UICS Privacy and Cookie Notice

Website, consultancy and business contacts | Effective 29 October 2026

Introduction

Unique & Independent Consultancy Services Ltd (UICS) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting personal information. This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain and protect personal data when you visit www.uics.co.uk, contact us, or engage with our ISO consultancy and auditing services.

For this Notice, “you” includes website visitors, prospective customers, customers’ representatives, supplier contacts and other individuals who communicate with UICS. We aim to provide privacy information clearly and at the point where personal data is collected.

Scope

This Notice applies where UICS determines the purposes and means of processing personal data, including its website, enquiries, quotations, customer relationships, business administration and supplier management.

When UICS accesses or processes personal data solely on behalf of a consultancy or audit customer, the customer may be the controller and UICS may act as its processor. Such processing is governed by the relevant customer contract and data protection terms. Where UICS independently determines the purposes and means of processing, it acts as a controller.

This public Notice does not replace a separate privacy notice for any employees, applicants or individuals whose data is handled under a customer’s own privacy arrangements.

What do we collect and where?

Identity and contact information: names, job titles, employer or organisation, business contact details, correspondence and details included in website enquiry forms or requests for quotations.

Business and engagement information: proposals, contracts, instructions, meeting details, invoice and transaction records, and correspondence with customers, suppliers and professional advisers.

Audit and consultancy information: information and evidence made available during engagements. This may include personal data about customer personnel, users or third parties where necessary for the agreed work. The role of UICS, handling requirements and permitted use depend on the engagement.

Website and technical information: IP address, browser/device information, visit events and cookie-related information to the extent processed through Squarespace or other tools actually enabled on the website.

We obtain personal data directly from individuals, from organisations engaging us, from relevant personnel during engagements, from business correspondence and, where appropriate, from publicly available professional or company sources. Providing contact and engagement information is generally voluntary, but without it we may be unable to respond or perform requested services.

Website visits, cookies and external links

Our website is hosted by Squarespace. Essential cookies help protect the site and support its operation. Where visitors consent, Squarespace Analytics uses cookies to help us understand visits, usage and website performance. Some basic technical or traffic information may be processed without optional cookies.

Our cookie preference controls provide three categories: Necessary (always on), Performance and Analytics (off by default) and Advertising (off by default). Visitors can choose Decline, OK (accept optional cookies) or Manage to make individual selections. Optional cookies are not enabled merely because someone continues browsing.

Squarespace sets the crumb cookie for website security. Where consent is given for Performance and Analytics cookies, Squarespace may set ss_cvr (visitor identification for analytics) and ss_cvt (visit tracking). The ss_marketingCookiesAllowed and ss_performanceCookiesAllowed cookies record visitors’ cookie choices, including whether optional categories have been declined or accepted. Cookie names, providers and durations may change when website functionality is updated.

Visitors can change their choices through the website’s cookie-preference controls where available or through browser settings. Declining optional cookies does not prevent use of the main website. Consent for optional cookies is requested separately from this Notice. Our website may link to third-party sites whose privacy practices are governed by their own notices.

Sensitive personal data and children

Please do not provide special category personal data or other confidential information through a general website enquiry unless it is needed and secure arrangements have been agreed. Audit work may involve access to sensitive information under customer instructions and agreed safeguards.

Our website and services are designed for business users and are not directed at children. If personal information relating to a child is inadvertently submitted, please contact us.

What do we use information for?

We use personal data to respond to enquiries, prepare quotations, enter into and administer contracts, deliver consultancy and auditing services, communicate with business contacts, arrange meetings, maintain records, issue invoices, comply with legal obligations, protect our systems and rights, and improve our services.

We do not assume that submitting a service enquiry constitutes agreement to receive unrelated direct marketing. Any marketing communications must comply with applicable UK GDPR and PECR requirements and provide an appropriate way to opt out.

Disclosure of personal information

UICS uses specialist service providers to operate its website, communicate and collaborate, store business information, and manage its accounts. These include Squarespace for website hosting and enquiries, Microsoft 365 for communications and business documents, and accounting and bookkeeping services for invoices, receipts, payments, expenses, VAT and statutory accounting. Relevant personal information may be shared with these providers only where needed for those purposes and subject to appropriate contractual and security arrangements.

Information may also be shared with the customer commissioning an audit or consultancy engagement, certification bodies where the customer instructs or authorises this, or public authorities where legally required.

We do not sell personal information. We limit disclosures to what is necessary for the relevant purpose and assess controller/processor roles and data protection terms as appropriate.

