Privacy Policy

 

This privacy policy governs the privacy of this website www.standardsinternational.co.uk and users who choose to use it.

Standards International Ltd are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and this policy (together with our terms of use and any other documents referred to on it) sets out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us. Please read the following carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it.

This website and its owners take a proactive approach to user privacy and ensure the necessary steps are taken to protect the privacy of its users throughout their visiting experience.

For the purpose of the Data Protection Act 1998 and subsequently the General Data Protection Regulation (the Act), Standards International Ltd,  Manor Farm, Church Lane, Graveley, Hitchin SG4 7BNis the data controller.

 

Information we may collect from you

We may collect and process the following data about you:

Information that you provide to us by filling in forms on our site or that you e-mail to us. This includes information provided when you take a course, subscribe and/or register for any service that we may provide via our site from time to time or when you report a problem with our site.

If you contact us, we may keep a record of that correspondence.

We may also ask you to complete surveys that we use for research purposes, although you do not have to respond to them.

Details of your visits to our site including, but not limited to, traffic data, location data, weblogs and other communication data and the resources that you access.

 

IP addresses, cookies and web beacons

We may collect information about your computer, including where available your IP address, operating system and browser type, for system administration, to improve the structure and content of our site and to report aggregate information to any sponsors and our members. This is statistical data about our users’ browsing actions and patterns, and does not identify any individual.

For these reasons we reserve the right to use cookies as an anonymous method of recording your usage of our site and would ask that if you do not wish to have cookies recorded on your machine, you amend the settings on your browser to prevent them from being created. The “Help” section in your browser should provide you with the necessary information to adjust your settings and control the creation and storage of cookies on your hard drive.

A cookie is a text-only string of information that a website transfers to the cookie file of the browser on your computer’s hard disk so that the website can remember who you are. Cookies can help a website to arrange content to match your preferred interests more quickly. Most major websites use cookies. Cookies cannot be used by themselves to identify you and we do not use cookies on our website to modify prices or services specific to you. We use them to understand how the website is being used so that we can make improvements.

A cookie will typically contain the name of the domain from which the cookie has come, the “lifetime” of the cookie, and a value, usually a randomly generated unique number. Two types of cookies are used by us on our site:

Session Cookies: which are temporary cookies that remain in the cookie file of your browser until you leave the site; and
Persistent cookies: which remain in the cookie file of your browser for much longer (though how long will depend on the lifetime of the specific cookie).

 

Session Cookies allow you to carry information across pages of our site and avoid having to re-enter information and to allow you to access stored information.

Persistent Cookies help us recognise you as a unique visitor (just a number) when you return to our website and to allow us to assess and understand our content, which pages are being visited and how long visitors spend on each page. We specifically use Google Analytics for this. To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites visit http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. If you alter your browser settings to refuse our cookies you may be unable to access certain parts of our site.

Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you log on to our site.

Please note that third parties may also use cookies, over which we have no control.

Our website may contain electronic images known as web beacons which allows us to count users who have visited those pages. Web beacons are not used to access your personally identifiable information on our site. They are a technique to compile aggregated statistics about our website’s usage. Web beacons collect only a limited set of information including a cookie number, time and date of a page view and a description of the page on which the web beacon resides.

Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them, visit www.allaboutcookies.org

 

Your personal data and how it may be used

Users contacting this website and/or its owners do so at their own discretion and provide any such personal details requested at their own risk. Your personal information is kept private and stored securely until a time it is no longer required or has no use. Every effort has been made to ensure a safe and secure form to email submission process but we advise users using such form to email processes that they do so at their own risk.

This website and its owners use any information submitted to provide you with further information about the products / services we offer or to assist you in answering any questions or queries you may have submitted.

The information you supply to us is stored on secure servers. The data that we collect from you may be transferred to, and stored at, a destination outside the European Economic Area (“EEA”). It may also be processed by staff operating outside the EEA who work for us or for one of our suppliers. Such staff maybe engaged in, among other things, the provision of support and administration services. By submitting your personal data, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing. These agents have access to the personal information required in order to perform their functions but may not use it for any other purpose and we will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy. Your details are not passed on to any third parties.

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our site; any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.

