The following statement explains our policy regarding the personal information we collect about you.

Introduction

This policy covers the use by PLATO GB Limited of your personal information that PLATO GB Limited collects when you use www.platogb.co.uk The policy also gives you information about cookies and how you may reject such cookies.

From time to time, you will be asked to submit personal information about yourself (e.g. name, address and email address) in order to receive or use services on our website. Such services include downloading material, registering a skills profile, or using one or more PLATO GB web forums.

By entering your details in the fields requested, you enable PLATOGB Limited and its partners to provide you with the services you select. Whenever you provide such personal information, we will treat that information in accordance with this policy. When using your personal information PLATO GB Limited will act in accordance with current legislation and aims to comply with the best practice guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

The Data Protection Act

Under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998, we have a legal duty to protect any information we collect from you. We use leading technologies and encryption software to safeguard your data, and keep strict security standards to prevent any unauthorised access to it.

If you choose not to register or provide personal information, you can still use our public websites but you will not be able to access certain areas that require registration / authorisation in order to proceed.

If you decide to register, you will be able to select the information you want to receive from us by subscribing to or downloading various documents or information resources. If you do not want us to communicate with you about other offers regarding our services, you should select the relevant options against your account.

What information do we collect?

Depending on which site facilities you use, we collect several different types of information:

• Website usage information.
• Stored information - that you provide to enable you to logon and re-use site facilities such as subscription to email alerts.
• Personal information that you provide.

We use industry-standard SSL encryption software when processing sensitive information such as usernames and passwords, to safeguard your data. We keep to strict security standards to prevent any unauthorised access to your details.

Website usage information

We collect website usage information to help us:

• assess the number of people using or downloading information from PLATOGB Limited services
• assess the effectiveness of download material and marketing campaigns
• improve the usage of the website
• improve the design of the website and make it more usable for you

We collect website usage from a number of sources:

• Our web server.
• URLs passed to us when you enter our site.

Website usage information does include personal information in the meaning of the Data Protection Act.

IP Addressses

We use IP addresses to analyse trends, track users' movement, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. IP addresses are not linked to personally identifiable information.

Cookies

Cookies are small files that are often created when you visit a website, and which are stored in the cookie directory of your computer. A cookie often includes an anonymous unique identifier. Cookies do not damage your computer. Each website can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser's preferences allow it, but (to protect your privacy) your browser only permits a website to access the cookies it has already sent to you, not the cookies sent to you by other sites. You can decide if you want to accept cookies by changing the settings on your browser to accept all cookies, reject all cookies, or notify you when a cookie is set.

Session-specific cookies remain on your computer until you leave the website and then are deleted after a fixed period of inactivity.

We use session cookies for the following purposes:

• to hold your details when you are logged into the site
• to hold your search criteria while you are doing a search of the website
• to collect website usage information for use as described above - website usage information cookies contain no personal information and cannot be used to identify you

For further information on cookies please visit www.aboutcookies.org.

Personal information

PLATO GB Limited will use your personal information in accordance with this policy to :-

• Record the website download material you access;
• Assess the effectiveness of www.platogb.co.uk and any marketing campaigns we initiate;
• Send you e-mail newsletters in relation to the online options that you have selected or asked us to update you as we publish new information;
• Send you details of products or services which may be relevant to your business – where you have asked us to do this.

We will notify you when we need information that personally identifies you or allows us to contact you.
We will provide you with the means to ensure that your personal/company information is correct and current. Where possible and secure, we will provide you with the facility to do this online (although some data is only accessible/updated by internal staff).

You may review and update this information at any time online by viewing your account details:

• Registration information - once you register, you won't need to do it again for that online service.
• After registration - you can login as a registered user of that online service and review / update your information.
• You can subscribe or unsubscribe to our newsletter(s) and/or information services online at any time
   

Where we produce email newsletters, you will only receive e-mail newsletters where you have indicated you would like us to communicate to you in this way.  Any email information sent to you will only be in relation to the online options that you have selected or requested. Where you have given us consent to do so, we may also send you details of products or services which may be relevant to your business. If you wish to stop receive such emails then you can opt out of them at any time by selecting the relevant option on your account. You will also be given an opportunity to opt out on each email that we send you. PLATO GB will never sell its subscription lists to another business unless we are bought by or sold to a third party.

Links to other websites

This website contains links to many other government and non-government websites. None of the personal information described above is passed to any of these organisations. Anonymous visit or session information may be passed to other websites for the web usage information purposes described above. None of this information can be related to an individual user of the website.

This privacy policy applies only to our website. We are not responsible for the privacy practices within any other websites. You should always be aware of this when you leave the Business Link website and we encourage you to read the privacy statement on any other website which collects personal information.

Right to request information

You have a right to request a copy of any personal data held by PLATO GB Limited at any time, in order to check its accuracy. If you wish to do this, please write (explaining that your interest is in personal data maintained by PLATO GB Limited) to:

Jacky Stevens OBE
Chief Executive
PLATO GB Limited
Wates House
Wallington Hill
Fareham
PO16 7BJ

Complaints

To find our more about our quality standards or what to do if you have a complaint, please click here to read our Customer Charter.