Privacy Policy

Last updated: January 2025

Hello! I'm Paul Thomas, and I run Navigating Transitions. I take your privacy seriously, and I want to be completely transparent about how I handle your information.

This policy explains what data I collect, why I collect it, how I use it, and your rights. I've written it in plain English because privacy policies shouldn't require a law degree to understand.

Who I Am

Navigating Transitions is run by Paul Thomas Coaching Ltd.

When I say "I", "me", or "my" in this policy, that's who I'm referring to.

What Information I Collect

When you use the Navigating Transitions Assessment, I collect:

• Your name and email address – so I can create your account and send you your results
• Your assessment responses – the answers you give to the 15 questions about motivation, learning, and identity
• Your scores – the results calculated from your responses
• Assessment history – if you take the assessment multiple times, I keep track so you can see your progress
• Technical information – basic stuff like your IP address and browser type, which helps me keep the site secure and working properly

Why I Collect This Information

I collect this data for specific, legitimate reasons:

• To provide the assessment – I can't calculate your results or show you your progress without storing your responses
• To help you track your development – keeping your assessment history lets you see how you're progressing over time
• To communicate with you – I need your email to send you assessment results and respond to any questions
• To improve the service – understanding how people use the assessment helps me make it better
• To meet legal requirements – keeping certain records helps me comply with tax, accounting, and business regulations

How I Use Your Information

Here's what I do (and don't do) with your data:

What I DO use it for:

• Providing your assessment results and tracking your progress
• Responding to your questions or requests for support
• Sending you information you've requested about the Navigating Transitions programme
• Improving the assessment based on how it's being used (in aggregate, anonymous form)
• Complying with legal obligations

What I DON'T do with it:

• Sell it to anyone
• Share it with advertisers
• Use it to spam you with marketing emails (unless you've specifically opted in)
• Share your individual responses or scores with anyone else without your explicit permission

How I Protect Your Information

Your data security matters to me. Here's how I keep your information safe:

• Secure storage – All data is stored using Google Firebase, which uses industry-standard encryption and security measures
• Password protection – Your account is protected by your password (which I never store in plain text)
• Limited access – Only I have access to the database, and I only access it when necessary
• Secure transmission – All data sent between your browser and the server is encrypted using HTTPS

Whilst I take reasonable precautions to protect your information, no internet transmission is ever 100% secure. I do everything I can to keep your data safe, but I can't guarantee absolute security.

How Long I Keep Your Information

I keep your data for as long as you have an account with me, plus a reasonable period afterwards:

• Active accounts – As long as you're using the service, I'll keep your data so you can track your progress
• Inactive accounts – If you haven't logged in for 2 years, I'll send you an email asking if you want to keep your account. If I don't hear back, I'll delete your data
• After deletion – Once deleted, your personal data is removed from active systems within 30 days

Your Rights

Under UK data protection law (GDPR), you have several important rights:

• Access – You can request a copy of all the personal data I hold about you
• Correction – If any of your data is inaccurate, you can ask me to correct it
• Deletion – You can ask me to delete your account and all your data at any time
• Portability – You can ask for your data in a machine-readable format to take elsewhere
• Objection – You can object to how I'm processing your data
• Restriction – You can ask me to limit how I use your data

To exercise any of these rights, just get in touch using the contact details below. I'll respond within one month.

Cookies and Tracking

The assessment uses minimal cookies:

• Essential cookies – These are necessary for the site to work (e.g. keeping you logged in)
• No marketing cookies – I don't use cookies to track you around the web or show you targeted ads
• No analytics tracking – I don't currently use Google Analytics or similar tools

Third-Party Services

I use a small number of trusted third-party services to run the assessment:

• Google Firebase – For secure data storage and user authentication. They have their own privacy policy at firebase.google.com/support/privacy
• Google Calendar – For booking calls (only if you choose to book a session)

These services process data on my behalf under strict contractual terms. They don't use your data for their own purposes.

International Transfers

Your data is stored on servers in the European Union (Firebase's European servers). If data ever needs to be transferred outside the EU, I'll ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

Children's Privacy

The Navigating Transitions Assessment is designed for professionals and is not intended for anyone under 18. I don't knowingly collect data from children.

Changes to This Policy

I may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in the service or legal requirements. If I make significant changes, I'll notify you by email.

The "last updated" date at the top of this page shows when the policy was last revised.

Questions or Concerns

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how I handle your data, please get in touch. I'm here to help and I'm happy to clarify anything.

Right to Complain

If you're unhappy with how I've handled your personal data, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator:

• Website: ico.org.uk
• Phone: 0303 123 1113

However, I'd really appreciate it if you'd contact me first so I can try to resolve any concerns directly.