Privacy Policy

1. SHEK Architect provides expert witness services based at Regal House, London Road, Twickenham, TW1 3QS. This privacy notice provides information about the personal information we process about you as a data controller, in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

2. Our ICO registration number is A8601300

3. Please contact SHEK Architects at info@shekarchitects.com with any questions or requests about the personal information we process.

Your rights

4. We are committed to protecting your rights to privacy. They include:

• Right to be informed about what we do with your personal data;
• Right to have a copy of all the personal information we process about you;
• Right to rectification of any inaccurate data we process, and to add to the information we hold about you if it is incomplete;
• Right to be forgotten and your personal data destroyed;
• Right to restrict the processing of your personal data;
• Right to object to the processing we carry out based on our legitimate interest;

The personal data we process, why we process it, where it comes from and the legal basis for doing so

Legal cases

5. We process the personal data of individuals who are obtaining legal advice or are engaged in a legal dispute, and also the personal data of witnesses and others with links to the issues in the case.

6. The personal data may include:

• Names, contact details and dates of birth;
• Financial information and bank details;
• Health information;
• Information about race, ethnic origin and sex;

7. The personal data are generally provided by the person instructing us in relation to the legal issues, who is usually a solicitor.

8. We process the data because it is in our legitimate interests as an expert witness to do so. We need to see and analyse documents containing this information in order to provide our expert advice.

9. In relation to any special category personal data, such as health records or information concerning, race, ethnic origin, or sex is, we rely on the legal claims basis for processing this data, in addition to our legitimate interest.

10. In many cases, an individual has consented to the transfer of their personal data to us. Where an individual has consented, he or she may easily withdraw it by notifying SHEK architects at info@shekarchitects.com.

Other personal data

11. We also process personal data pursuant to our legitimate interests in running our business such as:

• Invoices and receipts;
• Insurance policies and related documents;
• Council Tax bills and related documents;
• Mortgage statements and related documents;
• Statements from landlords and rent remittances;
• Utility bills and related documents

12. As an employer, we process personal data further to contracts of employment with our employees. The information includes:

• Names, addresses and contact details;
• Pay and bank details, pay slips;
• Curricula vitae, contracts of employment, references and appraisals;
• Health information ( in reliance on the occupational health exemption contained in the Data Protection Act 2018)

Retention period

14. Personal data in legal cases is retained, where necessary, for six years in compliance with our professional indemnity obligations. Where this is not necessary, it is destroyed on the conclusion of the case.

15. Administrative data is retained for up to six years as necessary, in the unlikely event there are queries from HMRC and the VAT commissioner. Where it is not necessary to retain the data for six years, it is destroyed as soon as possible.

16. Personal data relating to employees who have left our employment is also retained for up to six years as necessary. This is the time limit for bringing a breach of contract claim. In some case we destroy it as soon as the employee leaves.

Whom do we share personal data with?

17. We share personal data internally strictly on a need to know basis.

18. Special category data and personnel files held electronically are encrypted with restricted access. Hard copy special category and other personal data is stored securely with restricted access.

19. We do not share personal data with anyone external to the organisation, other than with:

• Those who have instructed us as an expert witness
• Outsourced service providers such as photocopying companies and digital dictation services, pursuant to GDPR compliant written contracts
• HMRC and the VAT Commissioner as they require
• With others pursuant to a court order

Information Commissioner' s Office

20. If you have any concerns about the way your personal information has been processed, please contact SHEK Architects. Alternatively, you may contact the Information Commissioner's Office on 0303 123 1113.

HOW CAN YOU CONTACT US ABOUT THIS POLICY?

If you have questions or comments about this policy, you may email us at info@shekarchitects.com or by post to:
SHEK Architects Ltd
Regal House
London Road
Twickenham TW1 3QS
United Kingdom