We use information held about you in the following ways:
• To ensure that content from our site is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer.
• Where you have consented to be contacted for such purposes, to provide you with information or services that you request from us or which we feel may interest you.
• To carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us.
• To promote and allow you to participate in any events or features which may offer on our site from time to time, when you choose to do so.
• To notify you about changes to our service.

 

We do not disclose information about identifiable individuals to potential sponsors or advertisers, but we may provide them with aggregate information about our users (for example, we may inform them that 300 people aged under 30 have clicked on an article on any given day). We may also use such aggregate information to help advertisers reach the kind of audience they want to target. We may make use of the personal data we have collected from you to enable us to comply with our advertisers‘ wishes by displaying their advertisement to that target audience.

We would only disclose your personal information to third parties:
• If you have given your consent for us to do so for marketing or other specified purposes.
• If we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal obligation, or in order to enforce or apply our terms of use and other agreements; or to protect our rights or property and the safety of our customers or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organisations for the purposes of fraud protection and credit risk reduction.

 

Marketing and your rights

You have the right to ask us not to process your personal data for marketing purposes. We will usually inform you (before collecting your data) if we intend to use your data for such purposes or if we intend to disclose your information to any third party for such purposes. You can exercise your right to prevent such processing by refusing your consent at the time of collection or at any other time by contacting us at enquiries@standardsinternational.co.uk

Our site may, from time to time, contain links to and from the websites of our members, advertisers and affiliates. If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies. Please check these policies before you submit any personal data to these websites.

 

Access to, retention and deletion of information

The Act gives you the right to access information held about you. Your right of access can be exercised in accordance with the Act and we have 30 days to respond. You also have the right to ask us to erase, amend or limit the use of the data we hold about you. If there is a legitimate and permissible reason why we cannot do this we will explain why.

We have a retention policy which means we do not keep information we hold about you for longer than necessary unless we there is a legal obligation to do so.

 

Social media platforms and shortened URLs

Communication, engagement and actions taken through external social media platforms that this website and its owners participate on are custom to the terms and conditions as well as the privacy policies held with each social media platform respectively.  Users are advised to use social media platforms wisely and communicate/engage upon them with due care and caution in regard to their own privacy and personal details.

This website nor its owners will ever ask for personal or sensitive information through social media platforms and encourage users wishing to discuss sensitive details to contact them through primary communication channels such as by telephone or email.

This website may use social sharing buttons which help share web content directly from web pages to the social media platform in question. Users are advised before using such social sharing buttons that they do so at their own discretion and note that the social media platform may track and save your request to share a web page respectively through your social media platform account.

This website and its owners through their social media platform accounts may share web links to relevant web pages. By default some social media platforms shorten lengthy urls/web addresses.

Users are advised to take caution and good judgment before clicking any shortened urls published on social media platforms by this website and its owners. Despite the best efforts to ensure only genuine urls are published many social media platforms are prone to spam and hacking and therefore this website and its owners cannot be held liable for any damages or implications caused by visiting any shortened links.


Respect and Confidentiality on Shared Coaching Calls and Webinars

We are committed to creating a space built on respect and trust during all shared coaching calls and webinars. As a participant, you are expected to honour the confidentiality of the group. This means that any personal information, discussions, or insights shared by others during these sessions must remain private and not be shared outside of the call. By respecting the privacy of fellow participants, we foster an environment where everyone feels safe to share and grow together. Let’s maintain a culture of mutual respect, ensuring trust is upheld at all times.

Making a complaint

If for any reason you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the supervisory authority for data protection. In the UK this is:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
0303 123 1113
www.ico.org.uk

 

Changes to our privacy policy

Any changes we may make to our privacy policy in the future will be posted on this page and, where appropriate, notified to you by e-mail.

 

Contact

Questions, comments and requests regarding this privacy policy are welcomed and should be addressed to enquiries@standardsinternational.co.uk

 

Resources & Further Information

Data Protection Act 1998

General Data Protection Regulation

Twitter Privacy Policy

Facebook Privacy Policy

Google Privacy Policy

Linkedin Privacy Policy

 

About Sophie

Where they live: Long Crendon, a lovely little village in Buckinghamshire surrounded by thatched cottages, rolling fields and lots of sheep!

