SEN2gether is a community for parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Some of the information shared with us is sensitive, and we treat it with particular care: see “Special category data” below.
1. Who we are
SEN2gether (“we”, “us”, “our”) is the controller of the personal data described in this notice. We run the SEN2gether app and this website.
If you have any questions about this notice, want to use your rights, or wish to complain, contact our data protection team at support@sen2gether.com.
2. The personal data we collect
We collect only what we need to run the service. Depending on how you use SEN2gether, this may include:
- Account and identity data: first name, surname, display name, email address, country and region, and a securely hashed password.
- Profile and community data: your relationship to the child (parent, carer, grandparent, professional), the child’s age group, diagnosis status, and the support areas and support types you’re interested in.
- Content you create: SENChat posts, comments, reactions, direct messages, feedback and ratings, and any images you upload.
- Usage and engagement data: what content you view, like or watch (newsfeed, podcasts, topics, Q&As, wellness), and an activity record (section, action, time).
- Device and technical data: device identifier and push notification token, IP address, browser or app version, operating system, and server logs.
- Booking and subscription data: events you book, and subscription status where you pay for a plan (your card details never reach our servers).
- Approximate location: your general location (for example city or region) to help connect you with local families and services, where you allow it.
3. Special category data
Information about a child’s health, disability or diagnosis is “special category data” under UK GDPR and gets extra protection. When you choose to share details such as a diagnosis status or support needs, we process them:
- with your explicit consent, and/or where it is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest (supporting SEND families);
- only to provide and improve the community and support features you use;
- never to make automated decisions about you, and never for advertising.
You can remove this information at any time by editing your profile or deleting your account.
4. How and why we use your data, and our lawful bases
- Running your account: creating and securing your account and signing you in. Basis: contract.
- Community features (SENChat, comments, messaging): letting you post, reply and message other members. Basis: contract, and our legitimate interest in running a safe community.
- Push notifications: alerts you’ve opted in to. Basis: consent, which you can withdraw in your device settings.
- Signing in with Google or Apple: if you choose to. Basis: consent at the provider, and contract for your SEN2gether account.
- Improving content and analytics: understanding what’s useful so we can improve. Basis: legitimate interests, reported in aggregate; on this website, consent (see section 8).
- Events, bookings and subscriptions: managing bookings. Basis: contract and legal obligations.
- Safeguarding: looking into concerns about the welfare of a child or adult. Basis: legal obligation, vital interests and legitimate interests in safeguarding.
- Security and operations: server logs and audit records that keep the service secure and working. Basis: legitimate interests.
5. Who we share your data with
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with the service providers that help us run SEN2gether, and only as needed:
- Our hosting provider: secure hosting of the app, database and files.
- Google Firebase Cloud Messaging: delivering push notifications (device token only).
- Google and Apple sign-in: if you choose to sign in with them (email, name and a provider ID).
- Google Analytics: on this website, only if you say yes to analytics cookies (see section 8).
- Our email provider: emails such as password reset links.
- Apple App Store and Google Play: app distribution and crash reporting, under their own terms.
We may also share data with regulators or law enforcement where the law requires it, with professional advisers, and with a new owner if the organisation changes hands.
6. International transfers
Some of our providers (for example sign-in, push notification and analytics services) may process data outside the UK and EEA. Where they do, we rely on an appropriate safeguard, such as a UK International Data Transfer Agreement, EU Standard Contractual Clauses or an adequacy decision. You can ask us for details.
7. How long we keep your data
- We keep your account and content for as long as your account is open.
- See our account and data deletion page for how to close your account and have your data erased.
- Some records are kept longer where the law requires it, for example financial records for up to 6 years, and safeguarding records where we must keep them.
8. Cookies and similar technologies
We don’t use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. We use essential cookies to keep you signed in and the service working. On this website, we also use Google Analytics to see which pages help families most, but only if you say yes when we ask; until then it isn’t loaded at all. You can change your mind at any time using Cookie settings at the bottom of every page. Some things we load to show the site, such as fonts and map tiles, receive your IP address as a normal part of delivering them.
9. Children’s data
SEN2gether is designed for parents, carers and professionals: you must be 13 or over to hold an account. We don’t knowingly collect personal data directly from children under 13. Information about a child is given by their parent or carer and is treated as special category data (see section 3). If you believe a child has given us information directly, contact us and we will delete it.
10. Your rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to:
- be informed about how we use your data (this notice);
- access a copy of your data;
- rectify inaccurate or incomplete data;
- erase your data (the “right to be forgotten”);
- restrict or object to our processing;
- data portability: receive your data in a portable format;
- withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent.
To use any of these, email support@sen2gether.com. We aim to reply within one month. It’s free, unless a request is clearly unfounded or excessive.
If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk, though we’d appreciate the chance to put things right first.
11. Changes to this notice
We may update this notice from time to time. We’ll post changes on this page and, where they are significant, let you know in the app.