Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 24 October 2026

Your privacy matters to me. This policy explains what personal information I collect, why I use it, who may receive it and the choices you have.  It applies when you visit my website, make an enquiry or use my coaching, interview preparation, consultancy or fractional operations services.

Who is responsible for your information?

Karen James, trading as K James Coaching & Consultancy, is the data controller responsible for the personal information covered by this policy.

Website: www.kjamescoaching.co.uk
Email: coaching@kjamescoaching.co.uk

You can contact me at this email address with any privacy questions or requests.

What information I collect

Depending on how we interact, I may collect:  

1. Your name, email address, telephone number and any address needed for invoicing or providing services.
2. Your business name, role and relevant professional information.
3. Information you provide through enquiries, booking forms, email, telephone calls, WhatsApp or social media.
4. Information relevant to our work together, such as your goals, circumstances, CV, career history, interview preparation, business challenges and agreed actions.
5. Session notes, workbooks, reports and correspondence.
6. Information about other people supplied during consultancy work, such as employee or customer information, where necessary for the agreed assignment.
7. Booking, invoice, payment and transaction records.
8. Feedback, reviews and your choices about publishing them.
9. Technical information collected through the website, as explained in the website and cookies section below.

Please avoid sending information about other people unless it is necessary for our work and you are authorised to share it.

Sensitive personal information

Coaching conversations may sometimes involve sensitive information, such as health or disability information.

I aim to collect and record only what is necessary. Where I need to process special category information, I will identify an appropriate legal condition and explain this to you. Where I rely on your explicit consent, I will ask for it separately.

You do not need to include sensitive personal information in a testimonial or general enquiry.

How and why I use your information

I use personal information for the following purposes:

Responding to enquiries and arranging services
To answer questions, discuss your needs and arrange discovery calls or bookings. Depending on the enquiry, this is necessary to take steps at your request before entering a contract, or for my legitimate interests in responding to business enquiries.

Providing coaching, consultancy and other agreed services
To prepare for and deliver our work, communicate with you, keep appropriate records and provide agreed summaries or reports. For individual clients, this is generally necessary to perform our contract. When working with business contacts or information about other people, I may rely on legitimate interests in delivering the agreed business service.

Payments and administration
To issue invoices, manage payments and maintain business records. This is necessary to perform contracts and meet applicable legal obligations, including tax and accounting requirements.

Managing and protecting the business
To maintain security, resolve complaints and establish, exercise or defend legal claims. This may be necessary for my legitimate interests or to meet a legal obligation.

Improving services
To understand feedback and improve the support I provide. I rely on my legitimate interests in maintaining and improving my services, while respecting your rights and expectations.

Publishing testimonials
To show prospective clients what working with me is like. Publication of an identifiable testimonial is based on your consent.

Marketing communications
Where I have your consent, or another basis permitted by applicable electronic marketing rules, I may send information about relevant services or offers. You can ask me to stop at any time.

Where I rely on legitimate interests, I consider whether the use is necessary and how it may affect you.

Confidentiality and consultancy assignments

Client information is treated confidentially. I may need to disclose information where required by law, where necessary for legal proceedings, or where there is a serious safeguarding concern and disclosure is justified.

If an organisation pays for your coaching, we will agree what information, if any, will be shared with it. Payment by an organisation does not automatically give it access to confidential session content.

For some consultancy assignments, the client organisation determines how personal information is used and I process it on its instructions. Where this applies, our agreement will set out the relevant responsibilities, and the organisation’s privacy information may also apply.

Who may receive your information?

I use service providers to help run my business and deliver services. Depending on the service you use, these may include:

IONOS for website hosting and website services.

Microsoft 365 for email, documents and business administration.

Zoom for online meetings.

WhatsApp for messages and agreed client support.

Stripe for payment processing.

Zoho for accounting and business records.

HubSpot for CRM system

These providers receive or process information relevant to their services. Some also act as independent data controllers for certain activities under their own privacy policies.

I may also share necessary information with professional advisers, insurers, accountants, regulators or public authorities where justified or legally required.

I do not sell your personal information.

Payments

Payments made through Stripe are processed through its payment systems. I do not store full payment card details. I retain the transaction and invoice information needed to administer payments and maintain business records.

WhatsApp and social media

If you contact me through WhatsApp or social media, I will use your details and messages to respond and provide any agreed support.

