Privacy Policy

This policy explains what you should expect with regard to personal information collected, handled and processed by The Herne Group (UK) Ltd, Oltec House, 18 Beecham Court, Wigan, WN3 6PR, which is the data controller. In this policy "The Herne Group" means The Herne Group (UK) Ltd.

We process personal data in accordance with the data protection laws in force in the UK, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Using this website

When you send an enquiry or a careers enquiry through this website, we collect the details you give us (your name, organisation, email address, phone number if you provide it, and your message) and use them to respond to you. Our legal basis is our legitimate interest in replying to enquiries, or taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.

To protect our forms from spam we use Cloudflare Turnstile, which processes technical information about your browser and connection to check that a real person is submitting the form.

The website is run on a third-party hosting service. We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the site, but only if you accept analytics cookies in the cookie banner. Nothing is sent to Google before you accept, and you can change your choice at any time using the Cookie settings link at the foot of every page.

Enquiries are kept for up to 12 months, so we can deal with them and any follow-up, and are then deleted automatically.

Candidate information we collect

Information collected and processed for finding candidates a suitable role:

Name
Address
Email address
Telephone number
CV and work history
Job preferences, including role, area and salary
Any other work-related information provided, for example education or training certificates

Information about people who work, or may work, for us

Passport (in some cases also work permits and visas)
Date of birth
National Insurance number
Full details of employment offers and placements
Outcome of criminal record checks and security clearance for certain roles
Where required, medical information
References, both personal and professional
Financial information (including payroll details and terms, HMRC data, pension scheme details, court orders and statutory payments)
A log of our communications with you by email and telephone

This information will have been provided by the candidate or by a third party, such as a job board or another employment business or agency. References come from previous employers. Medical information may be supplied by a third party such as a GP, consultant or occupational health provider. The outcome of criminal record and security clearance checks, where relevant, is supplied by the Disclosure and Barring Service or another external organisation applicable to the placement.

How we use candidate data

We use candidate information to match skills with vacancies, to put candidate details forward to clients and prospective employers, to place candidates, to keep candidates informed of opportunities and of our services, to establish the right to work, to carry out security and criminal record checks where permitted by law, to deal with health and safety matters relating to certain roles, to put contracts in place once a role is secured, and to pay candidates where required.

How we hold and share data

All the personal data we hold is stored on our systems in the UK.

A candidate’s CV and related information will be shared with prospective employers and our clients. Once a placement is secured, additional information will be provided to enable it to proceed. Personal data will only be transferred outside the UK where the destination ensures an adequate level of protection or appropriate safeguards are in place, and we will tell candidates before any such transfer.

Other trusted third parties we may share candidate data with include HM Revenue and Customs, pension scheme providers, legal advisers and companies carrying out pre-engagement checks or paying candidates.

Legal basis for processing

We rely on candidate consent to process the personal data collected at the outset of, and during, the recruitment process. We process right-to-work information because we are legally obliged to. Medical information is processed where necessary to protect health and safety or to prevent discrimination on the grounds of disability, or with consent where required. Criminal record information, relevant for some roles, is processed where necessary to comply with the law, or with consent where required.

Once a position has been found, we process personal data, including financial information, so that the candidate can enter into a contract and be paid, and we are legally obliged to provide information to HMRC. We may also process candidate data on the basis of our legitimate interests, for administrative purposes.

Your rights

You have the right to ask for a copy of the information we hold about you. Requests can be made to datarequest@herneuk.com. You also have rights to erasure, restriction of processing, objection and data portability.

Where you have given consent, you can withdraw it at any time by emailing withdrawconsent@herneuk.com.

We keep personal data for no longer than is necessary.

Concerns and contact

If you have a concern about the way we collect or use your personal data, please raise it with us first. You can also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.

Questions, comments and requests about our data processing should be sent to Hadmin@herneuk.com.

We may change this policy to keep it in line with the law in force in the UK from time to time.