Last Updated: June 2026
Welcome to Dorset Doulas.
Just as a doula protects the birth space, we are dedicated to protecting your privacy. Your trust means everything to us, and we treat your data with the same care, respect, and gentleness we bring to supporting growing families.
Our Promises to You
Minimal & Meaningful
We only collect the information necessary to operate our website, directory, memberships, and community services.
Never Sold
Your personal data belongs to you. We will never sell, lease, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.
Nurturing Privacy
We will never knowingly use your information inappropriately and will always take reasonable steps to keep it secure.
Cookies & Analytics
We use a small number of cookies and analytics tools to help us understand how visitors use our website and to improve our services.
These may include:
- Essential cookies required for website functionality
- Login and account session cookies
- Analytics cookies used to understand website usage
- Security and fraud-prevention cookies
You can disable cookies through your browser settings, although some parts of the website may not function correctly if essential cookies are blocked.
Where required by law, non-essential cookies will only be used after obtaining your consent.
Your Rights & Control
You remain in control of your personal information.
At any time, you may request to:
- Access the information we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate information
- Update your details
- Delete your account and personal data
- Withdraw consent where applicable
- Object to certain types of processing
To exercise any of these rights, please contact:
We will respond as quickly as possible and no later than the timeframes required by applicable law.
Detailed Privacy Information (UK GDPR)
The following information is provided to comply with UK GDPR and other applicable data protection laws.
1. Who We Are
Dorset Doulas operates an online directory and community platform connecting families with doulas, practitioners, classes, workshops, and events.
For the purposes of UK GDPR, Dorset Doulas is the Data Controller responsible for the personal information collected through this website.
Contact:
Email: hello@dorset-doulas.co.uk
Data controller: Dorset Doulas
2. Information We Collect
Depending on how you use the website, we may collect the following information.
Information You Provide
When creating an account, directory profile, membership, event, or enquiry, we may collect:
- Name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Business name
- Biography or profile information
- Website address
- Social media links
- Services offered
- Profile photographs
- Event information
- Location information
- Any information submitted through forms
Information Collected Automatically
When you visit the website, we may collect:
- IP address
- Browser type
- Device information
- Operating system
- Pages visited
- Referring website
- Website usage statistics
3. Public Directory Information
If you create a public directory profile as a Doula or Practitioner, some information you provide may be publicly visible.
This may include:
- Name
- Profile photograph
- Biography
- Services offered
- Website links
- Social media links
- General location
- Event information you publish
This information may also be indexed by search engines such as Google.
You are responsible for ensuring any information you publish is accurate and appropriate for public display.
4. Membership & Subscription Data
When you purchase a membership or subscription, we may collect information necessary to:
- Create your account
- Manage your subscription
- Communicate with you about your membership
- Provide directory services
We retain subscription records where necessary for legal, accounting, and tax purposes.
5. Payment Processing
Payments are processed securely by Square.
Dorset Doulas does not store, process, or have access to your full payment card details, including your card number, expiry date, or CVV security code.
Payment information is collected and processed directly by Square in accordance with their privacy, security, and PCI DSS compliance requirements.
We may receive limited transaction information such as:
- Payment status
- Subscription status
- Transaction reference numbers
This information is used solely to manage memberships, subscriptions, and customer support.
6. Practitioner Recommendations & Invitations
Doulas may recommend practitioners for inclusion within the Dorset Doulas Community Directory.
Where a recommendation is submitted, we may process:
- Name
- Email address
- Telephone number (if provided)
- Website address (if provided)
This information is used solely for sending invitation emails and administering the recommendation process.
Invitation links may expire automatically and recommendation records may be retained for administrative purposes.
7. Contact Forms & Enquiries
When a visitor submits an enquiry through a contact form or profile contact feature, we may process:
- Name
- Email address
- Telephone number (if provided)
- Message content
This information is used to respond to enquiries and may be shared with the relevant Doula or Practitioner where necessary.
When you submit an event reservation request, we also process your contact details so the hosting doula can respond. That information is shared only with the doula responsible for the event.
8. How We Use Your Information
We use personal information to:
- Operate the Dorset Doulas website
- Manage memberships and subscriptions
- Display public directory profiles
- Process registrations
- Manage events and listings
- Respond to enquiries
- Send service-related communications
- Improve website functionality
- Monitor performance and security
- Comply with legal obligations
9. Legal Basis for Processing
We process personal information under one or more of the following legal bases:
Consent
Where you have given us permission to process your information.
Examples include:
- Newsletter sign-ups
- Optional marketing communications
- Non-essential cookies
Contractual Necessity
Where processing is necessary to provide services you have requested.
Examples include:
- Membership subscriptions
- Directory listings
- Account management
Legitimate Interests
Where processing is necessary to operate and improve the Dorset Doulas platform.
Examples include:
- Website analytics
- Security monitoring
- Fraud prevention
- Service improvement
Legal Obligation
Where we are required by law to retain or disclose information.
10. Analytics & Cookies
We use cookies and similar technologies to help operate our website, improve your experience, and understand how visitors use Dorset Doulas.
