way we use personal data changes. The date at the top shows when it was last updated.