How we handle your data.

Last updated 12 May 2026

Draft, pending legal review. This policy has been drafted in line with UK GDPR and ICO guidance and reflects the data flows currently active on this website. Items marked [CONFIRM] require sign-off from the data controller or a solicitor before publication.

1. Who we are

This policy explains how Designer Recruitment Ltd ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you use this website or our recruitment services. Designer Recruitment is a UK specialist recruitment consultancy serving the Kitchen, Bedroom, Bathroom and Builders Merchant industry.

We are the data controller for the personal data we hold about you. Our contact details:

Designer Recruitment Ltd, Unit 2, Albert Road, Rushden, NN10 0BU, United Kingdom
Registered in England & Wales, company number 14807282
Email: hello@designerrecruitment.co.uk
Data protection enquiries: privacy@designerrecruitment.co.uk
ICO registration: [CONFIRM ICO registration number]

2. What personal data we collect

From candidates

Identity and contact details: full name, email address, telephone number, postal address or postcode.
Employment information: CV, work history, qualifications, references, salary expectations, role preferences, notice period, eligibility to work in the UK.
Application data: cover notes, source of application, the role(s) you have expressed interest in.
Marketing preferences: whether you have opted in to job alerts, SMS notifications, or industry updates.
Where relevant, sensitive information such as right-to-work documentation. We only collect this where strictly necessary and with an appropriate lawful basis under Article 9 UK GDPR.

From clients (hiring managers and businesses)

Identity and contact details of your representatives: name, business email, telephone number, role.
Role briefs, business requirements, salary bands, and any information you share when submitting a vacancy.

From all website visitors

Technical information needed to deliver the site (IP address at the moment of request, browser type, referring URL).
Information you choose to give us via the contact form.

We do not currently use any analytics, advertising, or behavioural tracking cookies on this website. See our Cookie Policy for further detail.

3. How we collect your data

Directly from you when you submit a form on this site, send us your CV, post a role, or contact us by email, telephone, or LinkedIn.
From third-party sources such as LinkedIn, professional referrals, or industry events, where we identify candidates who may be a fit for an open role.
From clients who share information about themselves and their hiring requirements.

4. Why we collect it, and our lawful basis

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

Legitimate interests for matching candidates with appropriate vacancies, maintaining our candidate and client database, and communicating with you about active opportunities. Our legitimate interest is operating a specialist recruitment service.
Consent for marketing communications (job alerts, SMS notifications, industry updates) and for any direct marketing not connected to an active enquiry. You can withdraw consent at any time.
Contract when we are performing an engagement letter with you (for example, a placed candidate or a client engagement).
Legal obligation where required, for example confirming right-to-work or responding to lawful requests from regulators.

5. How we use your data

To match candidates with suitable vacancies and present shortlists to our clients.
To communicate with you about roles, applications, and the progress of an engagement.
To respond to enquiries submitted via our website or by email or telephone.
To send you job alerts, SMS notifications, or industry updates if you have opted in.
To improve our service, train our team, and maintain accurate records.
To meet our legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations.

6. Who we share your data with

We share your personal data only where it is necessary to deliver our service to you, where we have your consent, or where we are required to by law. Recipients may include:

Prospective employers we believe are a strong match for you. We only share a candidate's CV and supporting information after first discussing the role and confirming you are happy to be put forward.
Other Designer Recruitment consultants within our team, on a need-to-know basis.
Service providers that support our business, including our website hosting provider, our applicant tracking system, our email provider, and (where applicable) Stripe for processing CV & Career Services payments. [CONFIRM list of named processors and DPAs in place]
Professional advisers such as our accountants, lawyers, and auditors where reasonably required.
Regulators and authorities where we are required to disclose information by law.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

7. International transfers

Designer Recruitment supports clients in the United Kingdom and also in Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Ireland. When we share candidate information with a client outside the UK we ensure an appropriate transfer mechanism is in place under UK GDPR:

Ireland is covered by the UK's adequacy regulations for the EU/EEA.
Australia and the UAE are not covered by an adequacy decision. Transfers to these countries are made using the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or the equivalent EU Standard Contractual Clauses with the UK Addendum, alongside any additional safeguards required by a transfer risk assessment.

You can request a copy of the safeguards in place for any specific transfer by emailing privacy@designerrecruitment.co.uk.

8. How long we keep your data

We keep personal data only for as long as we need it for the purposes set out in this notice, taking into account our legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations.

Active candidates (in an open engagement or recently presented to clients): for the duration of the engagement and up to 2 years afterwards in case of follow-up opportunities, unless you ask us to delete your record sooner.
Placed candidates: we retain placement records for up to 6 years after the end of the engagement, in line with the usual limitation period for contractual claims in England & Wales.
Client records: for the duration of our working relationship and up to 6 years afterwards.
Marketing preferences and consent records: until consent is withdrawn or the contact is no longer active.
Website contact form submissions: up to 24 months from the date of the enquiry.

[CONFIRM retention periods match operational practice]

9. Your rights under UK GDPR

You have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

Access a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erasure ("the right to be forgotten") where there is no continuing reason to retain the data.
Restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
Objection to processing carried out on the basis of legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
Portability of data you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used format.
Withdraw consent at any time, where consent is the lawful basis we rely on.
Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection. We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns first.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@designerrecruitment.co.uk. We will respond within one month of receiving your request.

10. How we keep your data secure

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data from accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, or disclosure. These measures include access controls on our systems, transport layer encryption on our website and email, and confidentiality obligations on staff and third-party processors. [CONFIRM measures match actual practice, including ATS, hosting, and backup arrangements]

11. Cookies

This website uses a minimal set of cookies. See our Cookie Policy for full detail.

12. Children

Our services are not directed at children under the age of 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us so we can delete it.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, in our services, or in best practice. The "last updated" date at the top of this page will always show when the policy was last revised. Material changes will be flagged on this page for a reasonable period.

14. How to contact us or complain

If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact privacy@designerrecruitment.co.uk.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office, at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

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