Complaint Policy
Data protection complaints notice
How to raise a concern with us about your personal data
Published by: Gifted Online|Last reviewed: 16.6.26
About this notice
We take the privacy and protection of your personal data seriously. If you have any concerns about the way we have collected, used, shared, stored or deleted your personal information – including how we have used automated systems or artificial intelligence (AI) in relation to your personal data – we encourage you to let us know. We are committed to investigating your concerns and will do our best to resolve them promptly and fairly.
This notice explains your rights, how you can raise a concern with us, what you can expect once you have done so, and the options available if you remain dissatisfied with our response.
Under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, you have a statutory right to raise your concerns directly with us. You are not required to contact the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) before doing so, as we are your first point of contact. However, you are always entitled to contact the ICO directly at any stage if you wish.
Your rights under UK data protection law
Under the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, you have the right to:
• Access the personal data we hold about you (commonly known as a Subject Access Request or SAR).
• Ask us to correct any personal information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Request that we delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Ask us to restrict the way we use your personal data while your complaint or request is being considered.
• Receive a copy of your personal data in a commonly used and portable format.
• Object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Not be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing where that decision has a legal or similarly significant effect on you.
• Under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, ask us to explain, in clear and straightforward terms, how an automated decision affecting you was reached, request that the decision is reviewed by a person, and ask us to reconsider the outcome.
If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided below.
Who we are and who to contact
Data protection at Gifted Online, Cognitive Learning Specialist and Mapped Minds is the responsibility of:
Responsible person
Jane Stratton, Business Owner
Phone
07507 789519
We accept complaints regardless of how they are submitted, whether by email, telephone, social media or in person. Whatever method you choose, we will record your complaint and handle it fairly and consistently. You do not need to complete a specific form or follow a particular format in order to make a complaint.
What counts as a data protection complaint
A data protection complaint is any concern you raise about how we have collected, used, stored, shared or deleted your personal data. This is broad - it covers a wide range of situations, not just formal data breaches.
Examples of the types of concern we can investigate
Examples of the types of concerns you may wish to raise include:
• We did not respond to your Subject Access Request (SAR) within the required timescale, or the information we provided was incomplete.
• We collected or used your personal data without a valid lawful basis, or for a purpose that you were not informed about.
• We disclosed your personal data to someone who should not have received it, or without a lawful reason for doing so.
• We did not comply with your request to correct, delete or restrict the use of your personal data where we were required to do so.
• We retained your personal data for longer than was necessary.
• Your personal data was affected by a data breach or security incident, and we did not deal with it appropriately.
• You continued to receive marketing communications from us after you had withdrawn your consent or opted out.
• Our Privacy Notice was unclear, incomplete, or did not accurately explain how we collect, use or protect your personal data.
What this process does not cover
The following types of concerns are not covered by this procedure:
• General dissatisfaction with the quality of our products or services where the issue does not relate to the use of your personal data. Please contact us at [email protected], marking your email Service, and we will do our best to assist you.
• Billing or payment enquiries. Please contact us at [email protected], marking your email Billing.
• Complaints about the outcome of a Subject Access Request where the request was handled correctly, lawfully and within the required timescale.
• Complaints relating to the conduct or professional practice of a third party. These should be referred to the relevant organisation, professional body or regulator.
• Employment or HR grievances. These are dealt with under our separate employment procedures, even where a request relating to personal data forms part of the grievance.
If you are unsure whether your concern relates to data protection, please contact us. We will be happy to advise you and, where appropriate, direct your enquiry to the most suitable process.
There are no formal requirements for how you raise a complaint. You can contact us verbally, in writing, or through any of the channels listed above.
How to raise a complaint with us
To help us investigate your concern as quickly and effectively as possible, we ask that you provide:
• Your name and contact details.
• A clear description of your concern, including what happened, when it occurred, and who was involved.
• Any relevant reference numbers, screenshots, emails or other correspondence that may assist our investigation.
• Details of the outcome or resolution you are seeking.
You do not need to provide all of this information for your complaint to be valid. If you are unsure what to include, simply get in touch and we will be happy to help you through the process.
What happens when we receive your complaint
Here is what you can expect from us, step by step:
Step 1 - Acknowledgement (within 30 calendar days)
We will send you a written acknowledgement within 30 calendar days of receiving your complaint. This timescale includes weekends and bank holidays, with day one being the day after we receive your complaint.
Our acknowledgement will confirm:
• That we have received your complaint and the date on which it was received.
• The name of the person responsible for handling your complaint.
• The next steps in the process and the expected timescale for our investigation and response.
Step 2 - Investigation
We will investigate your complaint fairly, thoroughly and without undue delay. This may include reviewing records and system logs and speaking to relevant team members or suppliers as appropriate.
Step 3 - Keeping you informed
If we need further information from you, or if anything changes, we will get in touch as soon as possible.
Step 4 - Our response
We aim to provide you with a full written response within one calendar month of receiving your complaint. Where your complaint is particularly complex or involves multiple issues, we may extend this period by up to a further two months. If an extension is necessary, we will let you know within the first month, explain the reasons for the delay, and tell you when you can expect our final response.
Our response will include:
• A summary of the matters we investigated and how the investigation was carried out.
• Our findings, together with the reasons for the decision we have reached.
• Details of any action we have taken, or intend to take, as a result of our investigation.
• Information about your right to refer your complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you are not satisfied with our response.
We will not charge a fee for handling your complaint, unless it is clearly unfounded or excessive - in which case we will explain this to you before proceeding.
How we keep records
We keep a record of all data protection complaints we receive, together with the steps taken to investigate them and the outcome of each case. Maintaining these records helps us deal with complaints consistently, identify any recurring issues, improve our practices where necessary, and demonstrate compliance with our legal obligations.
Complaint records are stored securely and are only accessible to those who need them to investigate or manage the complaint. Please note that the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), as the UK's data protection regulator, may request access to our complaint records as part of its regulatory functions. Where required by law, we will provide the ICO with the relevant information.
If you are not satisfied with our response
If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our response, or at any stage during our complaints process, you have the right to refer your concern to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent regulator for data protection.
You do not have to wait for us to complete our investigation before contacting the ICO, and you are not required to raise your concern with us before doing so. However, we welcome the opportunity to address your concerns directly and will always do our best to resolve the matter fairly and promptly.
ICO website
Helpline
0303 123 1113 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4:30pm)
Live chat
Available at ico.org.uk
Post
Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Our ICO registration
Gifted Online, Cognitive Learning Specialist and Mapped Minds are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office under registration number ZB856502. You can verify this at ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/what-we-do/register-of-fee-payers/.
Accessibility
We want this process to be accessible to everyone. If you need this notice in a different format - for example, in large print, or if you would like to speak to someone directly rather than communicate in writing - please let us know and we will do our best to help.
Contact us at: [email protected]
This notice was last reviewed in June 2026. We review it at least once a year and update it whenever any of our contact details or processes change. If you have questions about this notice, please contact us at [email protected]
