Structural Engineers Registration Limited (SER) is committed to ensuring your privacy is protected.
This page explains how we protect your privacy when using our web services. It describes the information we collect and the procedures we have in place to safeguard your privacy.
Protecting your information
We use up-to-date industry procedures to protect your personal information. We also protect the security of your data using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption technology. We have appropriate security measures in place to protect against the loss, misuse or alteration of information that we have collected from you via our website. The internet, however, is not generally a secure medium of communication and we cannot guarantee the security of any information you input on this website or send us via the internet.
Cookies
A cookie is a simple text file that is stored on your computer or mobile device by a website’s server and only that server will be able to retrieve or read the contents of that cookie. Each cookie is unique to your web browser. It will contain some anonymous information such as a unique identifier and the site names and some digits and numbers. For further information about our use of Cookies please go to our Cookies page.
Users of the public area of the website
You can browse the public area of the website and download resources from it without disclosing any information about yourself. We use aggregate information and statistics for the purposes of monitoring website usage in order to help us develop the website and our services. These statistics do not include information that can be used to identify any individual. The pages you look at and activities you undertake are recorded against an anonymous identifier. At such time that you register with the website and log in, this anonymous activity may be automatically linked to your account if such an association can be reliably made.
If you contact us by email from the website we will only use your personal information in order to respond to your message.
Applicants to become an Approved Certifier or an Approved Body
In order to make an application you must register on the website and then complete an on-line application form. The personal data that applicants provide, including names, email addresses, postal addresses, phone numbers and qualifications will be processed by us for the purposes of assessing the application and advising its result. This information will be retained by SER permanently because we have a legitimate interest to retain records of all applicants and the results of their application.
Approved Certifiers and Certification Coordinators
The personal data provided by Approved Certifiers and Certification Coordinators at the time of application or subsequently will be processed in connection with creation of certificates, annual renewals, auditing and in connection with dealing with complaints against Scheme members or disciplinary procedures. This information will be retained by SER permanently because we have a legitimate interest to retain records of all Scheme members and their activities. It will also be used to communicate with Scheme members about the Scheme(s) for which they are registered, related guidance, Continuing Professional Development opportunities and to request feedback about our activities.
Sharing information with other organisations
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Scottish Building Standards Division (BSD)
For those registered with the Scheme for Certification of Design (Building Structures) for Scotland we will provide the names and registration numbers of Approved Certifiers and the names, registration numbers, email addresses and telephone numbers of the Certification Coordinators of Approved Bodies to BSD and these details will appear on the BSD Certification Register
SER is also required to report to BSD alleged breaches of the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 and the outcome of Disciplinary and Appeals Panels. These reports will include the names and registration numbers of Scheme members/applicants involved.
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Department of the Environment States of Jersey
For those registered with the Scheme of Certification of Design (Building Structures) for Jersey we will provide the names and registration numbers of Approved Certifiers and the names, registration numbers, email addresses and telephone numbers of the Certification Coordinators of Approved Bodies to the Department of the Environment of the States of Jersey and these details will appear on the Structural Engineers Register
SER is also required to report to the Department of the Environment alleged breaches of the Planning and Building (Jersey) Law 2002 and the outcome of Disciplinary and Appeals Panels. These reports will include the names and registration numbers of Scheme members/applicants involved.
We will share your personal information with the police or other law enforcement agencies for the purpose of crime prevention or detection if the organisation requesting the data is able to demonstrate that the data will assist in the prevention or detection of crime, or that SER is legally obliged to disclose it. This is done on a strictly case-by-case basis and through a tightly controlled process to ensure that we comply with data protection legislation.
Third Parties who process your data
We use third parties to help us host the website, communicate with our stakeholders, power our emails, etc. We partner with third parties who we believe are the best in their field at what they do.
When we do this, sometimes it is necessary for us to share your data with them in order to get these services to work well. Your data is shared only when strictly necessary and according to the safeguards and good practices detailed in this Privacy Policy.
Here are the details of our main third-party service providers, and what data they collect, or we share with them, where they store the data and why they need it:
- Microsoft Azure – a secure cloud hosting provider that we use to host the website. All data is stored encrypted in transit and at rest (EU)
- Google Analytics – used to track anonymised use of the website and for reporting on user activities (US)
- Sendgrid – used for sending, storing and tracking of the emails send by the website (US)
- SagePay – used for processing the payments made through the website (UK)
Access your data
Under data protection legislation you are entitled to ask to see any personal information that we hold about you. This section explains how to make a ‘Subject Access request’ to SER and how we use your information when we process your request.
In order to help us identify and locate your personal data, when submitting a request please be as specific as possible when describing both the information you wish to receive and its possible sources.
Data protection legislation allows us to ask you for further clarification where appropriate; and we will normally be unable to begin processing your request until that clarification has been provided.
SER will use the personal information you provide to enable us to reply to your request and any subsequent internal review, complaint or appeal about its handling in accordance with data protection legislation, and our privacy and data handling procedures. On some occasions, we may need to share information with other organisations, including the Information Commissioner’s Office, the Information Right Tribunal, and other legal representatives for these purposes. We will retain a record of your request for up to two years after it, or any review of appeal, is complete, for the purposes of managing any subsequent correspondence and establishing and defending legal rights.
You can submit a Subject Access request for your personal information held by SER either to
The Company Secretary
SER
47-58 Bastwick Street
London
EC1V 3PS
or by email to [email protected] Please include ‘Subject Access request’ in the subject line.
Complaints
Should you wish to complain about how we handle your personal data you may do so to the Information Commissioner’s Office
Changes to this privacy statement
We may occasionally update this statement. Your continued use of the site will mean that you accept those revisions.