Privacy Policy

Last updated: 1 January 2026  ·  Student Help Squad Ltd, Company No. 15439659

1. Who We Are

Student Help Squad Ltd ("we", "us", "our") is the data controller for personal data collected through this website and our platform. We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and our registered address is 36–38 Cornhill, London, EC3V 3NG.

2. What Personal Data We Collect

Depending on how you use our platform, we may collect:

• Identity data: first name, last name, date of birth
• Contact data: email address, phone number, postal address
• Profile data: university, degree subject, graduation year, CV, academic transcripts
• Employment data: internship applications, employment history, references
• Financial data: payment method details (processed securely via our payment provider; we do not store card details)
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, time on site
• Communications: messages you send us via contact forms, email, or in-platform messaging

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Creating and managing your account
• Matching you with relevant internship and job opportunities
• Facilitating accommodation searches and tenancy agreements
• Processing payments and managing contracts
• Providing HR tools, timesheets, and placement monitoring to employers and universities
• Sending you service notifications and platform updates
• Improving our platform through analytics and user research
• Complying with legal obligations under UK employment law and GDPR

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We rely on the following lawful bases under UK GDPR:

• Contract performance: processing necessary to provide the services you have signed up for
• Legitimate interests: platform security, fraud prevention, and service improvement
• Legal obligation: compliance with UK employment law, tax regulations, and ICO requirements
• Consent: for marketing emails and optional analytics cookies (you may withdraw consent at any time)

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with:

• Employers and universities — only the data needed to process your application or placement, with your knowledge
• Property agents — only when you initiate an accommodation enquiry
• Service providers — trusted third parties who help us operate the platform (e.g. cloud hosting, payment processing, email delivery), bound by data processing agreements
• Legal authorities — where required by law or to protect our rights

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services. If you delete your account, we will remove or anonymise your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or regulatory purposes (typically up to 7 years for financial records).

7. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Rectification: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Erasure: request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
• Restriction: ask us to restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances
• Portability: receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Objection: object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
• Withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in section 12. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO at ico.org.uk.

8. Cookies

We use cookies to operate our platform, remember your preferences, and analyse usage. You can control cookie settings through your browser or our cookie banner. See our Cookies Policy for full details.

9. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include encryption in transit (TLS), encrypted storage, access controls, and regular security reviews.

10. International Transfers

Your data is primarily stored and processed within the UK and EEA. Where we use service providers outside these regions, we ensure adequate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR requirements.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email or by posting a notice on our platform. The updated policy will show the revised "last updated" date at the top.

12. Contact Us

For any privacy-related queries or to exercise your rights, please write to us at:

Student Help Squad Ltd, 36–38 Cornhill, London, EC3V 3NG