Privacy Policy - Tree Surgeons Shadwell

This Privacy Policy explains how Tree Surgeons Shadwell collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data. It applies to all Tree Surgeons Shadwell customers in the area, including prospective customers, existing customers, and individuals who enquire about our services. We are committed to handling personal data in a lawful, fair, and transparent manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

Tree Surgeons Shadwell provides tree surgery and related arboricultural services. In the course of delivering our services, we may collect and process personal data relating to customers, property owners, occupants, site representatives, and other relevant individuals. We do so only where necessary for legitimate business purposes and in line with data protection law.

2. Personal data we collect

We may collect the following categories of personal data:

Identity data, such as name and title.
Contact data, such as postal address and other communication details provided during an enquiry or service arrangement.
Service and property data, such as details about the trees, site conditions, access requirements, and job instructions.
Payment and transaction data, where relevant to invoicing, quotations, and record-keeping.
Communication data, including messages, notes, and records of correspondence.
Technical data, such as limited website or device information if you interact with our online services.
Photographic data, where images are needed for quotations, safety assessments, job records, or evidence of work completed.

We do not intentionally collect special category data unless it is required and a lawful basis applies. If such data is ever needed, we will handle it with extra care and only where permitted by law.

3. How we collect data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

request a quotation or make an enquiry;
book services or arrange site access;
communicate with us by phone, email, or other means;
provide feedback or make a complaint;
complete forms or submit information voluntarily.

We may also collect data indirectly from:

property owners, landlords, managing agents, or tenants;
publicly available sources where necessary to verify property or site information;
third parties involved in the provision or administration of our services.

We only collect information that is relevant and necessary for the work we provide.

4. Why we use personal data

We process personal data for the following purposes:

to respond to enquiries and provide quotations;
to arrange and deliver tree surgery services;
to assess site conditions, safety requirements, and access arrangements;
to manage payments, invoices, and accounting records;
to communicate with customers about appointments, service updates, or aftercare;
to maintain business records and demonstrate compliance with legal obligations;
to handle complaints, disputes, or insurance-related matters;
to improve our services and customer experience;
to protect our business, staff, customers, and property.

We do not use personal data for unrelated purposes without a valid legal basis.

5. Lawful basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following bases where appropriate:

Contract

We process personal data where it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you. This includes providing quotations, scheduling work, delivering services, and managing related communication.

Legal obligation

We may process personal data to comply with legal requirements, including tax, accounting, health and safety, and regulatory record-keeping obligations.

Legitimate interests

We may process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include service administration, security, record-keeping, fraud prevention, and responding to customer queries.

Consent

In limited cases, we may rely on consent, for example where it is required for specific optional communications or uses. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

6. How we share data and processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors or independent controllers, only where necessary for our operations or legal obligations. These may include:

accountants and bookkeeping providers;
IT and data storage providers;
software platforms used for scheduling, invoicing, or communication;
insurance providers and claims handlers;
subcontractors or specialist service providers working on our behalf;
legal, regulatory, or law enforcement bodies where required by law.

Where a third party acts as a processor, they are only permitted to process personal data on our instructions and must implement appropriate security measures. We require processors to handle data lawfully and confidentially.

We do not sell personal data. We do not disclose more information than is necessary for the relevant purpose.

7. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the type of record and the reason it is held.

Quotation and enquiry records may be retained for a reasonable period to manage follow-up, maintain business records, and respond to queries.
Customer service and transaction records may be retained for contractual and accounting purposes.
Job records, safety notes, and photographs may be retained where needed to evidence work completed or meet legal obligations.
Financial records are typically retained in line with statutory and tax requirements.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete it or anonymise it where appropriate.

8. Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include restricted access, secure storage, password protection, staff awareness, and careful selection of processors.

While no system can be guaranteed completely secure, we work to maintain a level of protection appropriate to the risks involved.

9. International transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we will ensure suitable safeguards are in place and that the transfer complies with data protection law. Any such transfer will only occur where necessary and with appropriate legal protection.

10. Your rights

Under data protection law, you have several rights regarding your personal data. These may include:

Right of access – to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure – to request deletion of data in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing – to ask us to limit how we use your data in some cases.
Right to object – to object to processing based on legitimate interests in certain situations.
Right to data portability – to receive certain data in a usable format where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on consent.

You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve the matter promptly.

11. Children’s data

Our services are intended for adults and business or property-related customers. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children unless it is necessary in a specific situation and permitted by law.

12. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, service practices, or operational needs. Any updates will apply from the date they are posted or otherwise communicated. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically.

13. Summary of our approach

Tree Surgeons Shadwell is committed to processing personal data responsibly, transparently, and securely. We only collect data that is necessary, use it for clear and lawful purposes, share it carefully with trusted processors where required, and keep it only for as long as needed. Your privacy matters to us, and we aim to ensure all customer data is handled with respect and care.

This policy applies to all Tree Surgeons Shadwell customers in the area.