Privacy Policy

The St Martins Karate Carnforth privacy policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information.

About us

St Martins Karate Carnforth forms part of St Martins Karate Group.

For data-protection purposes, references to “we”, “us”, “our” or “the club” mean St Martins Karate Carnforth and, where relevant, St Martins Karate Group.

We are responsible for deciding how and why personal information is used.

Who this policy applies to

This policy applies to personal information relating to:

Children have the same data-protection rights as adults, and their information requires particular care and protection.

Information we may collect

Depending on how someone interacts with the club, we may collect:

names and dates of birth;
parent or carer names and contact details;
home addresses;
telephone numbers and email addresses;
emergency-contact details;
attendance, membership, grading and training records;
payment and transaction information;
photographs and video recordings;
information submitted through contact or safeguarding forms;
correspondence and enquiries;
information about accidents, incidents or complaints;
DBS, qualification and training information relating to instructors or volunteers;
website information such as IP addresses, browser details and cookie preferences;
any other information someone chooses to provide.

Health and other sensitive information

We may need to collect information about:

medical conditions;
allergies;
injuries;
disabilities or additional needs;
medication;
safeguarding concerns;
other information relevant to safe participation.

Some of this may be classed as special-category personal data and will receive additional protection.

We only ask for information that is reasonably necessary to support safe participation, safeguarding, first aid or the proper administration of the club.

How we collect information

We may collect information:

directly from members, parents or carers;
through membership, consent, contact or safeguarding forms;
through email, telephone, messaging services or face-to-face discussions;
during classes, gradings, events or competitions;
from instructors, volunteers or authorised club representatives;
from governing bodies, venues or emergency services where appropriate;
through our website and its cookies or technical logs;
from publicly available sources where necessary and lawful.

How we use personal information

We may use personal information to:

respond to enquiries; manage memberships and trial sessions;
communicate with members, parents and carers;
organise classes, gradings, events and competitions;
maintain attendance, grading and progress records;
collect fees and maintain financial records;
support health, safety, first aid and emergency arrangements;
make reasonable adjustments and support additional needs;
manage safeguarding concerns; investigate accidents, complaints or disciplinary matters;
select and manage instructors, volunteers and young leaders;
maintain DBS, training and qualification records;
take and publish photographs where appropriate consent or another lawful basis applies;
operate, maintain and protect the website;
meet insurance, governing-body and legal requirements;
improve the club and its activities.

Our lawful reasons for using information

Depending on the circumstances, we may use personal information because:

it is necessary to provide membership, training or another requested service;
we have a legal obligation;
it is necessary to protect someone’s vital interests;
we have a legitimate interest in managing and protecting the club;
consent has been provided;
it is necessary for safeguarding, health, safety or legal claims.

Where we rely upon consent, it may be withdrawn at any time. Withdrawal does not make any earlier use of the information unlawful.

Consent is not always the only or most appropriate lawful basis, particularly where information must be retained for safeguarding, legal or insurance purposes.

Children’s information

We take particular care when handling information about children and young people.

Where appropriate, information will normally be obtained from a parent or carer. However, children and young people may also have the capacity to understand and exercise their own data-protection rights.

Privacy information should be explained in language appropriate to the child’s age and understanding.

We do not knowingly use children’s information for automated decision-making or commercial profiling.

Photographs and video

The club may take photographs or video recordings during classes, gradings, demonstrations, competitions or other activities.

These may be used for:

the club website;
the club’s social-media accounts;
promotional materials;
news and event reports;
training or educational purposes;
historical club records.

We will follow our photography guidance, safeguarding procedures and consent arrangements.

Consent for promotional photography may be withdrawn for future use. However, it may not always be possible to remove material that has already been printed, shared by others or archived.

Website contact forms

When someone contacts us through the website, we may collect their name, email address, telephone number and the information included in their message.

We use this information to:

respond to the enquiry;
provide requested information;
manage membership or trial-session enquiries;
respond to concerns or complaints;
keep an appropriate record of the communication.

A clear link to this Privacy Policy should be placed beside the Contact form. The ICO recommends providing privacy information at the point where information is collected, with access to the fuller notice.

Safeguarding reports

Safeguarding information may be particularly sensitive.

We may use and share it where necessary to:

protect a child, young person or adult at risk;
investigate or respond to a concern;
obtain specialist advice;
fulfil our safeguarding responsibilities;
comply with the law.

Safeguarding information may be shared with the club’s safeguarding leads, governing or membership bodies, the local authority, police, social care, healthcare professionals or other appropriate organisations.

We will not promise absolute confidentiality where information needs to be shared to protect someone.

Who we may share information with

Where necessary and lawful, information may be shared with:

club instructors and authorised volunteers;
St Martins Karate Group;
parents, carers or authorised collectors;
the club’s insurers;
the club’s governing or membership bodies;
grading, competition or event organisers;
venues and activity providers;
website, email, cloud-storage and IT providers;
accountants, professional advisers or payment providers;
healthcare professionals and emergency services;
safeguarding organisations, the local authority, police or social care;
regulators and legal authorities;
other organisations where the person has agreed or the law permits it.

We do not sell personal information.

Service providers

We may use trusted organisations to provide services such as:

website hosting;
email;
cloud storage;
online forms;
payment processing;
communications;
event management; technical support.

These providers may process information on our behalf and are expected to protect it appropriately.

Some providers may store or process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this happens, we will take reasonable steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

Cookies and website information

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

make the website work;
remember preferences;
protect the website;
understand how it is used;
support embedded or third-party services.

More information is available in our Cookie Policy.

Non-essential cookies should not be set without appropriate consent.

How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary.

Retention periods depend on:

why the information was collected;
safeguarding requirements;
insurance requirements;
financial and tax rules;
governing-body requirements;
legal limitation periods;
whether an ongoing enquiry,
complaint or legal claim exists.

Some routine enquiry information may be deleted once it is no longer needed. Membership, accident, safeguarding, financial and instructor records may need to be kept for longer.

When information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised where reasonably possible.

How we protect information

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from:

unauthorised access;
accidental loss;
misuse;
alteration;
disclosure;
destruction.

Measures may include:

passwords and access controls;
secure devices and accounts;
limiting access to those who need the information;
secure storage;
staff and volunteer guidance;
backups and software updates;
secure disposal of records.

No system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we will take proportionate steps to reduce the risks.

Data breaches

If personal information is lost, accessed or disclosed improperly, we will assess the incident and take appropriate action.

Where required, we will report a personal-data breach to the Information Commissioner’s Office and inform affected individuals.

Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, people may have the right to:

be informed about how their information is used;
request access to their information;
ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;
ask for information to be deleted;
ask us to restrict how information is used;
object to certain uses;
receive information in a portable format;
withdraw consent;
complain about the handling of their information.

These rights are not absolute and may depend upon the lawful reason for holding the information.

Children have these rights as well as adults.

Requests about personal information

Requests should be submitted through our Contact page.

We may need to confirm the requester’s identity before disclosing or changing personal information.

Where a parent or carer makes a request about a child’s information, we will consider the child’s age, understanding, best interests and rights before responding.

Complaints

Anyone who is concerned about how the club has handled personal information should contact us first so that we can investigate.

They may also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK regulator for data protection.

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

The ICO’s guidance says UK organisations should tell people that they may complain to the ICO and provide its contact details.

Changes to this policy