Privacy Notice

British Guardianship is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our students, parents, host families, staff, and partners. This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, store, and protect personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Who We Are

British Guardianship is part of Study First Group Ltd.

Data Controller:
Study First Group Ltd
Sussex Innovation Centre
Science Park Square
Brighton BN1 9SB
United Kingdom
Email: info@britishguardianship.com

What Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal data:

Personal details (name, date of birth, nationality)
Contact information (email address, telephone number, home address)
Educational information (school details, academic progress)
Health and welfare information (where necessary for safeguarding)
Family and emergency contact details
Financial information (for invoicing and payments)
Information relating to host families and accommodation
Employment and vetting information (for staff and host families, including DBS status)

We may also process special category data (e.g. health or safeguarding information) where necessary to protect the welfare of children.

How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

To provide guardianship and student welfare services
To communicate with students, parents, schools, and host families
To arrange accommodation and travel
To ensure safeguarding and the welfare of students
To manage our services and operations
To comply with legal and regulatory requirements

Legal Basis for Processing

We process personal data under the following lawful bases:

Contractual obligation – to provide guardianship services
Legal obligation – including safeguarding responsibilities
Legitimate interests – to manage and deliver our guardianship services effectively, including communication with students, parents, schools and host families, while ensuring that such interests do not override individuals’ rights
Consent – where required (e.g. marketing communications)

Where we process special category data, this is done in line with safeguarding obligations and legal requirements.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding children and young people is a core responsibility of British Guardianship.

We may process personal and sensitive data where necessary to:

protect the welfare of students
share safeguarding concerns with appropriate authorities
comply with statutory safeguarding duties

Such processing is carried out in accordance with safeguarding legislation and guidance.

Sharing of Information

We may share personal data, where necessary, with:

Schools and educational institutions
Host families
Parents and legal guardians
Health professionals (where required)
Local authorities and safeguarding agencies
The police or other statutory authorities
Service providers supporting our operations

We only share data where it is lawful, necessary, and proportionate.

International Transfers

Where necessary, personal data may be transferred outside the UK (for example to parents or agents overseas). Such transfers are carried out in compliance with UK GDPR and appropriate safeguards are in place.

Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes it was collected. In particular:

Safeguarding and child protection records are generally retained until the student reaches age 25
Other records are retained in line with legal and operational requirements

Further details are set out in our Data Protection Policy.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, individuals have the right to:

Access their personal data
Request correction of inaccurate data
Request erasure (where applicable)
Restrict or object to processing
Request data portability
Withdraw consent (where applicable)

Requests to exercise these rights should be submitted in writing to info@britishguardianship.com.
We will respond within one month in accordance with UK GDPR.

Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal data is handled, please contact us first.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with:

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
Website: www.ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Security

We are committed to ensuring that personal data is secure. We have appropriate technical and organisational measures in place to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, or disclosure, including secure systems and restricted access controls.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies to improve user experience and analyse website traffic. Users can control cookie settings through their browser.

Updates to this Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website.

Further details on data retention and data handling are set out in our Data Protection Policy.

Last reviewed: 08 May 2026
Next review: 08 May 2027