Privacy Policy

At The Agency (London) Limited we process personal data for 5 main reasons:

To act as agents to our clients and associated functions in that role;
As employers;
In the performance of a supplier contract;
For the prevention or detection of crime;
If we have permission from the user, or where otherwise allowed by law, to market services to them.

Who we share information with:

We will not share your information with any third parties UNLESS

it is necessary in the performance of our contractual obligation to you;
they are a third party data processor acting on our instruction;
we are required to by law.

Clients

The Agency is the data controller for the information you provide for the duration of our
client/agent relationship unless otherwise stated. If you have any queries about the
process or how we handle your information please contact us.

In the negotiation stage we will process some of your personal data by consent to explore
the possibility of our professional relationship. If that relationship does not proceed to a
mutually agreed contract we will retain only such data as we are required to by law and in
accordance with our retention policy.

When you become our client we will collect contact information such as name, location,
job title, email address and telephone number. We may also hold information including,
but not limited to, copies of passports, National Insurance numbers, all contact details
including those of next of kin, driving licences, bank account details, dates of birth, VAT
information, Power of Attorney, beneficiaries, trustees, wills, passports of those who
represent the estates of the deceased, unions including writers’ guild membership and
associated data.

In addition we will process financial information which can include, but is not limited to,
pension details and social security numbers, accountant details, visa details (for working
abroad), accident reports along with insurance and medical records.

We will process this data because the processing is necessary for the performance of our
mutually agreed contract.

In relation to the special category data we hold about you we will process this in
accordance with Article 9(2)(a) of the UK GDPR, i.e. that we have your explicit consent to
the processing of such data.

In certain circumstances we may hold information about criminal convictions or offences
which you may have incurred. If this is the case we will process this data in accordance
with Article 10 of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 (as amended by the Data
(Use and Access) Act 2025). In any event we will only process the information if it is
required for providing your rights and freedoms, i.e. if we assist you in the application for a
visa to work or travel abroad. We do not keep a comprehensive register of our clients’
criminal convictions.

Where we store your personal data

The majority of our client data is stored on a centralised computer system managed by a data processor. Most members of staff have access to this system to enable them to act on your behalf. Where there is special category data or information relating to criminal convictions this will be kept by the agent and/or assistant in a secure place where access is restricted.

Employees

The Agency is the data controller for the information you provide during the employment and application process unless otherwise stated. If you have any queries about the process or how we handle your information please contact us.

What will we do with the information you provide to us?

All of the information you provide during the process will only be used for the purpose of
progressing your application, or to fulfil legal or regulatory requirements if necessary.

We will not share any of the information you provide during the recruitment process with
any third parties for marketing purposes or store any of your information outside the United
Kingdom or countries with an adequacy decision under UK data protection law. The
information you provide will be held securely by us and/or our data processors whether the
information is in electronic or physical format.

We will use the contact details you provide to us to contact you to progress your
application. We will use the other information you provide to assess your suitability for the
role you have applied for.

What information do we ask for, and why?

We do not collect more information than we need to fulfil our stated purposes and will not retain it for longer than is necessary.

The information we ask for is used to assess your suitability for employment. You don’t have to provide what we ask for but it might affect your application if you don’t.

Application stage

We ask you to send us a current CV and a covering letter which will include your personal details including name and contact details. As well as your previous experience, education, referees and any other information relevant to the role you have applied for. Our HR director and her team will have access to all of this information.

Shortlisting

Our hiring managers shortlist applications for interview. They will receive all information supplied at that time.

If you are unsuccessful following assessment for the position you have applied for, we may ask if you would like your details to be retained in our talent pool for a period of one year. If you say yes, we would proactively contact you should any further suitable vacancies arise.

Conditional offer

If we make a conditional offer of employment we will ask you for further information so that we can carry out pre-employment checks. You must successfully complete pre-employment checks to progress to a final offer. We are required to confirm the identity of our staff, their right to work in the United Kingdom and seek assurance as to their trustworthiness, integrity and reliability.

