Website Privacy Notice
Last updated: 08/06/2026
This Privacy Notice explains how Compass Community collects, uses and protects personal data when you visit or interact with any Compass website that links to this notice. Our services relate to children and young people; however, this website is not intended to collect personal data directly from children without appropriate safeguards.
Scope of this Privacy Notice
This Privacy Notice applies to the following websites operated by Compass Community group companies:
• www.compasscommunity.co.uk
• www.compassfostering.com
• www.compasschildrenshomes.com
• www.compass-schools.org
• www.compassfamilyassessments.com
It also applies to the processing of personal data by the following legal entities within the Compass group:
• Compass Community Limited
• Compass Fostering Central Limited
• Compass Fostering East Limited
• Compass Fostering London Limited
• Compass Fostering North Limited
• Compass Fostering South Limited
• Compass Fostering Wales Limited
• Compass Fostering West Limited
• Compass Children’s Homes Limited
• Compass Children’s Homes Kent Limited
• Compass Children’s Homes North East Limited
• Compass TFAS Limited
• Compass Community Schools Limited
Each of the above entities may act as a data controller in respect of the personal data processed via the relevant website or service they operate.
1. Who we are
Compass Community Children’s Services (“Compass Community”) processes personal data to deliver fostering, residential care, education, therapeutic services, and wider support for children, young people, carers, and employees.
For the purposes of data protection law, the relevant Compass group company operating each website is the data controller. The relevant data controller will depend on the website you are using or the service you engage with.
Further details can be provided on request.
2. Contact details
If you have questions about this Privacy Notice or how your data is handled, you can contact:
Data Protection Officer (DPO)
Email: Data.protection@compasscommunity.co.uk
Post: FAO Compass Community Data Protection Officer, Floor 4, 21 Bennetts Hill, Birmingham, B2 5QP
3. Personal data we collect
Information you provide
• Name
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Organisation (if applicable)
• Enquiry details or messages submitted via forms
Information collected automatically
• IP address
• Device, browser and operating system information
• Pages visited and interaction data
• Date and time of access
This information may be collected using cookies and similar technologies.
4. How we use your personal data
We use personal data to:
• Respond to enquiries and requests
• Operate, maintain and improve our websites
• Monitor website performance, usage and security
• Manage marketing communications and preferences
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations
Where you progress beyond general website use (for example, foster carer applications or job applications), a separate, more detailed privacy notice will apply. These will be provided at the point your personal data is collected.
Automated decision-making and profiling
We do not use your personal data for automated decision-making, including profiling, that produces legal effects or similarly significant effects on you.
5. Lawful bases for processing
We process personal data in accordance with UK GDPR using the following lawful bases:
Legitimate interests
We process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This includes:
• Operating and administering our websites
• Responding to enquiries and communications
• Improving website functionality, usability and performance
• Ensuring network and information security
• Understanding user engagement to enhance services
• Managing internal reporting and administration
We carry out appropriate balancing assessments to ensure your interests, rights and freedoms are protected. You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests (see ‘Your rights’ section below).
Consent
We rely on your consent where required, including:
• Use of non-essential cookies and tracking technologies
• Sending marketing communications where consent is required
You can withdraw your consent at any time.
Legal obligation
Where processing is necessary to comply with legal or regulatory requirements, including safeguarding, statutory reporting and compliance obligations.
Contract
Where processing is necessary to take steps at your request or to perform a contract with you.
6. Cookies and third-party technologies
Our websites use cookies and similar technologies (“cookies”) to ensure the site functions properly, improve performance, and provide insight into how the site is used.
Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website.
We use Usercentrics as our Consent Management Platform (CMP) to:
• Obtain and manage your consent for non-essential cookies
• Ensure non-essential cookies are only set after consent is provided
• Maintain a record of your cookie preferences
Types of cookies used
We use the following categories of cookies:
• Strictly necessary cookies – essential for website functionality and cannot be disabled
• Statistics (analytics) cookies – help us understand how visitors interact with our website (used in aggregated and largely anonymised form)
• Marketing cookies – used to track visitors across websites, deliver relevant advertising, and measure campaign effectiveness
Analytics and marketing cookies are only used where you have provided your consent.