These platforms also process information under their own privacy policies. Please use email if you would prefer an alternative contact method, and avoid sending sensitive documents through social media messages.

Reviews and testimonials

If you submit a review, I will use it to understand your experience and manage your feedback.

I will only publish an identifiable review where you have given permission. The review form will let you choose whether it may appear on my website, my business social media accounts, or both.

Only your agreed display details will accompany it, such as your first name and optional town, city, role or business name. Your private contact details will not be published.

I may use an extract or correct minor spelling errors without changing the meaning. I will seek your approval before making substantial changes.

Permission is optional and does not affect the service you receive. You can withdraw it by emailing coaching@kjamescoaching.co.uk. I will stop further use and remove the testimonial from channels I control as soon as reasonably possible. Copies independently shared by others may remain outside my control.

Marketing

Submitting an enquiry, receiving a service or leaving a review does not automatically subscribe you to a mailing list.

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link provided, where available, or by emailing me. I may retain a minimal record of your preference so that I do not contact you again for marketing.

Messages needed to manage an enquiry, booking or ongoing service are separate from marketing.

Website and cookies

The website may process technical information, such as IP addresses, browser details and server logs, to deliver and secure the site.

This website includes IONOS SiteAnalytics and embedded YouTube videos. These services may process information about your visit or interaction with website content.

You can find further information about each service and manage your choices through the website’s built-in “Privacy Settings” panel. Select “More” beside a service to read its details, and “Save Settings” to confirm your preferences.

Where consent is required for cookies or similar technologies, you can accept or decline them through the website’s privacy settings and change your choices later.

Where information is processed

Information may be processed in the UK and in other countries used by my service providers.

Where information is processed

I use Microsoft 365 for email, documents and administration, and Zoom for online meetings. These providers may process personal information in the UK and overseas, including the United States, depending on the service and account arrangements.

Where information is transferred outside the UK, applicable data protection arrangements may include UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses with the UK Addendum.

You can contact coaching@kjamescoaching.co.uk for further information about the providers and safeguards relevant to your information.

How long I keep information

I keep personal information only for as long as necessary for its purpose, taking account of legal requirements, confidentiality and any need to resolve disputes.

Enquiries that do not become clients: I retain enquiry information only for as long as needed to respond and deal with any follow-up. I regularly review it and securely delete information that is no longer required.

Client agreements, session notes, reports and correspondence: for the duration of our work together and afterwards only where needed to meet applicable legal or professional insurance requirements, resolve complaints or establish, exercise or defend legal claims. Retention is reviewed regularly, and unnecessary information is securely deleted.

Invoices and accounting records: at least five years after the 31 January Self Assessment submission deadline for the relevant tax year, and longer where required by HMRC.

Testimonials: while they remain relevant and publication permission remains valid, with an annual review. If permission is withdrawn, I will stop further use and remove them from channels I control.

Consent and withdrawal records: while relying on the consent, and afterwards only as necessary to demonstrate how permission was obtained, record its withdrawal or deal with a complaint or legal claim. These records are kept to support accountability and honour your choices.

Marketing contact details: until you unsubscribe or they are no longer needed. I retain only the minimum information needed to record and respect an opt-out.

Relevant records may be kept longer where necessary for an ongoing complaint, investigation or legal claim. Information is securely deleted or anonymised when no longer required.

Information is securely deleted or anonymised when no longer required.

Keeping information secure

I use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information, including access controls and secure business systems. Access is limited to those who need it for an authorised purpose.

No online system is completely risk-free, but I take reasonable steps to prevent unauthorised access, loss or misuse.

Your rights

Depending on the circumstances and the legal basis used, you may have the right to:

• Access your personal information.
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion.
• Restrict how information is used.
• Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Receive certain information in a portable format.
• Withdraw consent where processing relies on it.

You can object to direct marketing at any time.

Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

To exercise your rights, email coaching@kjamescoaching.co.uk. I may ask for information to verify your identity. Requests are generally free, and I will respond within the applicable legal time limit.

You can choose not to provide information, although I may be unable to arrange or deliver a service without details necessary for it.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how I use your information, please contact me so I can investigate.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office:

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

You do not have to raise your concern with me before contacting the ICO.

Changes to this policy

I will update this policy when my services or information-handling practices change. The latest version will be available on this website, with the update date shown above. Where necessary, I will also bring significant changes to your attention directly.