Introduction

At Oaklands Mediation, we take your privacy and the security of any personal information you share with us very seriously. Confidentiality is central to what we do, and we are committed to protecting your privacy in line with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This Privacy Policy explains who we are, what personal information we collect, how we process it, and your rights.

This policy should be read together with the Mediation Agreement for your mediation, which will include further details on confidentiality.

Who We Are
Oaklands Mediation is a mediation service provider. We are committed to helping individuals and organisations resolve disputes through mediation. The service is operated by self-employed mediators.

What We Do
We offer mediation services to assist parties in resolving disputes. Our focus is exclusively on mediation.

Personal Information
“Personal information” refers to any data that can be used to identify you or another individual.

Data Controller
The Data Controller for Oaklands Mediation is Chrystalla Spire. She is legally responsible for how your personal information is stored and processed and is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). You can contact Chrystalla at chrystalla@oaklandsmediation.com for any data protection queries.

How We Process Personal Information
We process personal information whenever we collect, store, organise, transmit, or delete any personal data. For example:

• Receiving case papers related to mediation, which may contain personal or sensitive information.
• Storing electronic copies of these case papers securely on devices.
• Deleting this information once the mediation is concluded.

Legal Basis for Processing Personal Information
We process personal information for the following reasons:

• To provide mediation services.
• To communicate with you and other relevant parties.
• To maintain records for regulatory and legal purposes.
• To manage payments and our accounts.
• To notify you of updates or other mediation-related information.

We may also process personal information to comply with legal, ethical, or regulatory obligations.

Types of Personal Information We Process
We may collect and process the following categories of personal information:

• Names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers.
• Business information and details of legal representation.
• Information related to the dispute

Who We Process Personal Information About
We may store or process personal information about:

• Clients and parties to the mediation.
• Witnesses and other individuals mentioned in mediation documents.
• Lawyers, advisers, and service providers.

Sharing Personal Information
We maintain strict confidentiality in accordance with the Mediation Agreement, which often provides greater protection than data protection laws. Subject to the terms of the Mediation Agreement, we may share information with professional and regulatory bodies

We do not sell or swap personal information with any third party.

Transferring Personal Information Abroad
Oaklands Mediation does not transfer any personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Retention of Personal Information
We retain personal data only as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. Generally, case papers containing sensitive information will be deleted after the mediation concludes.

Your Rights
Under the Data Protection Act and GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of any inaccurate or outdated information.
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of personal information when it is no longer needed.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent to the processing of your data.
• Right to Object: Object to the processing of your data for legitimate interests, public interest, or direct marketing purposes.
• Right to Data Portability: Request the transfer of your personal information to another party.
• Right to Lodge a Complaint: If you believe your data is being processed in violation of the GDPR, contact our Data Protection Officer, Martin Plowman, at martin@oaklandsmediation.co.uk. If unresolved, you can lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, by phone at 0303 123 1113, or through their website at www.ico.org.uk.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Please review this policy periodically for updates.