Their family and interests: I live with my fiance Dean and cat Alley. Dean and I love exercising (Alley not so much, she prefers to nap!) and like to push myself out of my comfort zone by signing up to challenges such as such as 3 peaks, hikes, hyrox, marathons, spin marathons and will be completing my first ever triathlon later this year. Recovery is just as important as exercising of which you’ll find me somewhere overseas where it is hot and luxurious! I absolutely love mini eggs!

Their role in the company: Service Delivery & Design Project Co-ordinator

What they love most about their role: The infectious energy and passion from the team and that we all strive to do one thing which is help people recognise their true potential and achieve success.

About Ahmed

Where they live: North London, but you’ll find me in Camden over the weekend.

Their family and interests: I enjoy keeping active in the gym, keeping myself physically and mentally fit. When I’m not hitting the weights, you’ll find me researching stocks, playing a good game of chess, or learning how to automate with Python.

Their role in the company: As the Marketing and Communications Assistant, I have the privilege of engaging with our clients, as well as reaching out to those who are looking to take the next step in achieving excellence within financial services.

What they love most about their role: The incredible energy found within the Standards International team is refreshing. My passion in the role stems from being able to identify new growth opportunities and fine-tuning the ways in which we communicate our message and engage with others.

About Richard

Where they live: A small village five miles north of the beautiful medieval city of Lichfield in South Staffordshire. I am very fortunate to live a stone’s throw from the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty that is Cannock Chase, and just down the road from the Derbyshire Dales and Staffordshire moorlands.

Their family and interests: I’m married to Catherine, and we have a son called Matthew and a daughter called Rebecca. Also a very intelligent, slightly crazy border collie called Bella. In my spare time I enjoy music, film, theatre and a good book. I also enjoy travel and history, and have over the years spent time exploring my family tree. No unclaimed inheritances or rich and famous relatives so far – but I will keep looking!

Their role in the company: I am the Head of Operations and Business Development and I keep our internal operations running smoothly.

What they love most about their role: I am passionate about the development of people. I feel privileged to be working in an organisation that believes in raising the understanding of individuals so they are able to be the best versions of themselves, for the benefit of their businesses and their clients.

About Martin

Where they live: Hitchin, in the heart of beautiful Hertfordshire.

Their family and interests: I am a very proud father to my daughter Ruby  and spend every minute I can with her. When I’m not with her, you’ll find me either fine tuning my handicap on the golf course or cheering on the mighty Spurs.

Their role in the company: I am the Finance Manager for the business, managing everything to do with the day-to-day finances of Standards International.

What they love most about their role: I’ve worked closely with Michelle since  Standards  International  was founded and I love to see great ideas return great value for both the business and our clients. From hard times to good, so many of our clients have been with us the whole way!

About Michelle

Where they live: Hitchin, in the heart of beautiful Hertfordshire.

Their family and interests: My quality free time is super-special to me. Being a mummy to my little Ruby Mae  takes up most of my free time, so when we are together we make sure that we do lots of fun stuff. When I do get a chance to focus on myself, I enjoy hanging out with my yummy mummy girlfriends, doing things that give me goosebumps, making green smoothies (don’t ask) and keeping myself in tip-top shape!

Their role in the company: I am the founder of Standards International and the Director of WOWW!

What they love most about their role: I think I have the best job in the world! I get to create magic and share my passion with my team and our clients every day. I love spending time with clients and learning about their biggest challenges so that I can design the best solutions to support them to create a truly WOWW! life and business. I am so lucky to be supported by an amazing team who are committed to delivering their best in everything they do, all the time.

About Kelsey

Where they live:  The historic market town of Hertford in Hertfordshire.

Their family and interests: I live with my husband Paul and when I’m not spending time with family and friends,  you’ll find me travelling. I’ve been lucky to visit many countries over the years, from Indonesia to South Africa to New Zealand, and plan on exploring many more!

My evenings consist of gym classes and long walks in the countryside with our family pups. I also have a slight obsession with Nando’s – my friends think I’m addicted to chicken!

Their role in the company:  As Client Services Manager  I oversee the delivery of our client journeys and ensure that our processes are in tip-top shape. It’s plenty to keep me on my toes!

What they love most about their role:  There’s never a dull moment in the world of WOWW! And I love our ethos, our clients and the fab team we are building.