You will therefore be required to provide:

Proof of your identity – you will be asked to attend our office with original documents, we will take copies.
Proof of your qualifications – you will be asked to attend our office with original documents, we will take copies.
You will be asked to complete a criminal records declaration to declare any unspent convictions.
We will contact your referees, using the details you provide in your application, directly to obtain references.
We will also ask you to complete a questionnaire about your health. This is to establish your fitness to work as well as for your well-being whilst on our premises.
If we make a final offer, we will also ask you for the following:
Bank details – to process salary payments.
Emergency contact details – so we know who to contact in case you have an emergency at work.
Information for your inclusion in our pension scheme. We use a data processor for this scheme.
Information for your optional inclusion in our private healthcare scheme. We use a data processor for this scheme.

The Agency is the data controller for the information you provide for the duration of our contractual relationship unless otherwise stated. If you have any queries about the process or how we handle your information please contact us.

In the negotiation stage we will process some of your personal data by consent to explore the possibility of our professional relationship. If that relationship does not proceed to a mutually agreed contract we will retain only such data as we are required to by law and in accordance with our retention policy.

We will process this data because the processing is necessary for the performance of our mutually agreed contract.

In relation to the special category data we hold about you we will process this in accordance with Article 9(2)(b) of the GDPR, i.e. that that the processing is necessary for the purposes of carrying out the obligations and exercising specific rights of The Agency or of the data subject in the field of employment and social security and social protection law in so far as it is authorised by Union or Member State law or a collective agreement pursuant to Member State law providing for appropriate safeguards for the fundamental rights and the interests of the data subject.

Where employment information is kept

HR data is kept in electronic and hard copy files securely and accessed only by the HR director and her team.

Use of data processors

Data processors are third parties who provide elements of our insurance schemes. We have contracts in place with our data processors. This means that they cannot do anything with your personal information unless we have instructed them to do it. They will not share your personal information with any organisation apart from us. They will hold it securely and retain it for the period we instruct.

Use of other third parties

Some third parties with whom we share your data are data controllers in their own right in which case they will have their own retention periods.

We have contracts with all third parties to ensure the security of your data that we share with them.

How long is the information retained for?

If you are successful, the information you provide during the application process will be retained by us as part of your employee file for the duration of your employment plus 6 years following the end of your employment. This includes your criminal records declaration, fitness to work, records of any security checks and references.

If you are unsuccessful at any stage of the process, the information you have provided until that point will be retained for one year from the closure of that recruitment campaign.

Information generated throughout the assessment process, for example interview notes, is retained by us for one year following the closure of the campaign.

Visitors to our website

We do not use cookies on our website so do not track any personal information about visitors to our website.

Others

There may be other individuals with whom we do business and for whom we hold personal data, such as those who work for supplier companies. We process this information in accordance with our contracts with those organisations.

Updating your personal information

You can update your personal information at any time, and change your marketing preferences. To do this please email us at [email protected]

Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have rights as an individual in relation to the information
we hold about you. These include the right to access your data, to have it corrected or
deleted, to restrict or object to how we use it, and to data portability. You can read more
about these rights on the ICO website: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/is-my-information-being-handled-correctly/

How to raise a data protection complaint with us

If you have a concern about how we handle your personal data, you can raise a complaint
directly with us. We encourage you to do this first, before going to the regulator.

How to complain: Email us at [email protected] with a description of your
concern. You can also write to us at our address: 24 Pottery Lane, London W11 4LZ. You do
not have to use any particular form.

What happens next:

We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days of receiving it.
We will investigate and keep you updated on our progress.
We will let you know the outcome of our investigation without unnecessary delay.

If you are not satisfied with our response, or if you would prefer not to raise the matter with
us directly, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO),
the UK’s data protection regulator:

Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9
5AF

Tel: 0303 123 1113 | https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/