Marketing choices and objections

You may object at any time to the use of your personal data for direct marketing. Use an unsubscribe facility where one is provided or contact privacy@uics.co.uk. We will stop direct marketing as required by law and will not treat an ordinary enquiry as consent to receive marketing.

You may also object to other processing based on legitimate interests, subject to the applicable legal conditions.

Security of your information

UICS uses proportionate organisational and technical measures intended to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration and disclosure. Measures may include access controls, authentication, secure systems, appropriate retention and secure deletion, subject to the systems and contracts in use.

No internet service is completely risk-free. We review security arrangements in light of the nature of the personal data and the risks involved.

Enquiries, rights and complaints

To raise a privacy question, make a data subject request or complain about our handling of personal data, email privacy@uics.co.uk or write to our registered office below. We may verify identity where appropriate.

You can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/ if you have concerns about our processing. We encourage you to contact us first so we can investigate.

Changes to this notice

We may revise this Notice to reflect changes to our services, systems or legal requirements. The current version will be published on our website with its effective date. Material changes affecting how we use personal data will be communicated where required.

Additional information — controller details

Data controller: Unique & Independent Consultancy Services Ltd (UICS). Registered in England and Wales, company number 13858040. VAT number 486782725.

Registered office: 7–8 Portmill Lane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1DJ, United Kingdom.

Website: https://www.uics.co.uk. Dedicated privacy contact: privacy@uics.co.uk.

Where UICS acts solely as a processor for a customer, requests relating to the customer-controlled information should normally be directed to that customer, and UICS will assist as required under the contract.

Data subject rights

Subject to applicable legal conditions, individuals may have the right to access their personal data, rectify inaccuracies, request erasure, restrict processing, object to processing and receive portable data in qualifying circumstances. Where we rely on consent, it can be withdrawn without affecting previous lawful processing.

We may ask for reasonable information to verify identity before responding. Rights are not absolute and some exemptions may apply. We will respond within the applicable statutory timeframe.

Purposes and lawful bases

Enquiries and requests for quotations — legitimate interests in responding to business enquiries, or steps prior to entering a contract where requested by the individual.

Providing services and administering agreements — contract where the individual is a contracting party; otherwise legitimate interests in delivering agreed business services and managing customer relationships.

Invoicing, tax and statutory records — compliance with legal obligations and, as appropriate, legitimate interests in business administration.

Website operation and security — legitimate interests in providing and safeguarding a functional website, or other applicable legal basis depending on the particular technology.

Optional analytics and non-essential cookies — consent where required by UK cookie rules and applicable data protection law.

Direct marketing — consent where required, or legitimate interests where permitted following the relevant PECR and data protection assessment.

Legal claims and regulatory enquiries — legal obligation where applicable, otherwise legitimate interests in establishing, exercising or defending legal rights.

Retention

UICS applies the following retention periods, subject to applicable legal obligations and appropriately justified exceptions: website enquiries that do not result in an engagement — up to 12 months; general correspondence — normally no longer than 3 years, depending on its purpose; customer and accounting records — up to 7 years; and audit evidence — up to 12 months after completion of the relevant audit activities.

Records may be retained longer where necessary for a specific and documented legitimate purpose, including tax and accounting requirements, contractual obligations, regulatory matters or the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. For audit evidence handled on behalf of a customer, contractual instructions and agreed deletion or return arrangements also apply; longer retention is not automatic.

International transfers

UICS uses Microsoft 365 for email, collaboration and business document storage. Microsoft 365 administrative data-location information reviewed in October 2026 reported the United Kingdom as the current and committed data-at-rest geography for Exchange Online, Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint. Data residency does not mean that all support access or other processing takes place exclusively in the UK. Website and accounting service providers may also process information internationally.

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, UICS uses an applicable UK adequacy regulation or other appropriate transfer safeguards where required by law. Depending on the transfer, these may include the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses, or an applicable adequacy arrangement such as the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework. Microsoft’s May 2026 Data Protection Addendum addresses these mechanisms for relevant Microsoft services. Other service providers are subject to their own applicable contractual and transfer arrangements. You may contact privacy@uics.co.uk for further information about relevant safeguards.

Contact and effective date

Unique & Independent Consultancy Services Ltd (UICS), 7–8 Portmill Lane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1DJ, United Kingdom.

Privacy contact: privacy@uics.co.uk | Website: https://www.uics.co.uk/contact

Effective / last reviewed: 29 October 2026.