Privacy Policy
LJF Consulting Customer Privacy Notice
Last updated: September 2026
This privacy notice explains how LJF Consulting collects, uses, stores and shares personal information when providing coaching, HR consultancy, HR investigation and related professional services, and when people use our website or contact us.
We respect your privacy and will only use personal information where we have a lawful basis to do so.
Contact details
LJF Consulting
Email: ljfconsulting@outlook.com
If you have any questions about this privacy notice or how we use your personal information, please contact us using the email address above.
What information we collect, use and why
The information we collect depends on the nature of our relationship with you and the services we provide.
Coaching, HR consultancy and professional services
We may collect and use:
Names and contact details
Business and professional information, including job title, organisation and occupation
Employment information where relevant to an HR consultancy or coaching assignment
Information you provide about your circumstances, objectives, career or professional development
Information contained in correspondence and communications with you
Records of meetings, discussions, advice and decisions
Information relating to compliments, complaints or feedback
Payment and invoicing information
Information about how you use our website, where applicable
For HR consultancy and investigation assignments, we may also process information about employees, workers, managers, witnesses and other individuals involved in the matter. This may include employment information and other information relevant to the particular assignment.
We will only collect information that is relevant and necessary for the purpose for which it is being processed.
Health and other special category information
Some of the services we provide may involve processing special category personal information, including information about an individual's health or disability.
This may arise in individual coaching, HR consultancy and HR investigation work where the information is relevant to the service or assignment. For example, health information may be relevant to how coaching is delivered, to advice concerning sickness absence, disability, maternity or other employment matters, or to an HR investigation where health or disability is relevant to the issues being considered.
We will only process special category information where it is necessary and proportionate for the particular purpose and where an applicable condition under Article 9 of the UK GDPR, together with any additional requirements under the Data Protection Act 2018 where applicable, has been satisfied.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include:
Explicit consent where appropriate, particularly in individual coaching.
Processing necessary for employment, social security or social protection law.
Processing necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
Another applicable Article 9 condition where the circumstances require it.
Where we are processing personal information on behalf of a client organisation as a data processor, the client organisation is responsible for determining the purposes and lawful basis for its processing, including the appropriate condition for processing special category information. Our processing will be carried out in accordance with the agreed instructions and contractual arrangements.
Where we act as an independent data controller, we will determine and document the appropriate lawful basis and special category condition for the processing we undertake.
We will only collect, record, use and share health or other special category information that is relevant and necessary for the particular purpose.
Criminal offence information
In the course of HR consultancy and employment investigations, we may receive or record information relating to allegations of misconduct that could also potentially constitute a criminal offence.
This might include allegations concerning dishonesty, misuse of property or confidential information, assault, threats, harassment, stalking, drugs or alcohol, or other conduct that may have a criminal dimension.
Our role is to investigate employment-related matters, establish the relevant facts and determine whether an allegation of misconduct is substantiated. We do not act as a law enforcement authority and do not determine whether an individual has committed a criminal offence.
Where information relating to an alleged offence is relevant to the employment matter being investigated, we may need to collect, record and include that information in investigation records or reports.
We will only process such information where this is necessary and proportionate for the particular purpose and where the requirements of Article 10 of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 are met.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include processing necessary for employment-related purposes, establishing, exercising or defending legal claims, preventing or detecting unlawful acts, or another applicable legal condition.
Relevant information may be included in an investigation report provided to the client organisation and, where appropriate, shared with individuals who are entitled to receive the report or relevant information, including the employee concerned and their representative, professional advisers, insurers or legal advisers.
We do not routinely obtain or process criminal records, DBS information or police records as part of our investigation services.
Where an investigation identifies information that may warrant referral to the police or another authority, decisions about whether to make such a referral will normally remain with the client organisation, unless there is a specific legal or safeguarding reason requiring otherwise.
Information used for updates and marketing
We may use names and contact details to provide relevant information about our services, professional resources, articles and updates.
Where electronic direct marketing is involved, we will comply with the applicable requirements of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), including obtaining consent where required or relying on an applicable exception where permitted.
You can unsubscribe from marketing communications or object to direct marketing at any time.
Lawful bases
Under UK data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for collecting and using personal information.
Depending on the purpose, we may rely on:
Contract – where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you.
Legal obligation – where processing is necessary to comply with a legal requirement.
Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary for our legitimate business or professional interests, or those of another organisation or individual, provided those interests are not overridden by the individual's rights and freedoms.
Consent – where you have given valid consent for us to use your information for a specific purpose.
Other lawful bases where these apply to a particular processing activity.
The lawful basis used will depend on the particular circumstances and purpose for which information is processed.
Our legitimate interests
We may rely on legitimate interests where this is appropriate and lawful.
Our legitimate interests include:
Providing, managing and improving our coaching, HR consultancy, investigation and related professional services.
Understanding clients' requirements and circumstances so that we can provide an appropriate and effective service.
