Privacy Policy

The Millstone Group Ltd is a parent company that owns and operates businesses across business services, digital and property, including Millstone Business Services (business support and writing), Millstone Digital (web design, search, social media and e-commerce) and Millstone Property (residential lettings, short-term lets, block and commercial property management). This policy applies across the whole Group.

Our key details:

• The Millstone Group Ltd
• Registered in England and Wales
• Company number 17396370
• Registered office: Piccadilly Business Centre, Unit C Aldow Enterprise Park, Blackett Street, Manchester, M12 6AE
• Website: millstonegroup.co.uk
• Data Protection Team: dpo@millstonegroup.co.uk

We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a data controller. We take that responsibility seriously.

When you deal with us, you may interact with one of our businesses. The same privacy standards apply across all of them.

• Millstone Business Services - business support, administration, writing, translation, copywriting and professional virtual assistant services.
• Millstone Digital - web design, search, social media and e-commerce.
• Millstone Property - residential lettings, block and commercial property management.
• Millstone Storefronts - our own online shops (coming soon).

This policy covers anyone who interacts with us - including visitors to our website, anyone who uses or enquires about our services, and the businesses and suppliers we work with. If we hold information about you, this policy applies.

Directly from you

Most of the time, you give us your information directly - when you fill in our contact form, call or email us, enter into a contract with us (for example a management or service agreement), or correspond with us by post or phone.

Automatically

When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically - your IP address, the pages you visit, and how long you spend on each page. This helps us understand how people use our site. We also use cookies for this purpose (see our Cookie Policy).

From third parties

Occasionally we may receive information about you from third parties - for example letting agents, managing agents, or contractors working on your behalf. In those cases, we handle it in line with this policy.

Contact and identity details

Your name, job title, company name, address, email address, and phone number.

Financial and billing information

Billing address, bank or payment details, invoice records, and transaction history. Where payments are processed online, this is handled securely through our payment processor. We do not store full card details on our own systems.

Log and technical data

IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, and visit timestamps. This is not used to identify you personally.

What we do not collect

We do not deliberately collect sensitive personal data such as health information, ethnicity, or religious beliefs, unless it is genuinely relevant to a service we provide you.

• To deliver our services - providing business support, writing, digital and property management services, preparing quotes, and keeping you updated
• To manage billing and admin - raising invoices, processing payments, and keeping accurate financial records
• To meet our legal duties - such as health and safety, compliance, and financial record-keeping
• To improve our business - understanding how visitors use our website and communicating with existing clients. You can always opt out of marketing communications

• Contract - to carry out services you have asked for
• Legal obligation - where required by law, such as financial record-keeping
• Legitimate interests - where we have a genuine business need that does not override your rights
• Consent - where you have given permission, such as marketing. You can withdraw consent at any time

We do not sell your data. Full stop.

We may share information with software and service providers that support our operations, sub-contractors assisting with a job for you, our professional advisers, and regulatory bodies or law enforcement where legally required. Where we share data with third-party processors, the right agreements are in place to protect it.

• Client and project records: duration of the relationship plus six years
• Financial records: minimum six years (HMRC requirement)
• Enquiry submissions where no contract follows: up to 12 months
• Website usage data: up to 12 months

Our website uses minimal cookies - strictly necessary ones for the site to function, and performance cookies to understand how visitors use it. We never store personally identifiable information in cookies. For full detail, see our Cookie Policy. You can manage cookies through your browser settings at any time.

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Correct any inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your data (where applicable)
• Restrict or object to how we process your data

To exercise any of these rights, email dpo@millstonegroup.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month. We may need to verify your identity first.

If you are not happy with how we have handled your data, please contact us first and we will do our best to put it right. You can find our complaints process on our Complaints Procedure page.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

We have technical and organisational measures in place to protect your information. In the unlikely event of a data breach that could put your rights at risk, we will notify the ICO and affected individuals without unnecessary delay.

We do not routinely send your data outside the United Kingdom. Where a third-party provider transfers data internationally, appropriate safeguards are in place under UK GDPR.

Our services are for businesses and adults. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If you believe we have, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

We may update this policy as our services or regulations change. The latest version will always be at millstonegroup.co.uk/privacy. Significant changes will be highlighted clearly.