About Bronte

Where they live: In Saffron Walden, a beautiful market town just outside of Cambridge.

Their family and interests: Being a bit of a petrolhead, I love classic cars. My  husband and I currently own a 1967 VW Beetle and a 1989 VW campervan between us.

In our spare time we love visiting the Norfolk coast with our dog Honey. We order a portion of chips and eat them on the beach whilst taking in the beautiful scenery.

Their role in the company: As the  Client Services  Assistant I take care of our amazing clients.

What they love most about their role: The team are all extremely creative, they encourage individuality and empower you to be the best you can be.

About Helen

Where they live: Whitwick, in northwest Leicestershire, part of the National Forest.

Their family and interests: I’m married to Phil, and we are cat-parents to Annie and Ella – two rescue kittens who we spend our time spoiling! We live in a 1930s Art Deco house, which is currently undergoing a much-needed renovation. In my spare time, I like to exercise and I practise Pilates. I enjoy going to the theatre and art galleries, and I love the treat of a spa weekend. I’m a fan of world cinema, and I’m never happier than when I’m watching a black & white, subtitled film (which would be the stuff of nightmares for some people!). Phil and I have a 1986 Porsche 944, which is an ongoing restoration project. We enjoy taking it to car shows and on trips around the UK.

Their role in the company: Service Delivery and Client Engagement Manager.

What they love most about their role: The opportunity to bring my industry knowledge and experience to a role helping firms to achieve their very best!

About Arah

Where they live:  Painswick, a beautiful Cotswold town in Gloucestershire.

Their family and interests: I spend much of my free time enjoying town and country life with my partner and our two cats. We walk, cook, read and spend an enormous amount of time talking about how we can be fitter. ‘Talk’ being the operative word!

When I’m not with my partner, a perfect day might be a visit with my now-adult children, or lunch and a spa with friends.

Their role in the company:  I am a Certification Scheme Assessor and WOWW! Coach.

What they love most about their role:  Working with a team who really love what they do!

Asessment Findings

During the assessment process, your assessor will be reviewing your conformity to the standard(s) and provide feedback based upon the conclusions detailed below.

Compliant (C): Evidence of conformity to the requirements of the standard(s) has been shown.

Opportunity for Improvement (OFI): A best practice suggestion or finding that requires improvement or correction, but is not indicative of a framework weakness, or is of insufficient concern or potential impact to merit corrective action.

Minor Nonconformity (MINC): A weakness in an internal-facing process or procedure; or a finding where any further deterioration of control could reasonably be considered likely to result in the framework, system(s) and processes becoming ineffective. This finding requires root cause analysis and corrective action. Evidence confirming root cause analysis and corrective action must be submitted for reassessment within three months of the assessment date.

Major Nonconformity (MANC): A failure impacting on the effectiveness of the framework, system(s), processes and deliverables which puts at risk the capability of the management system. This finding requires immediate containment, root cause analysis and corrective action. Should this occur, your assessor and dedicated scheme administrator will make the necessary arrangements with you for follow-up.

About Colin

Where they live:  In Hayes, Middlesex, not Greater London! Just close enough to Heathrow Airport to dream of being on any one of those outbound flights to destinations unknown.

Their family and interests: I met my wife, Jan, at school, and more than 45 years later we are still going strong. We have two grown-up children, Glenn and Kiera, who are now both in full-time work, having previously enjoyed the ‘student life’ to the full. Travel has long been and remains an important part of our family life, and Florida is by far our favourite destination. Classic Rock and Blues are also a big part of my life, and it doesn’t get any better than seeing bands playing live. Like Martin, I am also a keen golfer and avid Spurs fan.

Their role in the company:  I am a Certification Scheme Assessor and Best Practice Trainer.

What they love most about their role:  In addition to more than 40 years’ experience within the financial sector, I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge on my travels. It is important to me that clients receive fully rounded, quality service, and my role at Standards International allows me to spend time with our clients, helping them to strive for, embrace and demonstrate the highest standards when it comes to their business, processes and customer service.

About Sam

Where they live:  Another one from Hitchin!

Their family and interests:   I live with my husband, our two daughters and our newest addition, a Border collie. Whilst I originally hail from Hitchin, my husband and daughters are all Aussies as, prior to 2018, I spent 15 years living in Sydney. We’re loving our local community, and for me it’s very special being back close to friends and family. We do miss those lovely warm sunny Sydney days though!

