Privacy Policy

Who are we?


Compass Associates Ltd, (registered company no. 07090618) trading as Compass Associates; Compass Corporate Services; Compass Executives, Compass Life Sciences and Compass Recruitment Solutions (CRS) of Compass House, 8A High Street, Cosham, Hants, PO6 3BZ, United Kingdom; [email protected]; + 44 (0)2392 384555.
We provide permanent and contact recruitment services to clients looking to recruit personnel for their businesses.


What does this policy cover?
We at Compass Recruitment Solutions take your personal data seriously. This policy:
(a) sets out the types of personal data that we collect about you
(b) explains how and why we collect and use your personal data
(c) explains how long we keep your personal data for
(d) explains when, why and with who we will share your personal data;
(e) sets out the legal basis we have for using your personal data;
(f) explains the effect of refusing to provide the personal data requested;
(g) explains the different rights and choices you have when it comes to your personal data; and
(h) explains how we may contact you and how you can contact us.


What personal data do we collect about you?
We collect the information necessary to be able to find available opportunities and further information needed to assess your eligibility through the different stages of recruitment. This information includes CV’s, identification documents, educational records, work history, employment and references, details of any professional registrations.
We may also collect special category data, in the form of race, ethic origin, political views, religious affiliations, trade union membership, health and sexual orientation. We only store special category data, and further process this data, where you have given your explicit consent.


Where do we collect personal data about you from
The following are the different sources we may collect personal data about you from:
Directly from you. This is information you provide while searching for a new opportunity and/or during the different recruitment stages.


Through publicly available sources
By reference or word of mouth. For example, you may be recommended by a friend, a former employer, a former colleague or even a present employer.


How and why we use your personal data?
We use your personal data to match your skills, experience and education with a potential employer. We will initially collect basic information on you such as contact details, job role and experience and pass this to the client in search of personnel. If you are progressed by the client then we may require more information from you.


How long do we keep your personal data for?
We only retain your information for as long as is necessary for us to use your information as described above or to comply with our legal obligations. Please be advised that this may be after you cease to use our services.

When determining the relevant retention periods, we will take into account factors including:
(a) our contractual obligations and rights in relation to the information involved;
(b) legal obligation(s) under applicable law to retain data for a certain period of time;
(c) our legitimate interest where we have carried out a balancing test (see legal basis below);
(d) statute of limitations under applicable law(s);
(e) (potential) disputes;
(f) if you have made a request to have your information deleted; and
(g) guidelines issued by relevant data protection authorities.

Otherwise, we securely erase your information where we no longer require it for the purposes collected.


Who do we share your personal data with?
Your personal data is shared with clients who initiate a search for personnel or with clients we believe may have a requirement for someone with your experience and skillset. We share your data so clients can assess whether you are a good fit for their available positions. Your data may be shared with clients, or intermediaries acting on their behalf, as part of the recruitment process. The different kinds of clients that we work with are independent, third-sector and privately-backed companies within the private Health, Social Care, and the Life Sciences Sectors.


What legal basis do we have for using your information?
For prospective candidates, contractors, referees and clients, our processing is necessary for our legitimate interests in that we need the information in order to be able to assess suitability for potential roles, to find potential candidates and to contact clients and referees. We carry out a ‘balancing test’ to ensure that our processing is necessary and that your fundamental rights of privacy are not outweighed by our legitimate interests, before we go ahead with such processing. We keep a record of these balancing tests. You have a right to and can find out more about the information in these balancing tests by contacting us using the details below.

If you are interviewed and submitted as a candidate, then this may involve the processing of more detailed personal data including special category data such as health information that you provide. In that case we always ask for your consent before undertaking such processing.

For clients, we may also rely on our processing being necessary to perform a contract for you.


What happens if you do not provide us with the information we request or ask that we stop processing your information?
If you do not provide the personal data necessary, object to the processing of your personal data or withdraw your consent, where applicable, we may not be able to match you with available job opportunities.


Do we make automated decisions concerning you?
No, we do not carry out automated profiling.


Do we use Cookies to collect your personal data?
To provide better service via our websites, we use cookies to collect personal data when you browse. See our cookie policy here for more details


Do we transfer your data outside the UK and Europe?
We may sometimes transfer your personal data to countries outside the UK and European Economic Area, for example, if we are either using a supplier or working with a client based elsewhere. You can find the list of European member states by clicking on the following link: https://europa.eu/european-union/about-eu/countries/member-countries_en. The privacy laws in countries outside the UK and European Economic Area may be different from those in your home country.
Where we transfer data to a country that has not been deemed to provide adequate data protection standards, we always have security measures and approved clauses or other adequate safeguards in place to protect your personal data. Please contact us if you would like more details about our safeguards for data transfers.


What rights do you have in relation to the data we hold on you?
By law, you have a number of rights when it comes to your personal data. Further information and advice about your rights can be obtained from the data protection regulator in your country.


Rights

What does this mean?

1. The right to be informed

You have the right to be provided with clear, transparent and easily understandable information about how we use your information and your rights. This is why we’re providing you with the information in this Policy.


2. The right of access

You have the right to obtain access to your information (if we’re processing it), and certain other information (similar to that provided in this Privacy Policy). This is so you’re aware and can check that we’re using your information in accordance with data protection law.


3. The right to rectification

You are entitled to have your information corrected if it’s inaccurate or incomplete.


4. The right to erasure

This is also known as ‘the right to be forgotten’ and, in simple terms, enables you to request the deletion or removal of your information where there’s no compelling reason for us to keep using it. This is not a general right to erasure; there are exceptions.


5. The right to restrict processing

You have rights to ‘block’ or suppress further use of your information. When processing is restricted, we can still store your information, but may not use it further. We keep a record of people who have asked for further use of their information to be ‘blocked’ to make sure the restriction is respected.


6. The right to object to processing

You have the right to object to certain types of processing, including processing for direct marketing (i.e. if you no longer want to be contacted with potential opportunities).


7. The right to lodge a complaint

You have the right to lodge a complaint about the way we handle or process your personal data with your national data protection regulator.


8. The right to withdraw consent

If you have given your consent to anything we do with your personal data, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time (although if you do so, it does not mean that anything we have done with your personal data with your consent up to that point is unlawful). This includes your right to withdraw consent to us using your personal data for marketing purposes.

We usually act on requests and provide information free of charge, but may charge a reasonable fee to cover our administrative costs of providing the information for:

  • baseless or excessive/repeated requests, or
  • further copies of the same information.

Alternatively, we may be entitled to refuse to act on the request.

Please consider your request responsibly before submitting it. We will endeavour to respond as soon as possible. Generally, this will be within one month from when we receive your request however, if the request will be lengthy to process we will make you aware and provide a reasonable timeframe for a response.


How will we contact you?

We may contact you by phone, email or social media. If you have a preference regarding means of contact, please let us know


How can you contact us?

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, or have further questions on the processing of your personal data, please contact our Director of Data Protection, Chris Russell at CRS, Compass House, 8A High Street, Cosham, Hants, PO6 3BZ, [email protected]


Revisions

Version: 1
Date: 21st May 2018
Who: Kathryn Fairbrother
Amended: Original Document

Version: 2
Date: 26th March 2019
Who: Cassie Pay
Amended: Rebranded to CHG

Version: 3
Date: 28th September 2020
Who: Cassie Pay
Amended: Added Compass Life Sciences as a brand

Version: 4
Date: 15th March 2022
Who: Maria Saunders
Amended: Rebrand & Amended contact name