Privacy and Cookie Policy

Privacy and Cookie Policy - how we may use your personal information

UCAS is committed to protecting the personal information provided to us and recognise the importance of being clear about what we collect and how and why we use and retain it.

This policy is effective from 7 February 2020 and applies to personal information we may process when you visit or use the services of this website as a Job Seeker or Recruiter. This could mean creating a profile or Account, uploading a CV, just browsing or contacting us. If we make any changes to this policy, we will let you know by revising the updated date, placing a banner on the homepage of the website, or contacting you by email.

Who we are and how to contact us

All personal information provided by you through this website is controlled by UCAS as the Data Controller.  We’re responsible for taking care of your personal information in line with the Data Protection Act 2018, and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

GDPR lawful Basis for Processing 

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) contains a variety of purposes for which personal information can be used, and our uses of personal information must meet one of these. They are listed at Article 6 of the GDPR. This is known as the ‘lawful basis for processing’.

Purpose 1 – Processing personal information to provide the Careerfinder Service

Article 6 1 (f) where ‘processing is necessary for the purposes of legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data, in particular where the data subject is a child’.

Purpose 2 – Direct Marketing – Receipt of messages from UCAS on behalf of third parties  

GDPR lawful basis for processing – Article 6 1 (a) ‘the data subject has given consent to the processing of his or her personal data for one or more specific purposes’

How to contact us

If you have any questions about the use of your personal information, please contact us in any of the following ways:

  • In writing; to the Data Protection Officer at UCAS, Rosehill, New Barn Lane, Cheltenham, Glos. GL52 3LZ or
  • By email to [email protected] By UCAS social media (please read UCAS’ social media etiquette guidance)
  • Facebook: facebook.com/ucasonline
  • Twitter: twitter.com/ucas_online

What is personal information?

Personal information is information alone or combined with any other information we may hold that can identify you.  This can include your name, hometown, email address or current place of study or recruitment organisation. We do not consider personal information to include information that is anonymised so that it does not allow you to be identified.

Job Seekers – what personal information we collect and how we use it

When you visit our website, we ask you for information to enable you to search and apply for suitable vacancies, make recruiters aware of your skills and job preferences, or to contact us. As a result, we may collect the following personal information.

  • If you search for a job and engage with the recruitment process – your preferred job and location, or if you confirm we can track you, your geographical location.  We will also save the details of vacancies you add to your shortlist.
  • If you chose to upload your CV or apply for a job – if you provide your consent within your profile, your CV will be made available to third party recruiters and prospective employers. You can opt in or opt out of making your CV and profile visible to third parties at any time by amending your settings within your profile.
  • To receive and manage your jobs searches by email or social media – your name, email address, job, location/sector, and your marketing preferences.
  • To tell you about changes to this privacy policy – your name and preferred contact details.
  • If you are happy to be kept informed by email about things like forthcoming events, training or career opportunities, and relevant services that we think may be of interest to you – your name and email address.  If we see you have not visited our site for a while, we may contact you by email to remind you about our services and to keep your information up to date. 
  • If you chose to ‘opt in’ or ‘opt out’ of receiving marketing information – your name and contact details and choices.
  • If we ask your opinion about our services, such as asking you to provide feedback about this website or our services – we collect your contact details and any personal information you provide.
  • If you correspond with us – for example by email, telephone or social media – we may record the information you provide.

Other websites you may be able to access from this one

Our website and privacy policy may contain links to other websites operated by other organisations or other websites operated by UCAS (such as UCAS.com). We cannot be held responsible for the protection and privacy of any information you provide whilst visiting other sites. This privacy policy applies to this website only. Please make sure you read the privacy policy of the website you are visiting.

Sharing your personal information with others

The information we share with others will be the minimum necessary to enable them to provide a service to you. This includes:

  • UCAS employees who deal with the delivery of the UCAS career finder service to manage the website or to provide you with any information or services you are happy to receive
  • recruiters and prospective employers who enter into an agreement with us to use our website for the purpose of recruitment, where you have opted in to make your details or CV available to search
  • training providers responsible for the delivery of courses, who have entered into an agreement with us to use our website for the purposes of offering training, where you have opted-in to make your details or CV available to search
  • UCAS, if you chose to engage with UCAS social media, such as through the UCAS Facebook page or Twitter account
  • suppliers engaged in supporting the delivery or management of the website, including those who may undertake a survey on our behalf
  • where we are required to do so by law, or we have your consent

How long we keep your personal information and its security   

All personal information we hold about you is subject to the controls of our data protection and retention policies and will be kept for:

Job-seeker: two years from the last time you visited our website. 

Recruiter: seven years after you either last accessed our services or had a zero account balance.

Where will my personal information be kept? 

We take steps to make sure we hold your personal information securely and share it with people or organisations who need to access it. This includes maintaining Information Security standards in line with the international standard ISO 27001:2013.

We use third party suppliers who provide parts of our services for us. We have contracts with these suppliers, which require them to use personal data only to provide these services to us.

