Privacy Policy

Privacy & Cookies

Introduction

The Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland, often referred to by the acronym REHIS, is an independent, self-financing registered Scottish charity (Number SC009406) whose main objectives are for the benefit of the community to promote the advancement of Environmental Health by:

  • stimulating general interest in and disseminating knowledge concerning Environmental Health;
  • promoting education and training in matters relating to Environmental Health; and
  • maintaining, by examination or otherwise, high standards of professional practice and conduct on the part of Environmental Health Officers in Scotland.

This policy covers the treatment of personally identifiable information that The Royal Environmental Institute of Scotland (REHIS) collects when you are using our services. Here you will find details of our privacy practices and what we do to maintain your right to privacy.

Information Collection and Use

You can visit our website and use many of the services without telling us who you are or giving us any personally identifiable information. REHIS may use cookies for the smooth running of the site but does not use the information collected to match to your individual identity.

It is only when you complete a form that requests personal information or e-mail, phone or write to REHIS that you can be identified. We only collect the information we ask from you that you give us, and consent to it being processed for the purposes of delivering REHIS Membership Services, REHIS Professional Courses and Events, REHIS Community Training or REHIS Student Registration.

REHIS also automatically receives and records information on server logs from your browser including your IP Address and the page you requested.

Where we collect your information

  • An application form to become a Member, Approved Training Centre or Registered Course Presenter
  • Professional course and event bookings
  • Student registration forms
  • Phone conversations
  • Emails or letters you send us
  • Meetings with REHIS representatives
  • Candidate course/result submissions from Approved Training Centres
  • Our on line services such as course registrations and result submissions
  • Personal data relating to candidates will be collected by REHIS from Approved (and Provisionally approved) Training Centres and Joint Award Partners

What we use this information for

REHIS may use the information you provide in pursuit of our legitimate interests to provide you with services from REHIS.  This includes some or all of the following:

  • to promote and encourage participation in the work of the Institute by sending members’ communications and booking information for upcoming events. 
  • to manage REHIS applications, registrations and any enquiries you have submitted to us.
  • to manage REHIS course registrations and issue pack requests
  • to mark examinations, issue results and award qualifications
  • to keep a record of candidates examination/certification entries in the context of quality assurance, certificate verification and to provide post-result services
  • to fulfill your request for information or services
  • as input to improving our services and to inform you of improvements

If you do not wish us to collect and use your personal information in these ways it may mean that we will be unable to provide you with information and services.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

REHIS will not sell or rent your personally identifiable information to anyone. REHIS will only send personally identifiable information about you to other companies when we have your consent. This is only necessary when we need to share your information in order to provide the information or service requested. We also use the information in response to regulatory enforcement, court orders, HMRC or other legal processes, and other regulatory bodies (eg SQA Accreditation, CITB, CSCS).

If you are a REHIS Approved Training Centre, and have given consent, the name, address and contact details of your Centre will be published on the REHIS Community Training Approved Training Centres website pages.

How we protect your information

The information we collect (or our third party sub-processors acting on our behalf) about you, your organisation and your candidates is stored on an electronic database on a secure server. Any personal information, which is collated, recorded or used in any way, whether on paper, online or any other media, will have appropriate safeguards applied.

We have strict controls designed to protect your information to minimise loss or damage through accident, negligence or deliberate actions.

How long we keep your information

We will keep your personal information only where it is necessary to provide you with our services and while you are a Registered Student, a Member and/or an Approved Training Centre or a Registered Course Presenter

A requirement of GDPR is to ensure that your data is accurate, up to date and is held for no longer than is necessary.  In order for us to do this:

  • if you have subscribed to receive email alerts, the newsletter and other information you will have the right to unsubscribe at any time
  • we will update your data or remove it from our database at your request
  • examination results will be retained for a minimum of 40 years
  • your details will be removed if you are no longer a Member, Approved Training Centre, or Registered Course Presenter.  Student registrations will be removed if there has been no contact for 7 years.

Your rights

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (effective from 25 May 2018) you have the following rights:

  • The right to be informed
  • The right of access
  • The right to rectification
  • The right to erasure
  • The right to restrict processing
  • The right to data portability
  • The right to object
  • Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling

You can find more information about these rights on the Information Commissioners Website (ICO).

Cookies

Our website uses cookies. By using our website and agreeing to this policy, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with the terms of this policy.

About cookies

A cookie is a file containing an identifier (a string of letters and numbers) that is sent by a web server to a web browser, and stored by the browser. The identifier is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.

Cookies can be used by web servers to identify and track users as they navigate different pages on a website and to identify users returning to a website.

Cookies may be either “persistent” cookies or “session” cookies. A persistent cookie consists of a text file sent by a web server to a web browser, which will be stored by the browser and will remain valid until its set expiry date (unless deleted by the user before the expiry date). A session cookie, on the other hand, will expire at the end of the user session, when the web browser is closed.

Cookies on this website

We use both session cookies and persistent cookies on this website.

How we use cookies

Cookies do not contain any information that personally identifies you, but personal information that we store about you may be linked, by us, to the information stored in and obtained from cookies.

We may use the information we obtain from your use of our cookies for the following purposes:

  • to recognise your computer when you visit our website;
  • to track you as you navigate our website;
  • to improve the website’s usability;
  • to analyse the use of our website;
  • in the administration of this website;

Third party cookies

When you use our website, you may also be sent third party cookies. Our service providers may send you cookies. They may use the information they obtain from your use of their cookies. We use Google Analytics to analyse the use of this website. Google Analytics generates statistical and other information about website use by means of cookies, which are stored on users’ computers. The information generated relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of the website. Google will store this information. Google’s privacy policy is available at: http://www.google.com/privacypolicy.html.

Blocking cookies

Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies. For example: in Internet Explorer you can refuse all cookies by clicking “Tools”, “Internet Options”, “Privacy”, and selecting “Block all cookies” using the sliding selector; in Firefox you can block all cookies by clicking “Tools”, “Options”, and un-checking “Accept cookies from sites” in the “Privacy” box.

Blocking all cookies will, however have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites.

Deleting cookies

You can also delete cookies already stored on your computer: in Internet Explorer, you must manually delete cookie files (you can find instructions for doing so at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278835 )  in Firefox, you can delete cookies by, first ensuring that cookies are to be deleted when you “clear private data” (this setting can be changed by clicking “Tools”, “Options” and “Settings” in the “Private Data” box) and then clicking “Clear private data” in the “Tools” menu.

Doing this may have a negative impact on the usability of many websites.

How to Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this statement, or the information we collect or use about you please contact REHIS, 19 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8HX or email: contact@rehis.com