Privacy Policy — Sam Matthews Youth Justice Consultancy

Website Privacy Policy

Last updated: 21 October 2026

Sam Matthews Youth Justice Consultancy Limited is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information responsibly.

This Privacy Policy explains how personal information is collected, used, stored and protected when you visit our website or contact us using the contact form or contact details provided.

1. Who we are

Sam Matthews Youth Justice Consultancy Limited provides specialist consultancy, leadership development and improvement support to Youth Justice Services, Children's Services and wider partnerships.

The data controller responsible for personal information collected through this website is:

Sam Matthews Youth Justice Consultancy Limited

Trading as: Sam Matthews Youth Justice Consultancy

Company registration number: 17351094

Registered in England and Wales

Registered office: Corner House, Main Street, Catwick, Beverley, England, HU17 5PJ

Website: https://www.sammatthewsyjc.co.uk

Email: sammatthewsyjc@outlook.com

Telephone: 07581 792588

2. Scope of this policy

This policy covers personal information collected through this website, including contact form submissions and enquiries made using the contact details provided.

It does not describe the separate data protection arrangements that may apply to consultancy engagements, casework or information supplied by commissioning organisations.

Where a website enquiry leads to a professional engagement, additional privacy information or contractual data protection arrangements may apply.

3. Information we collect

When you contact us through our website, we may collect:

Your first and last name
Your email address
Your telephone number, if provided
Your message and any additional information you choose to include

Your name, email address and message are required to submit an online enquiry. Your telephone number is optional.

This information is provided directly by you. If you do not provide the required information, you will not be able to submit the contact form, but you may contact us using the other details provided.

Our website provider and security services may also process technical information, including IP addresses, browser information and website interactions, to support website operation and security.

Please do not include confidential casework, safeguarding information or personal details identifying children or service users in general website enquiries.

If such information is received, it will be handled in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.

4. How we use your information

We use information collected through the website to:

Respond to enquiries and requests for information
Discuss our consultancy services
Arrange initial consultations
Prepare proposals for potential commissions
Maintain relevant business correspondence
Support the security and operation of our website

We do not use contact form information for unsolicited marketing communications or add visitors to marketing mailing lists.

5. Lawful basis for processing

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), we must have a lawful basis for processing personal information.

Depending on the circumstances, we rely on the following lawful bases:

Legitimate interests

We use personal information where reasonably necessary to respond to general business enquiries, communicate with potential clients and maintain relevant correspondence.

Our legitimate interests include operating our consultancy, responding to people who contact us and protecting the security of our website, provided these interests are not overridden by individuals' rights and freedoms.

Contractual necessity

Where an individual requests steps before entering into a contract with us personally, or where processing is necessary to fulfil such a contract, we may rely on contractual necessity.

Legal obligations

We may process or retain certain information where necessary to comply with applicable legal requirements.

6. How your information is stored and protected

Our website is hosted by Squarespace.

Information submitted through our contact form is stored within Squarespace's Form Submissions area. Enquiries may also be delivered to our business email account.

We use Microsoft Outlook for email correspondence.

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, misuse, loss or disclosure.

Website enquiries are not routinely stored in additional customer relationship management systems, spreadsheets or other independent storage platforms.

Access to website enquiries is restricted to Sam Matthews and the service providers required to operate the website and email services.

No method of electronic transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

7. Sharing information with third parties

We do not sell personal information collected through our website.

Personal information may be processed by service providers supporting the website and related communications, including:

Squarespace: Website hosting, contact forms and related services.
Microsoft: Business email and correspondence.
Google reCAPTCHA: Spam prevention and website form security.

Google reCAPTCHA may process technical information about visitors, including IP addresses, browser details and interactions with the website, to distinguish legitimate visitors from automated activity.

We do not routinely share website enquiries with other consultants, employees or administrative support providers.

Personal information may also be disclosed where required by law or where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

8. International data transfers

Some of the technology providers used by our website and email services, including Squarespace, Microsoft and Google, may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

These providers publish information about their international data processing arrangements and the safeguards they use. Depending on the provider and destination, these may include applicable UK adequacy arrangements, the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or approved contractual safeguards.

Further information about international data transfers can be found in the providers' published privacy information or requested by contacting sammatthewsyjc@outlook.com.

9. How long we keep your information

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including responding to enquiries and meeting applicable legal obligations.

Enquiries that do not lead to a consultancy engagement will normally be retained for six months after the last relevant communication, unless there is a legitimate reason or legal requirement to retain them longer.

Where an enquiry develops into a consultancy engagement, relevant correspondence may be retained under separate business record-keeping arrangements.

When information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely delete or anonymise it, including relevant copies held within Squarespace or email systems.

10. Your data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, you may have the following rights, depending on the circumstances:

Right of access: Request a copy of personal information we hold about you.
Right to rectification: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to erasure: Request deletion of your information in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing: Ask us to limit how your information is used in certain circumstances.
Right to object: Object to certain processing, including processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to data portability: Receive certain information in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, where applicable.
Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis for processing.

These rights are subject to applicable legal conditions and exemptions.

Your right to object

Where we rely on legitimate interests to process your personal information, you have the right to object. We will consider your objection in accordance with applicable data protection law.

To exercise any of your rights, please contact sammatthewsyjc@outlook.com.

We will respond in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.

11. Automated decision-making

We do not use information submitted through our contact form to make automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects concerning consultancy services.

Google reCAPTCHA uses automated techniques to assess potential spam and protect the website.

12. Cookies and website security

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to support its operation and security.

Our contact form uses Google reCAPTCHA to help prevent spam and automated submissions.

Squarespace's non-essential cookies are restricted until visitors make the relevant choice through the website's cookie preference controls.

For further information, please read our Cookie Policy.

13. External websites

Our website may contain links to external organisations, partners and training providers.

External websites operate independently and have their own privacy practices, which we do not control.

We recommend reviewing their privacy policies before submitting personal information.

14. Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal information is handled, please contact us so that we can investigate your concern.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator.

Information Commissioner's Office

Website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our website, data-handling practices or legal requirements.

The latest version will be published on this page, together with its revision date.

16. Contact us