Communicating with clients and maintaining appropriate professional records.
Responding to queries, complaints and claims.
Protecting our business interests and establishing, exercising or defending legal claims.
Keeping existing clients and relevant professional contacts informed about services and professional resources where this is permitted under applicable marketing law.
When relying on legitimate interests, we consider whether the processing is necessary and whether our interests are overridden by the individual's rights and freedoms. We only use information that is relevant and proportionate to the purpose.
Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights including:
The right of access – to ask for copies of your personal information.
The right to rectification – to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
The right to erasure – to ask us to delete your personal information in certain circumstances.
The right to restriction of processing – to ask us to limit how we use your information in certain circumstances.
The right to object – to object to certain processing, including direct marketing.
The right to data portability – in certain circumstances, to ask us to transfer personal information you provided to another organisation or to you.
The right to withdraw consent – where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
These rights are subject to certain conditions and exemptions under data protection law.
If you make a valid data protection rights request, we will normally respond without undue delay and within one month.
To exercise your rights, please contact us at:
Where we get personal information from
We may obtain personal information:
Directly from you.
From clients and organisations that engage our services.
From HR teams, managers and authorised representatives of client organisations.
From employees, workers, witnesses and other individuals involved in HR consultancy or investigation assignments.
From publicly available professional and business sources, such as company websites and professional networking platforms.
From professional advisers or other third parties where relevant to the services we provide.
How long we keep information
We keep personal information only for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including providing our services, maintaining appropriate business records and dealing with queries, complaints or potential legal claims.
Our usual retention periods are:
Coaching client records and notes: 6 years after the coaching relationship ends.
HR consultancy records: 6 years after the relevant assignment is completed.
HR investigation records, including investigation notes, witness information and reports: 6 years after the investigation is completed.
Client contracts and engagement records: 6 years after the relevant relationship or contract ends.
Queries and enquiries that do not result in a client relationship: 12 months after the enquiry is closed.
Complaints and claims: 6 years after the matter is resolved or closed.
Financial and accounting records: for the period required by applicable legal and tax requirements.
Marketing information: for as long as it is necessary for the relevant purpose and in accordance with applicable marketing and data protection requirements.
At the end of the applicable retention period, personal information will be securely deleted or anonymised unless there is a legal, regulatory or other legitimate reason to retain it for longer.
We review our retention periods periodically to ensure that personal information is not kept for longer than necessary.
Who we share information with
We only share personal information where this is necessary for the services we provide, where we have a lawful basis to do so, or where we are legally required or permitted to share it.
Where we provide services to an organisation, the organisation may determine the purposes for which personal information is processed. Depending on the nature of the particular engagement, LJF Consulting may act as a data processor on behalf of that organisation or as a separate data controller.
The respective roles and responsibilities will be determined according to the nature of the particular engagement and, where appropriate, documented in the relevant contract or data processing agreement.
Data processors and service providers
We use service providers that process personal information on our behalf, including:
Squarespace – website hosting and website management for ljfcoaching.org.
Microsoft – email and cloud storage services, including Outlook and OneDrive.
Where other service providers are introduced that process personal information on our behalf, we will ensure that appropriate contractual and data protection arrangements are in place.
Other organisations and individuals
Depending on the circumstances, we may share relevant personal information with:
Clients and client organisations, including authorised HR representatives and managers.
Employees, workers, witnesses and other individuals involved in an HR consultancy or investigation assignment, where necessary and appropriate.
Professional and legal advisers, including solicitors and accountants.
Insurance providers and brokers where relevant to a claim or potential claim.
Government, regulatory or public authorities where disclosure is required or permitted by law.
Professional consultants or specialists engaged to support a particular client assignment.
We will only share information that is relevant and proportionate to the particular purpose.
Sharing information outside the UK
Some of our service providers may process or transfer personal information outside the UK.
Where this occurs, we will ensure that the transfer is made in accordance with UK data protection law and that an appropriate transfer mechanism or safeguard is in place.
Our current providers that may involve transfers to the United States include:
Squarespace, Inc.
Category: Website hosting and website services provider
Country: United States of America
Transfer mechanism: UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
Google LLC
Category: Calendar and online services provider
Country: United States of America
Transfer mechanism: UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.
We will review our international transfer arrangements if our service providers or processing arrangements change.
How we protect personal information
We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure.
Access to personal information is limited to people who need it for legitimate business or professional purposes.
Where we engage service providers to process personal information on our behalf, we take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate data protection and confidentiality arrangements are in place.
How to complain
If you have any concerns about how we use your personal information, you can make a data protection complaint to us:
Email: ljfconsulting@outlook.com
We will consider your complaint and respond within a reasonable period.
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal information.
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
Changes to this privacy notice
We may update this privacy notice from time to time to reflect changes to our services, the way we use personal information or changes in data protection law.
The latest version will be published on our website.