Privacy Policy
Thank you for choosing Vicky McTear Specialist Dyslexia Services. I’m dedicated to safeguarding your personal information and respecting your privacy. This policy explains how I collect, use, share, and protect the personal details I gather from you when providing dyslexia assessments, whether you are an adult or a minor. It covers all personal data I handle—whether it’s through my website, emails, phone calls, or any other method. All personal information is processed in line with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which came into effect in May 2018. These regulations require registration with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), and I’m pleased to confirm that I am registered.
Who am I?
I am Vicky McTear, and I live at 15 Carmichael Close, Lichfield, WS14 9YW. You can contact me by email at contact@vickymctear.co.uk or by phone on 07801 234 563. I operate as a sole trader under UK/EU law, and I am the controller of the personal data I process for my business.
What personal information do I collect?
Depending on the services you need, I may collect details such as names, dates of birth, preferred pronouns, and contact information for parents, carers, and their children (like email addresses, phone numbers, and postal addresses). I may also gather information about ethnicity, language, free school meal eligibility, and nationality; past assessments, behavior information, academic performance, attendance data and reasons for absence, relevant medical diagnoses, previous support given, and notes from assessment or support sessions; test results and other performance metrics from dyslexia evaluations; any messages you share with me by email, text, phone, or other channels; and details about other family members if I’ve been given permission to liaise with them. I only collect the personal details I need for the reasons explained below.
Why do I collect this data?
I collect your personal data so that I can respond to you when you get in touch by email, phone, text, or through my website. This information allows me to provide any services or products you’ve requested, offer ongoing support, collect payment for those services, and meet statutory requirements for bookkeeping, auditing, and accounting.
How do I use your personal data?
I use your information to deliver dyslexia assessments, which includes scheduling and carrying out evaluations, analyzing results, and creating reports. This data also helps me keep in touch with you about appointments, assessments, or any follow-up actions. In addition, I maintain accurate records to meet legal obligations for tax, regulatory, and professional guidelines, and I use relevant insights to assess how effective my services are, manage client relationships, and improve your overall experience.
What allows me to use your data?
Under GDPR, I rely on several legal grounds to handle your personal data. These include your consent (Article 6(1)(a)) if you’ve clearly agreed for me to process your information for a specific purpose, such as sending you updates about your assessment. Sometimes, processing is necessary under a contract (Article 6(1)(b)), so I can fulfill the dyslexia assessment service you’ve requested. In some cases, I need to use your information to meet legal obligations (Article 6(1)(c)), like tax regulations. Finally, I may also use your data when it’s in my legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f))—for example, to communicate with you, provide requested services, collect payments, or follow bookkeeping rules—unless these interests conflict with your fundamental rights or freedoms.
Who gives me your personal data?
I may receive personal information directly from the child being assessed, parents or carers, relevant staff at a child’s school or college, private tutors, and professional consultants. In each case, this happens with explicit consent from the individual, their parents, or their carers.
When might I share your data?
Sometimes, I share personal data with trusted service providers who offer administrative or IT support (like accounting software, data storage, or IT services). I may also share it with professional advisors—such as accountants or lawyers—for compliance and advice, or with authorities and regulators when legally required (for instance, if a court order is issued). I make sure these third parties keep your data secure and comply with GDPR, and I never share your information with any third parties for marketing purposes.
Once an assessment is completed, I will send a password-protected copy of the report to the person who commissioned it. I won’t share this report with anyone else unless the person who requested the assessment gives me written permission. Any email threads containing information related to the assessment will be deleted within six weeks of the assessment date. Please note that it’s your responsibility to keep your own electronic or paper copies of diagnostic assessments and documents, as I cannot store them indefinitely.
In some cases, I may need to share anonymized test papers with the British Dyslexia Association to renew my Assessment Practicing Certificate, but these documents will not contain any personally identifiable information. If I ever believe a child is unsafe or being harmed, I have a duty to report this concern to the relevant authorities, which may involve sharing personal data.
How long do I keep your data?
I retain personal data only for as long as necessary to provide my services and meet legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. Generally, I keep personal information for the period required by UK tax laws, which is currently six years. Test papers and materials are stored securely while I’m carrying out the assessment and writing the report, then shredded or deleted within six weeks after the assessment date.
The final report is stored electronically, with password protection, for six years or until the person being assessed turns 24—whichever is longer. Test papers are destroyed after 12 months.
When may I make international transfers?
Please note that documents saved on cloud storage are not stored outside of the European Economic Area (EEA).
How is your data kept safe?
I take the security of your information very seriously. I use strong passwords on all devices, store data in encrypted formats, and regularly update my IT systems to protect against vulnerabilities. Only those who genuinely need to access your information can do so, and test papers are kept in a locked filing cabinet. In the event of a data breach, affected individuals will be notified promptly in accordance with GDPR requirements.
What are your rights?
Under GDPR, you have various rights in relation to your personal data. These include the right to ask for a copy of the information I hold about you (access) and the right to correct it if it’s inaccurate or incomplete (rectification). You can also request that I delete certain data (erasure), limit how I use it (restriction), receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format (data portability), and object to certain types of data processing. Additionally, if you’ve previously given consent for me to process your data, you can withdraw it at any time, although this won’t affect any processing done before you withdrew consent. You can learn more about these rights on the ICO’s website.
If you’d like to exercise any of these rights, please email me at contact@vickymctear.co.uk. While I’ll do my best to honour your requests, I may need to keep some records for legal reasons. Each case will be reviewed individually.
How to get in touch
If you have any questions or concerns about this policy or how I handle your personal data, please contact me at contact@vickymctear.co.uk or call 07801 234 563. If you remain dissatisfied with how I manage your data, you can also raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK or the relevant authority in your country.
When is this policy updated?
I keep this Privacy Policy under regular review, with a formal annual review. It was last updated in January 2025. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. I’m always working to improve how I store and share your information.
Thank you for taking the time to read this Privacy Policy. I appreciate your trust and look forward to working with you.