Privacy Policy

1. Introduction and Contact details 

Creative Happy Place LTD (trading as Happy Place) 
Company number: 15813231 
ICO registration number: ZB799702 

Happy Place is a recruitment agency and recruitment business as defined in the Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003. We are the data controller for the personal data described in this Privacy Notice. 

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data transparently, lawfully, and securely. 

Contact details 
Name: Fiona Smith 
Email: fiona@creativehappyplace.co.uk 
Telephone: 07709 022787 

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us using the details above. 

 

2. Purpose of this Privacy Notice 

This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal data. It applies to: 

  • Candidates (prospective, placed, and former) 

  • Client contacts 

  • Supplier contacts 

  • Employees, consultants, and temporary workers 

  • Users of our website: creativehappyplace.co.uk 

For information about cookies, please see our separate Cookie Policy: 
https://www.creativehappyplace.co.uk/cookie-policy 

 

3. Data protection law 

We process personal data in accordance with UK data protection legislation, including: 

  • The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) 

  • The Data Protection Act 2018 

  • The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) 

 

4. Changes to this Privacy Notice 

This Privacy Notice was last updated on 10th February 2026. 

We may update this notice from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website. Please ensure that the personal data we hold about you is accurate and notify us if your details change. 

 

5. Personal data we collect 

Personal data means any information that identifies you or could reasonably be used to identify you. 

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data: 

Identity data 

  • First name, last name, maiden name 

  • Title 

  • Date of birth 

  • Gender 

Contact data 

  • Postal address 

  • Email address 

  • Telephone number 

Recruitment data 

  • CVs, portfolios, employment history 

  • Qualifications, experience, skills 

  • Job preferences and availability 

  • Interview notes and assessments 

Identification and right-to-work data 

  • Passport or driving licence (where required) 

  • Right to work documentation 

Criminal conviction data 

  • Only where required for specific roles and where lawful to do so 

We do not collect unnecessary personal data and do not intentionally collect data about children. 

 

6. How we collect your personal data 

We collect personal data in the following ways: 

Directly from you 

  • When you submit your CV or portfolio by email 

  • When you apply for a role 

  • During telephone calls, video calls, meetings, or email correspondence 

  • When you submit information via LinkedIn 

CVs and portfolios are initially stored securely in our recruitment inbox for up to 18 months before being added to our recruitment database. 

From third parties 

  • Job boards and professional platforms (e.g. LinkedIn, Campaign Jobs) 

  • Referees provided by you 

  • Employers, umbrella companies, payroll companies, or personal service companies 

  • Publicly available sources such as Companies House and the Electoral Register 

 

7. How we use your personal data and lawful bases 

We only process personal data where we have a lawful basis to do so. 

Purpose - Lawful Basis 

Registering you as a candidate - Legitimate interests 

Providing recruitment and job search services - Legitimate interests / Contract 

Communicating with you about roles and opportunities - Legitimate interests 

Managing our relationship with you - Legitimate interests 

Maintaining accurate records - Legitimate interests 

Sending service-related updates - Legitimate interests 

Marketing communications - Legitimate interests or consent 

Fraud prevention and security - Legitimate interests / Legal obligation 

Identity verification and right-to-work checks - Legal obligation 

Criminal record checks (where required) - Legal obligation or explicit consent 

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we have carried out a balancing assessment to ensure that our interests do not override your rights and freedoms. 

You may object to processing based on legitimate interests at any time. 

8. Marketing communications 

You may receive marketing communications from us if: 

  • You have requested information from us, or 

  • You have used our services and have not opted out 

You can opt out at any time by: 

  • Clicking the “unsubscribe” link in our emails, or 

Opting out of marketing will not affect recruitment-related communications. 

We do not share your personal data with third parties for marketing without your explicit consent. 

 

9. If you fail to provide personal data 

Where personal data is required to provide recruitment services or to meet legal obligations, failure to provide it may mean we are unable to continue assisting you. We will notify you if this applies. 

 

10. Data retention 

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected. 

Data type - Retention period 

Candidate data (including sensitive data) - Up to 6 years, with periodic review and consent renewal 

Client contact data - 6 years 

Employee data - Duration of employment + 6 years 

Ex-employee data - 2 years 

Data is securely deleted or anonymised when no longer required. 

 

11. Data storage and security 

Your personal data is stored using secure systems including Dropbox and Microsoft Office 365. 

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures, including: 

  • Access controls and role-based permissions 

  • Staff confidentiality obligations 

  • Secure storage and transmission methods 

  • Procedures for data deletion and minimisation 

Access to personal data is limited to authorised personnel only. 

 

12. Sharing your personal data 

We may share your personal data with: 

  • Authorised staff within Happy Place 

  • Clients (with your knowledge and where relevant) 

  • IT and recruitment service providers 

  • Government bodies and regulators (e.g. HMRC) 

  • Professional advisers 

  • Third parties in the event of a business sale or restructuring 

All third parties are required to protect your data and use it only for specified purposes. 

 

13. International data transfers 

Some of our service providers (including Dropbox) store data on servers outside the UK, including in the United States. 

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as: 

  • UK adequacy regulations 

  • International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs) 

  • Approved contractual safeguards 

You may request further information about these safeguards by contacting us. 

 

14. Automated decision-making 

We do not carry out solely automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects on individuals. 

 

15. Your data protection rights 

You have the right to: 

  • Access your personal data 

  • Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data 

  • Request erasure in certain circumstances 

  • Restrict processing 

  • Object to processing 

  • Request data portability 

You do not have to pay a fee to exercise your rights. We will respond within one month. 

To exercise your rights, contact: fiona@creativehappyplace.co.uk 

 

16. Complaints 

If you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data, you may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): 

Information Commissioner’s Office 
Wycliffe House 
Water Lane 
Wilmslow 
Cheshire SK9 5AF 
Helpline: 0303 123 1113