Where we use the services of a supplier which involves transferring personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA), we include model contract clauses approved by the European Commission, which provide safeguards for the personal data transferred. If you want to know more about international transfers of your personal data, please contact [email protected]

All about our marketing

We ask for your consent when you create your profile to receive further information from UCAS that may be of interest to you from us or other related third party organisations.  We do not provide your details to any third party for marketing purposes.

  • Each time you receive marketing information from UCAS, you will be asked if you are still happy to receive it. You can change your marketing preferences at any time by amending and saving your preferences within your account on the website.
  • Replying to any opt out instruction detailed within each communication you receive from UCAS.
  • Emailing [email protected]

Display marketing and how to switch it off

We also use Google, Twitter, and Facebook re-marketing features which support promotion of our services you have shown an interest in, if you have subscribed to Google, Twitter or Facebook. This may be based on anonymous information collected by cookies when you visit our website. This includes things like your mobile device location (if location features are turned on), browser cookie ID, mobile device identifier, hashed (anonymous) email address, and IP addresses. This helps us provide you with relevant adverts relating to UCAS if you have a Twitter, Facebook or Google account. You can opt out of this audience advertising by:

  • un-checking the box in your Twitter or Facebook account settings that says, Tailor ads based on information shared by ad partners, and opting out of Google’s use of cookies by visiting Google’s Ads Settings. This then won’t match your account to information with us to tailor adverts for you
  • turning on the Do Not Track setting in your web browser so that Twitter or Facebook do not match your account to browser-related information to tailor our ads for you
  • enabling the Limit Ad Tracking setting (on iOS devices) or the setting to Opt out of Interest-Based Ads (on Android), so that Twitter or Facebook do not tailor our adverts for you by matching your device to information from partners

Further details about cookies which are set when you use this website, including how to disable them can be found in the ‘All about Cookies’ section of this policy.

All about cookies (including how to disable them)

A cookie is a small file, typically of letters and numbers, downloaded on to your device when you visit our website so that it operates in a way you are expecting it to. We only use session cookies for the functionality of this website, and you are able to disable these cookies. This may result in loss of functionality, such as being unable to enter your information, move from page to page, or submit a request to attend an event. We do not use cookies to collect any personal information about you.

What is a session cookie?

A session cookie is stored in a computer's memory during your browsing session and automatically deleted when the browser is closed. They do not collect any other information from your computer. Below is a list of session cookies that allow the website to function.

Name of cookie: Google analytics/DoubleClick for Publishers

Privacy information: policies.google.com/technologies/cookies

Set by: Google (third party)

Type of cookie: persistent

Lifespan: Up to two years

What’s this?

DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) products provide ad management and ad serving solutions to companies that buy, create, or sell online advertising. It is technology that delivers advertisements to websites, and monitors progress and performance of ad campaigns.

Name of cookie: Google Ad Exchange

What’s this?

DoubleClick Ad Exchange connects ad networks, agencies, and third-party demand-side platforms with a vast global inventory, in real time. It is technology that delivers advertisements to websites and monitors progress and performance of ad campaigns.

Find out more

Opt out

Name of cookie: Index Exchange

What’s this?

A global advertising marketplace where premium digital media companies sell their ad impressions transparently and in real-time. It is technology that delivers advertisements to websites and monitors progress and performance of ad campaigns.

Find out more/opt out

Name of cookie: Integral Ad Science

What’s this?

Integral Ad Science is a global technology and data company that empowers the ad industry to effectively influence consumers on every device. Integral Ad Science (originally AdSafe Media) is a privately held technology company that analyses the value of digital advertising placements. Integral Ad Science is known for addressing issues around fraud, viewability, brand risk, and TRAQ.

Find out more

Opt out

Name of cookie: Lotame

Privacy information: www.lotame.com/about-lotame/privacy/ 

Set by: Lotame

Type of cookie: Persistent

Lifespan: Nine months

Used to ensure you receive relevant content and advertising.

You can edit the information in the anonymous profile that Lotame associates with the device you use to access digital content, by going to their website.

What’s this?

A data management platform (DMP) that helps organisations build unique audience profiles so they can identify their most valuable segments and use them across any digital channel. 

Lotame allows us to collect information on user activities and interactions with the website, such as pages viewed, and searches conducted. The data collected help us provide you with more relevant products, content, and marketing messages on the website, and advertising on third party sites.

Lotame is not designed to collect personally identifiable or sensitive data, and any information collected cannot be used to personally identify you.

Opt out

Name of cookie: Sovrn

What’s this?

Sovrn is a global advertising marketplace. It is technology that delivers advertisements to websites and monitors progress and performance of ad campaigns.

Find out more/opt out

Find out more information about cookies and how to disable them.

Personal information – your rights

You have the right to request a copy of the personal information that we hold about you. If you want to make a request, please email [email protected].

You may also request that we amend or remove your records held by UCAS Limited at any time. To do so, please email [email protected].

You have the right to object to our use of your personal information, in particular where we process personal data for direct marketing purposes.  To do so, please email [email protected].

Changes to this privacy and cookie policy

We will regularly review this policy to ensure it reflects the personal information that we may request from you, and how it may be used.  The date this policy is effective from is stated at the beginning of this notice and an alert banner will be placed on the home page of this website when a new version is made available.