At the weekend, you can find us enjoying walks in the country, bike rides, and yummy food (usually our home-made pizzas!).

Their role in the company:  I am a Financial Abuse Specialist™ Certification Assessor.

What they love most about their role:  Being involved with work that really matters. To have the opportunity to help shine a light on important topics is wonderful; we spend so much of our time at work, so it’s important to really value what you do!

About Joanne

Where they live:  I  live in a Grade II listed property in a quintessentially English village at the foot of the beautiful Yorkshire Wolds.

Their family and interests:  With a  passion for travel,  I believe in making the most of every day. I love experiencing the great outdoors, whether that be the coast, in the countryside or the garden (usually in the vegetable plot!).

After losing my Mum too early,  I really value my health and enjoy spending time in the weights room with the big boys, spinning or Pilates and even the odd game of tennis!

Their role in the company:  I am a WOWW! Coach.

What they love most about their role:  Being able to have the opportunity to work alongside, and to share my experience and best practice ideas with like-minded, energetic, awesome individuals, who all have the same values, vision and passion for  financial services!

About Alina

Where they live: The (sometimes) sunny and most definitely leafy Reigate, surrounded by the outstandingly beautiful Surrey Hills.

Their family and interests: Like most full-time working mums out there, life is relentless while we keep multiple plates spinning! But I am most grateful to be the proud mum of two witty and inspiring boys. They teach me new things every day, especially how you can find joy in little things such as picking up funny-looking conkers.
Free time is scarce; however, I carve out time for my indoor cycling class in the early hours and love to feed my mind with the latest thinking of the great and the good.

Their role in the company: I am a WOWW! Coach.

What they love most about their role:  I have a part to play in the very best profession. The challenges of our unknown future are so much more exciting than the stories of our past accomplishments. So, my mission is to help clients, as individuals and businesses, to shape a vivid vision of their best selves, unleash their superpowers, and feel empowered to go after their dreams with a sound plan, boundless energy and clear purpose.

About Deborah

Where they live: I live with my husband and cat in a lovely village near to Stamford, Lincolnshire, but in fact within Northamptonshire.

Their family and interests: My hobbies and interests include walking (there’s some great countryside around us), cooking and entertaining, reading, and generally being involved in village life. It’s a very sociable place and I am involved in a number of groups and societies which help to maintain it as a great place to live.

Their role in the company: I am a Certification Scheme Assessor.

What they love most about their role:  I am really keen to ‘get stuck in’ and everyone within Standards International is so positive and passionate – it’s infectious!

and making awesome things happen.

About Jo

Where they live:  Originally from Manchester, I left to go to uni in Cardiff and never went home! I live in Usk, Monmouthshire, in an old farmhouse that we fondly call “our money pit”! We have been gradually renovating the inside of the property – and now the outside projects have begun!

Their family and interests:  I live with my partner, Pete, and have two children, Daniel and Catrin. Dan is a computer programmer and lives and works in Manchester. Cat is finishing her master’s degree in Fine Art Photography. She achieved a first in Marketing and Business from University of Sussex in 2021 (proud mum moment, particularly after lockdown). She lives in Brighton and hopes to move to Manchester in October to begin a career in marketing and photography. I absolutely love my garden, where I spend every spare moment. I also love seeing my family and friends, and cooking and entertaining when they stay with us. I have one sister who moved to Crete, so I disappear periodically to stay with her.

Their role in the company:  I am a Best Practice Certification Scheme Assessor.

What they love most about their role: People and diversity – helping our amazing clients to develop their businesses, and giving back where I can.

About Sarah

Where they live: Edinburgh, Scotland.

Their family and interests: I am first and foremost a mum to my Aussie-born son after living there for five years with my husband before returning to Scotland to be closer to family. We love jumping in the car at the weekends and just seeing where it takes us, exploring places we’ve not been before, and making memories along the way.

Their role in the company: As Head of Business Development and Marketing, I oversee our brand and positioning, ensuring we live true to our values and work with the best of the best!

What they love most about their role: Being able to work with great people all over the world really, sharing ideas, and making awesome things happen.