Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 2026

Sarah McCahon Dyslexia & Learning Services respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This notice explains what information is collected, why it is used, how it is stored and what rights you have.

Who is responsible for your information?

Sarah McCahon, trading as Sarah McCahon Dyslexia & Learning Services, is the data controller for the personal information described in this notice.

If you have any questions about how your information is used, please email [email protected].

Information that may be collected

Depending on your enquiry or the service you use, information may include:

• Names, dates of birth and contact details
• Information supplied through enquiry, booking and questionnaire forms
• Educational, developmental, medical and family-history information
• Information provided by parents, carers, schools, colleges, universities or employers
• Assessment results, observations, notes and diagnostic reports
• Correspondence relating to enquiries, appointments and services
• Payment and transaction records
• Technical information about visits to this website, such as pages viewed and approximate visitor information

Some of this may be special category data, including information about health, diagnoses or learning differences. Information relating to children and young people may also be collected when a parent or carer makes an enquiry or books an assessment.

Why information is used

Personal information may be used to:

• Respond to enquiries and provide information about services
• Assess whether a service is appropriate
• Arrange and manage appointments
• Prepare for, conduct and report on assessments
• Provide recommendations, guidance or coaching
• Communicate with clients and, where appropriate, parents or carers
• Process payments and maintain financial records
• Meet professional, safeguarding, insurance and legal responsibilities
• Improve the website and understand how it is used

Lawful bases for processing

Personal information is processed where it is necessary:

• To take steps at your request or fulfil a contract for services
• To meet legal or professional obligations
• For legitimate business interests, such as responding to enquiries, administering services and maintaining appropriate records
• Where consent has been provided

Where special category information is processed, this will usually be with explicit consent or where another lawful condition applies. Consent may be withdrawn at any time, although this will not affect processing that has already taken place lawfully.

Information about children

Where information concerns a child or young person, it will usually be provided by a parent or carer, the young person, or an educational setting with appropriate authority. Information is used only for the purposes of considering, arranging or providing the requested service and meeting related professional responsibilities.

Sharing information

Personal information and assessment reports are not sold or routinely shared with schools, colleges, universities, employers or other professionals.

Assessment information and reports are provided to the adult client or, where appropriate, to those with parental responsibility for a child or young person. It is then their decision whether to share the report with a school, college, university, employer or another professional.

Information would only be disclosed without the appropriate person’s permission where there is a legal or safeguarding obligation to do so.

Trusted service providers may process limited information where necessary to operate the business. These may include website hosting, email, online forms, cloud storage, appointment booking, payment and website analytics providers. They are expected to handle information securely and only for the relevant purpose.

Some technology providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where this occurs, appropriate safeguards provided by UK data-protection law are relied upon.

How information is protected

Reasonable technical and organisational measures are used to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure. Access is limited to information needed for legitimate professional and administrative purposes.

How long information is kept

Information is kept only for as long as it is reasonably needed for the purpose for which it was collected and to meet legal, professional and insurance requirements.

Diagnostic assessment records relating to adults are normally retained for six years. Records relating to children and young people are normally retained until their 24th birthday. Financial records may be retained for at least six years. General enquiry information is deleted when it is no longer required.

Cookies and website analytics

This website uses cookies and similar technologies. Essential cookies may be necessary for the website to function. Optional cookies may be used to understand how visitors use the site and to help improve it.

StatsCounter is used to provide website-usage statistics. Where required, optional analytics or tracking technologies will be used only after consent has been given through the cookie banner. Visitors can accept or decline optional cookie tracking and can also manage cookies through their browser settings.

Third-party links

This website may contain links to other websites or services, including appointment-booking and questionnaire systems. Those services operate under their own privacy notices, and Sarah McCahon Dyslexia & Learning Services is not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites.

Your rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• Ask for access to your personal information
• Ask for inaccurate information to be corrected
• Ask for information to be deleted
• Ask for processing to be restricted
• Object to certain uses of your information
• Ask for information to be transferred
• Withdraw consent where processing relies upon consent

These rights are not absolute and may be limited where information must be retained for legal, professional, safeguarding or insurance reasons.

To make a request, please email [email protected]. You may be asked to provide information confirming your identity.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how your information has been handled, please contact Sarah McCahon in the first instance.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk.

Changes to this notice

This privacy notice may be updated occasionally to reflect changes to services, systems or legal requirements. The latest version will always appear on this page.