Privacy Policy

The following is our Privacy Policy that applies to all users of this site; www.culturalconnection.co.uk (“the site”)

Personal Information We collect

When we talk about “Personal Information” in this Privacy Policy, we are talking about Device Information, Contact Information and Information provided by you “the host family” when you complete a registration form.

When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain information about your device, including information about your web browser, IP address, time zone, and some of the cookies that are installed on your device. Additionally, as you browse the Site, we collect information about the individual web pages or products that you view, what websites or search terms referred you to the Site, and information about how you interact with the Site. We refer to this automatically-collected information as “Device Information”.

Device Information/Cookies

We collect Device Information using the following technologies:
– “Cookies” are data files that are placed on your device or computer and often include an anonymous unique identifier. For more information about cookies, and how to disable cookies, visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org.
– “Log files” track actions occurring on the Site, and collect data including your IP address, browser type, Internet service provider, referring/exit pages, and date/time stamps.
– “Web beacons”, “tags”, and “pixels” are electronic files used to record information about how you browse the Site.
If you leave a comment on our site you may opt-in to saving your name, email address and website in cookies. These are for your convenience so that you do not have to fill in your details again when you leave another comment. These cookies will last for one year.

If you have an account and you log in to this site, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.

If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and simply indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.

Host Family Registration Form

When you complete our Host Family Registration Form we collect Personal information including;
– Information about residents living in the household, including information about any children, partners, family members and any frequent visitors to the home.
– Banking information is collected in order to make payments to hosts for homestay guests placed with you.
– Names, gender, martial status, date of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, nationality and national insurance number (eligibility to work in the UK)
– Equal opportunities monitoring information, including information about your ethnic origin and health.
– General hosting preferences, hobbies/habits of the host family.
– We request the name and email address of two referees
– Criminal declaration, previous, pending & spent convictions

Host Family Inspection Visit

The information collected during the home inspection visit includes identity documentation, gas safety certificate information, current criminal record check information and descriptions of the accommodation available. This includes photographs of accommodation; student bedrooms and communal areas including the exterior of the home.

Website contact form

Additionally when you complete a contact form through the Site, we collect certain information from you, including your name, email address, and phone number. We refer to this information as “Contact Information”.

Information on our students/homestay guests

We collect the following information on the guests our host families accommodate on our host family dashboard or through email via the schools or agents we work with:
– Name, address, phone number, date of birth, sexual orientation, gender, dietary requirements, medical information, visa information.

How do we use your personal information?

From your personal information we create accommodation lists for our schools/agencies and we create booking information which is sent to our host families based on the student data captured.
We also use your personal information to create an online profile for you which can be viewed and edited at anytime by logging onto your host family dashboard. We may use this information to contact you to matters relating to bookings.

Why do we process personal information?

We process the personal information outlined above to act efficiently as a facilitator of homestay services. Cultural Connection UK provides a student group to host family matching service on behalf of international school groups and individual students. Host family information is used to match a family with a student and visa versa. We use the information provided by host families to determine their suitability to act as a host family and accommodate minors on a short term basis.

Where host families wish to host students aged under 18, Cultural Connection UK is obliged to seek information about criminal convictions and offences. Cultural Connection UK seeks this information, it does so because it is necessary for it to carry out (i) its legal obligations (ii) its obligations to the British Council as well as (iii) providing an adequate matching service to students of this age group to educational clients (language schools, international “study agents” and students).

This website may, from time to time, provide links to other websites. We have no control over such websites and are not responsible for the content of these websites. This privacy policy does not extend to your use of such websites. You are advised to read the privacy policy or statement of other websites prior to using them.

Who do we share your information with?

Your information may be shared internally and with certain third parties for the purposes of providing our homestay service. This includes, but is not limited to, our (i) Management Team (ii) Accommodation Officers, (iii) Administration Team, (iv) Home Inspectors, (v) Educational Clients (Language Schools, Universities, International “Study Agents”) (vi) Students or other homestay guests (vii) British Council inspectors carrying out an inspection of Cultural Connection UK, (viii) IT staff if access to the data is necessary for the performance of their roles, (ix) taxi companies (in the even a taxi is required for your guests)

Cultural Connection UK will share your data with our educational clients (Language Schools, Universities, International Travel Agents), we will not publish your data (e.g photographs of accommodation) online without your prior consent to do so.

As our (i) students/homestay guests and (ii) overseas “Travel agent” clients are based internationally, your data may be transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA) in the normal provision of our homestay services.

We also use Google Analytics to help us understand how our customers use the Site — you can read more about how Google uses your Personal Information here: https://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/privacy/. You can also opt-out of Google Analytics here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Cultural Connection UK does not routinely share your information with statutory or regulatory bodies such as the police, local councils, social services unless expressly required to do so to meet legal obligations.

How do we store and protect your data?

Cultural cOnnection UK takes the security of your data seriously. It has internal policies and controls in place to ensure that your data is not lost, accidentally destroyed, misused or disclosed, and is not accessed except by our employees or relevant third parties (as above) in the proper performance of their duties.

How long do we keep your data?

We will only process your personal data where we have a legal basis to do so and retain your personal data for as long as is necessary to provide our services to you and for record keeping thereafter.

Your rights

If you are a European resident, you have the right to access personal information we hold about you and to ask that your personal information be corrected, updated, or deleted. If you would like to exercise this right, please contact us through the contact information below.

Changes to this privacy policy

Any changes to this privacy policy will be posted on the website so you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it. If at any time we decide to use personal data in a manner significantly different from that stated in this privacy policy, or as otherwise disclosed to you at the time it was collected, we will notify you by email and you will have a choice as to whether or not we use your information in the new manner.

Exclusion of Liability

Cultural Connection UK ltd and its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, agents and employees, from and against any claim, liabilities, damages, losses and/or expenses, including, without limitation, reasonable legal and accounting fees, arising out of or in any way connected with: (i) any claims made by Customers; (ii) the provision of accommodation by a Host Family; and (iii) use of this website and/or the services, arising out of our in connection with the use of any personal information relating to you in accordance with this privacy policy and your consent.

Governing Law

These Terms of Service and any separate agreements whereby we provide you Services shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of United Kingdom.