Our website currently uses:
- Google Analytics 4 to collect anonymous information about website usage, including pages visited, time spent on the site, general geographic region, and how visitors interact with our website. This information helps us improve our services and user experience.
- Meta (Facebook) Pixel to measure the effectiveness of our advertising, understand how visitors interact with our website after viewing advertisements, and deliver more relevant advertising where you have provided consent.
Analytics and marketing cookies are only placed after you have provided your consent through our cookie banner. You can withdraw or change your consent at any time using the cookie preferences available on our website or through your browser settings.
Where possible, analytics data is aggregated or pseudonymised and is not used by Dorset Doulas to directly identify individual visitors.
11. Sharing Information
We do not sell personal information.
We may share information with trusted service providers who help us operate the website:
| Processor | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Square | Payment processing |
| Google Analytics 4 | Website analytics (consent-gated) |
| Google reCAPTCHA | Fraud prevention on forms |
| Google Maps | Maps display and address geocoding |
| Brevo | Transactional and marketing email |
| WonderPush | Web push notifications (marketing consent only) |
Some processors are based outside the UK (e.g. United States). Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses.
We may also disclose information where required by law or to protect the rights, safety, or security of Dorset Doulas and its users.
12. Data Retention
We only retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected and to comply with our legal obligations.
Typical retention periods include:
- Account and profile data: deleted within 30 days of a confirmed erasure request, unless we must retain it for legal reasons.
- Payment and transaction records: up to 6 years (UK tax and accounting requirements).
- Website analytics: retained according to our Google Analytics 4 settings.
- Event reservation enquiries: retained only as long as needed to manage the booking, then deleted or anonymised.
When personal information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymised.
13. Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from:
- Unauthorised access
- Loss
- Misuse
- Alteration
- Disclosure
However, no internet-based system can guarantee absolute security.
14. International Transfers
Some of our service providers may process information outside the United Kingdom.
Where this occurs, appropriate safeguards will be implemented to ensure personal information remains protected in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
15. Your Rights
Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Correct inaccurate information
- Request deletion
- Restrict processing
- Object to processing
- Request portability of your data
- Withdraw consent
Requests can be submitted by contacting:
16. Children’s Privacy
The Dorset Doulas website is intended for adults.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 18.
17. Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of those websites.
Users should review the privacy policies of any third-party services they visit.
18. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.
Any changes will be published on this page together with an updated revision date.
Continued use of the website following changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
19. Complaints
If you have concerns about how your personal information is being handled, please contact us first and we will do our best to resolve the issue.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):
Contact Us
Dorset Doulas
Email: hello@dorset-doulas.co.uk
Thank you for trusting Dorset Doulas with your information. We are committed to protecting your privacy while helping families connect with trusted support throughout their pregnancy, birth, and postnatal journey.
Last Updated: June 2026
Welcome! Just as a doula protects the birth space, we are dedicated to protecting your privacy. Your trust means everything to us, and we treat your data with the same care, respect, and gentleness we bring to supporting growing families.
Our Promises to You
- Minimal & Meaningful: We only collect the bare minimum information needed to support you.
- Never Sold: Your data belongs to you. We will never sell, lease, or trade your personal information.
- Nurturing Privacy: We will never use your data inappropriately. We hold your personal details in strict confidence.
Cookies & Analytics
We only use the essentials.
We use minimal tracking cookies simply to understand how families find our website and which resources are most helpful. This helps us grow our community and best serve parents-to-be.
You’re in control: You can easily turn off cookies in your browser settings at any time without changing how you interact with our site.
Your Rights & Control
You have full ownership of your data. At any time, you can ask us to see what information we have, update it, or completely erase it from our records.
If you have any questions or want your data removed, please reach out to us at: hello@dorset-doulas.co.uk.
For Our UK & European Visitors (GDPR Compliance)
If you are visiting our directory from the UK or Europe, data protection laws require us to share the specific legal reasons why we process your information, how long we keep it, and how you can request changes.
1. Our Legal Basis for Processing Your Data
We only process your information when we have a valid legal reason to do so:
- Consent: When you sign up for an account, create a directory profile, or subscribe to our newsletter, you explicitly give us permission to process that data.
- Contractual Necessity: If you purchase a premium directory listing or a subscription, we process your billing and account information to fulfill our service agreement with you.
- Legitimate Interests: We use minimal tracking cookies to understand how visitors use our directory so we can keep improving the platform for both parents and doulas.
2. How Long We Keep Your Information
We only keep your information for as long as your account or directory listing is active.
- For Directory Accounts: We keep your profile information for as long as you choose to keep your account open. If you delete your account, your data is removed from our live systems immediately.
- For Analytics & Cookies: Website traffic data collected by our minimal tracking cookies is automatically deleted or anonymized after [e.g., 14 months].
3. Your Rights & How to Control Your Data
You are completely in control of your data. At any time, you have the right to ask us to:
- Provide a copy of the data we hold about you.
- Correct any inaccurate or outdated information on your profile.
- Permanently delete your account and all associated data.
- Stop sending you marketing or newsletter emails.
To exercise any of these rights, or if you have a question about how your data is handled, please contact us at hello@dorset-doulas.co.uk. We will respond to and resolve your request within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority (such as the ICO in the UK).