Use of advertising identifiers (GCLID)
Where you interact with our advertising, a Google Click Identifier (GCLID) may be processed.
The GCLID:
• Is a pseudonymous identifier linked to an advertisement click
• Allows us to measure which adverts lead to visits or enquiries
• May be associated with your activity on our website
GCLID is:
• Used only for advertising attribution and campaign measurement
• Not used to make decisions about you
• Only processed where you have consented to marketing cookies
Third-party cookies and embedded services
We use a range of third-party services which may set cookies or similar technologies when you interact with our websites.
These include:
• Calendly – appointment scheduling
• Salesforce – customer relationship management and enquiry handling
• Mailchimp – email communications
• Google (Analytics, Ads, DoubleClick)
• Microsoft (Clarity, Bing)
• Meta (Facebook)
• LinkedIn
• TikTok
• StackAdapt
• YouTube (video content)
• OpinionStage (quizzes and surveys)
These third parties may:
• Collect information about your online activity
• Combine it with other data they hold
• Use it to build profiles and deliver targeted advertising
They process personal data under their own privacy and cookie notices and may act as independent data controllers may act as independent data controllers in relation to the personal data they collect and process via their technologies.
Managing your preferences
You can manage or withdraw your consent at any time by:
• Using the cookie consent tool (Usercentrics) on our website, or
• Adjusting your browser settings
Strictly necessary cookies cannot be disabled, but all other cookies require your consent.
Further information
For full details of:
• Specific cookies used
• Their purpose and duration
• Providers and technologies involved
Please refer to our Cookie Notice, which should be read alongside this Privacy Notice.
7. Marketing communications
If you provide your contact details, we may send you information about our services, updates or opportunities where permitted by law.
Lawful basis for marketing
We rely on:
• Consent: where you have actively opted in to receive marketing communications
• Legitimate interests: where we send relevant communications about similar services or where there is an existing relationship, and you would reasonably expect to receive such communications and where permitted under applicable law (including PECR where relevant)
You have the right to object to marketing at any time.
Your choices
You can opt out at any time by:
• Using the unsubscribe link in emails, or
• Contacting us directly
We do not sell personal data to third parties.
8. Sharing your data
We may share personal data with:
• Other Compass group companies
• IT, hosting and system providers
• Analytics providers
• Professional advisers (e.g. legal, audit, compliance)
• Public bodies, regulators or law enforcement where required
All third parties are required to implement appropriate security and confidentiality measures.
9. International transfers
Personal data is primarily processed within the UK.
Where data is transferred outside the UK, appropriate safeguards are implemented in accordance with UK data protection law including, where applicable, the use of UK International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs) or Standard Contractual Clauses.
10. Data retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this notice, including meeting legal, regulatory, and operational requirements.
Retention periods vary depending on the nature of the interaction and applicable obligations.
11. Your rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:
• Right to be informed: about how your data is used (this notice)
• Right of access: to obtain a copy of your personal data
• Right to rectification: to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data
• Right to restrict processing: in certain circumstances, to temporarily pause the processing of your personal data
• Right to object: including the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests and to direct marketing
• Right to data portability: where applicable, to transfer your personal data from one controller to another
• Right to withdraw consent: at any time (where processing is based on consent)
• Right not to be subject to solely automated decision-making: you have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal or similarly significant effects on you
We confirm that Compass Community does not carry out such automated decision-making or profiling in relation to website users.
How to exercise your rights
Requests can be made using the contact details above.
You also have the right to complain:
• Directly with us (via the DPO), or
• With the UK regulator: the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
12. Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access.
13. Complaints
If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, you can contact us directly or raise a complaint with:
Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
www.ico.org.uk
14. Updates to this notice
We may update this Privacy Notice periodically.
The most current version will always be available on our websites.