Ashdown Group Candidate Privacy Notice
Effective date: 4th September 2025
The Ashdown Group (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This notice explains how we collect, use, share and safeguard your information when you engage with us for recruitment services.
1. Who we are
Ashdown Group Limited acts as a data controller when processing your personal data for recruitment purposes. Where we share your data with umbrella companies or prospective employers, they act as independent controllers in their own right.
2. What data we collect
We may collect the following categories of data:
- Name and contact details (email, phone, address, Skype, etc.)
- CV, skills, employment history, qualifications, professional references
- Proof of identity and right to work in the UK
- Information relevant to applications (e.g. salary expectations, interview notes)
3. How we use your data and legal basis
We will only process your personal data when there is a lawful basis under the UK GDPR:
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Purpose
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Lawful Basis
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Assessing your skills and suitability for roles
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Legitimate interest (to provide recruitment services)
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Sharing your details with potential employers after interview
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Consent (verbal or written consent obtained before sharing)
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Facilitating contracts of employment/assignments
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Contract (processing necessary to perform a contract with you)
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Paying you via umbrella companies and complying with HMRC obligations
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Legal obligation
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Equal opportunities monitoring and reporting
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Legal obligation
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Contacting you with job opportunities we believe may interest you
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Legitimate interest (you may opt out at any time)
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4. Who we share your data with
We may share your personal data with:
- Prospective employers, but only after obtaining your explicit verbal consent
- Umbrella companies for payroll processing, who are controllers in their own right
- Third-party processors engaged by umbrella companies for tax and NI compliance
- Our applicant tracking system (ATS) provider, which hosts our secure candidate database. The ATS provider acts solely as a data processor on our behalf, under a written data processing agreement that ensures your information is safeguarded and processed in line with UK GDPR requirements.
We do not sell or lease your information to third parties.
5. International transfers
We do not transfer personal data outside the UK or the EU/EEA.
6. Data retention
We will keep your personal data for up to two years after our last meaningful contact with you, unless you request erasure sooner. In some cases, we may be required by law to keep certain records longer (e.g. payroll or tax information).
7. Your rights
Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights:
- The right to be informed about how we use your data
- The right of access to your data
- The right to rectification of inaccurate data
- The right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”)
- The right to restrict processing
- The right to data portability
- The right to object to processing, including direct marketing
- Rights in relation to automated decision-making and profiling
You can exercise these rights at any time by contacting us (see section 9).
8. Security
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access or disclosure.
9. Contact details
If you have any questions or wish to exercise your rights, please contact:
Data Protection Contact
John Lynes
Ashdown Group Limited
Tel: 020 3857 2300
Email: gdpr@ashdowngroup.com
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are unhappy with how we process your data.
10. Updates to this notice
We may update this privacy notice from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website.