Privacy Policy

This policy explains how TalkWell Academy (operated by Kamarun Kalam, also trading as TalkWell Counselling Service) collects, uses, and protects your personal data when you use talkwellacademy.co.uk . We comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

The data controller for talkwellacademy.co.uk is:

Kamarun Kalam
TalkWell Academy / TalkWell Counselling Service
Email: kam@talkwellacademy.co.uk
Phone: 07447 879459

2. What personal data we collect

We collect personal data in the following situations:

When you purchase a course

Email address and payment information, processed by Stripe. We never see or store your card details; they are handled by Stripe.

When you create an account

Your email address, used to sign you in with a secure link. We do not store passwords.

When you take the “Which Mask Are You Wearing?” quiz

If you choose to see your full result, we collect your first name, your email address, your ten answers and the mask they point to. We use these to show and email you your result, to unlock free Module 1 for you, and to send you course-related emails you have agreed to. Your answers are a self-reflection exercise, not an assessment or diagnosis, and are never used to make decisions about you. You can ask us to delete them at any time, and they are removed automatically if you delete your account.

When you leave a review

Learners on the full course can leave a review. We store your rating, your words, the name and location you choose to show, and when you agreed to publication. The review is published on this website (never on Google or elsewhere) under the name you entered, and you can edit or remove it at any time from your course area. We may hide a review that is abusive or unsuitable.

When you use the contact form or email us

Your name, email address, and any information you include in your message.

Automatically via cookies and analytics

IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time on site, collected via cookies (see Section 8). We do not use this to identify you individually.

3. Why we collect it

We use your data to:

• Process and fulfil your course purchase

• Give you access to your course area and enrolled course materials

• Respond to your enquiries and support requests

• Send transactional emails (sign-in links, purchase confirmations, access notifications)

• Improve the website and understand how it is used

• Comply with UK GDPR, tax, and financial record-keeping obligations

We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling. We do not send marketing emails without your explicit consent.

4. Legal basis for processing

Contract

Processing your purchase, giving you course access, and sending transactional emails, necessary to fulfil your contract with us.

Legitimate interests

Improving the site, preventing fraud, and responding to enquiries, our legitimate interests, balanced against your rights.

Legal obligation Retaining financial records for HMRC compliance.

Consent

Non-essential cookies, the quiz result and Module 1 emails you ask for by taking the “Which Mask Are You Wearing?” quiz, and any future marketing communications, only with your explicit consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

4a. Your Private Reflection Space

The course includes an optional Private Reflection Space, where you can write your own reflections into the course and build a personal workbook. It is entirely optional: the course works fully without it, and nothing you write is stored until you have turned it on and given your explicit permission.

What we store. Only the reflections you choose to save, attached to your account. These reflections may include personal information about your health, wellbeing or past experiences, which is a special category of personal data under the UK GDPR.

Our lawful basis. We rely on your explicit consent (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(a) and Article 9(2)(a)). We show you exactly what you are agreeing to, and store that wording with your consent. You can withdraw at any time, which deletes your saved reflections.

How your reflections are protected.

• They are encrypted at rest. A copy of our database alone does not reveal what you wrote.
• Kamarun does not read your reflections. There is no interface, admin screen, report or export through which she or anyone at TalkWell Academy can see them. To be honest with you about what this is: because you sign in with an email link rather than a password, our system holds the key needed to show your reflections back to you, so this is a promise about access and undertaking, not a claim that decryption is technically impossible for anyone ever.
• They are never shown to other learners, never used for marketing, never fed into AI systems, and never used to build a profile of you.
• They are not clinical or therapy records and do not form part of any counselling Kamarun may separately provide.

How long we keep them. Your reflections are kept while you are using the course and are automatically deleted 24 months after your last activity, with an email warning about 30 days beforehand so you can keep or download them.

Your control. At any time you can edit any reflection, download your reflections (as a workbook to print or a data file), delete individual reflections or all of them, withdraw your permission, or delete your account entirely. These controls are on your workbook page inside the course.

5. Who we share your data with

We do not sell your data. We share it only where necessary with the following categories of third-party processor:

Payment processors

Stripe. Your card details go directly to Stripe; we never see them.

Hosting and CDN

Cloudflare (hosting, database and security) and Bunny.net (course video delivery). Both process data under standard contractual clauses.

Security plugins

Cloudflare processes IP addresses and request data to protect the site from malicious activity, including Cloudflare Turnstile on our forms to block automated spam.

Email delivery

Transactional emails (sign-in links, Module 1 access, purchase confirmations) are sent via Resend. We do not send marketing emails without your explicit consent.

6. How long we keep your data

Purchase records 7 years (HMRC requirement) Account data Until you request deletion Reflections (Private Reflection Space) Until you delete them or 24 months after your last activity, whichever is first (see Section 4a) Contact form messages 12 months, then deleted Cookie / analytics data Per cookie expiry (see Section 8) 7. Your rights under UK GDPR

You have the right to:

Access Request a copy of the data we hold about you

Rectification Ask us to correct inaccurate data Erasure Request deletion where no legal basis remains Restriction Ask us to pause processing while a dispute is resolved Portability Receive your data in a machine-readable format Object Object to processing based on legitimate interests To exercise any right, email kam@talkwellacademy.co.uk . We will respond within 30 days. If you believe we have handled your data unlawfully, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

We would appreciate the opportunity to resolve any concern directly before you contact the ICO.

8. Cookies

This site uses cookies. A full breakdown is in our Cookie Policy. In summary:

Strictly necessary

Your sign-in session and your cookie-consent choice. Cannot be disabled; required for the site to function.

Analytics (optional) Google Analytics, set only with your consent via the cookie banner. Used to understand how visitors use the site. Marketing cookies (Meta Pixel) are likewise set only with your consent.

You can update your cookie preferences at any time via the “Cookie settings” link in the footer.

9. Children

TalkWell Academy’s courses are designed for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has provided us with data, contact us immediately and we will delete it.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when our practices change or when required by law. The “last updated” date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Significant changes will be flagged via a site notice. Continued use of the site after any change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact

Data controller: Kamarun Kalam, TalkWell Academy
Email: kam@talkwellacademy.co.uk
Phone: 07447 879459