Privacy Policy
1. Who we are
This Privacy Policy explains how Amisha Abeyawardene, trading as Amisha the Birthworker (“we”, “us” or “our”), collects, uses, shares and protects personal data when you visit www.amishathebirthworker.com, contact us, book or receive services, attend a class or event, buy a product, subscribe to updates, or otherwise interact with us.
For UK data protection law, we are the data controller responsible for deciding how and why your personal data is used.
Amisha the Birthworker
7K Grove End House
Grove End Road
NW8 9HL
hello@amishathebirthworker.com
07712286887
2. The personal data we collect
We collect only the information reasonably needed to operate our business, communicate with you and provide safe, informed support. Depending on how you interact with us, this may include:
Identity and contact details, such as your name, pronouns, email address, telephone number and postal address.
Booking and service details, such as appointment dates, expected due date or birth date, chosen package, birth preferences, emergency contact and information about your support network.
Health, pregnancy, birth, postnatal, feeding, disability and mental-health information that you choose to share. This is special category data and receives additional protection.
Payment, transaction and invoice details. Payments may be handled by a payment provider; we do not normally receive or store full card details.
Communications, including enquiries, intake forms, emails, messages, feedback, complaints and notes relevant to delivering your service.
Content you choose to provide, such as a testimonial, review, photograph or public comment. Separate permission will be sought where appropriate before publication.
Website and device information, such as IP address, browser and device type, approximate location, pages viewed, referral source and cookie preferences.
Marketing preferences, including whether you have agreed to receive news, resources or offers from us.
3. How we obtain personal data
Directly from you through contact, enquiry, booking and intake forms; consultations; sessions; email; telephone; messaging services; social media; or in person.
Automatically when you use our website, through essential cookies and where required, only with your consent, analytics or marketing technologies.
From service providers that support bookings, payments, website hosting, email delivery or online sales.
From another person, such as your partner, birth partner, referrer or professional collaborator, where they are authorised to provide the information and it is relevant to your care or enquiry.
4. Why we use your data and our lawful bases
We use personal data only when we have a lawful reason to do so. The main reasons are:
To respond to enquiries and arrange services — because you have asked us to take steps before entering a contract.
To provide booked services, manage appointments and take payment, because this is necessary to perform our contract with you.
To keep required financial, insurance and business records, because we have legal obligations or legitimate business interests.
To keep our website and services secure and working effectively, based on our legitimate interests, or your consent where required for non-essential cookies.
To send marketing or publish testimonials and images, only where you have given the appropriate consent. You may withdraw consent at any time.
To respond to serious safety, safeguarding or legal concerns, where necessary to protect vital interests or comply with the law.
Where we use health, pregnancy, birth or other special category information, we also need an additional legal condition. We will normally rely on your explicit consent unless another lawful condition applies.
5. Special category information
Information about health, pregnancy, birth, disability, racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life or sexual orientation may be special category data. We will collect it only where relevant and proportionate, explain why it is needed, limit access, and apply an Article 6 lawful basis plus an Article 9 condition. Where we rely on explicit consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing already carried out lawfully, but it may limit the support we can safely provide.
We do not use special category data for unrelated marketing or sell it to third parties.
6. Who we share data with
We do not sell your personal data. We may share the minimum information necessary with trusted recipients, including:
Website hosting, booking, video-call, cloud storage, email, accounting, payment and e-commerce providers.
Professional advisers and insurers, where needed for advice, insurance or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
A backup doula, facilitator or other professional collaborator, where necessary for continuity of service and normally with your knowledge.
Couriers or fulfilment providers where you buy a physical product.
Regulators, courts, law-enforcement bodies, safeguarding authorities or emergency services where disclosure is required or permitted by law.
Providers may act as processors on our instructions or as separate controllers under their own privacy notices. We require processors to handle personal data securely and only for authorised purposes.
7. International transfers
Some providers may store or access personal data outside the United Kingdom. Where a restricted transfer occurs, we will use a lawful transfer mechanism, such as UK adequacy regulations, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, the UK Addendum to approved standard contractual clauses, or another valid safeguard. You may contact us for further information about the safeguards relevant to your data.
8. How long we keep data
We keep personal data only for as long as needed for the purpose collected, including legal, accounting, insurance, safeguarding and dispute-resolution requirements. When no longer needed, it is securely deleted or anonymised.
Enquiry records: [PERIOD, e.g. 12 months after the last contact if no booking is made].
Client intake, care and session records, including health or birth information: [PERIOD AND REASON, checked against professional-body and insurer requirements].
Contracts, invoices and tax records: [PERIOD, commonly linked to HMRC requirements—confirm for your circumstances].
Marketing records: until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent, plus a minimal suppression record where needed to respect your choice.
Testimonials, images and consent records: [PERIOD or until consent is withdrawn, subject to any agreed licence and lawful exceptions].
Cookie and analytics data: the periods stated in our Cookie Policy and/or cookie preference tool.
Complaints and legal claims: [PERIOD based on applicable limitation and insurance requirements].
9. Data security
We use proportionate technical and organisational measures designed to prevent personal data from being accidentally lost, altered, disclosed, accessed or used without authorisation. These measures may include access controls, strong authentication, device security, secure backups, confidentiality arrangements, data minimisation and regular review of service providers. Access is limited to people with a genuine business need. No system is completely secure, but we will act promptly if we suspect a personal data breach and notify affected people and the ICO where legally required.
10. Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances and lawful basis, you may have the right to:
ask for access to your personal data and related information;
ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
ask us to erase your data where the law allows;
ask us to restrict how we use your data;
object to processing based on legitimate interests or carried out for direct marketing;
receive certain data in a portable format and ask us to transfer it; and
withdraw consent at any time where consent is the lawful basis.
Your right to object: you may object at any time to the use of your personal data for direct marketing. You may also object to processing based on legitimate interests; we will stop unless we have compelling legitimate grounds or need the data for legal claims.
These rights are not absolute and exemptions may apply. To make a request, contact us using the details in section 1. We may need to verify your identity. We will respond without undue delay and normally within one month. There is usually no fee, although the law allows a reasonable fee or refusal in limited circumstances.
11. Automated decisions
We do not currently make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about you solely through automated processing. If this changes, we will update this notice and explain the logic, significance, likely consequences and applicable rights.
12. Children’s data
Our website and services are primarily directed to adults. We may receive information about a baby or child where it is relevant to pregnancy, birth or postnatal support. The responsible adult should provide only information they are authorised to share. We will handle children’s information with particular care and will not knowingly use it for unrelated marketing. If you believe a child has given us personal data without appropriate authority, please contact us.
13. Third-party websites and social media
Our website may link to third-party websites, shops, booking services or social-media platforms. Those organisations control their own privacy practices. We encourage you to read their privacy notices before providing personal data. Interaction through a public social-media page may be visible to others, so please avoid posting sensitive information publicly.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when our services, providers or legal obligations change. The effective date at the top shows when it was last revised. If a change materially affects how we use personal data, we will take reasonable steps to bring it to your attention before the new use begins where required.
15. Questions and complaints
Please contact us first if you have a question or concern about how we use personal data. We will try to resolve it promptly.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK regulator for data protection:
Website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Address: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF