Privacy Policy

Effective date: 12 October 2026

Coming for a dyslexia assessment can already feel like a lot: new people, new paperwork, and sometimes difficult conversations. This policy explains, in plain English, what information I collect, why, and what rights you have over it. If anything isn’t clear, or you’d rather just ask, please get in touch.

1. Who I am

Dyslexia Discovery is run by me, Rosie Stokes. I’m the “data controller” for the information in this policy, which means I’m responsible for looking after it. I’m registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Dyslexia Discovery, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. Email: rosie@dyslexiadiscovery.org

2. Who this policy is for

I assess children and young people aged 8 to 25. This policy covers parents and carers, the people I assess, and anyone who visits my website or gets in touch.

3. The information I collect

When you use my website

Enquiry forms: your name, email address, phone number if you give it, and what you tell me in your message.
Blog comments: your name, email address and comment. Your email address isn’t shown publicly.
Cookies and visitor statistics: my website is hosted by WordPress.com, which uses cookies and collects anonymous statistics, such as which pages are visited. This helps me see which pages are useful. It doesn’t tell me who you are.

When you book an assessment

Contact details: name, address, email address and phone number.
Details of the person being assessed: name, age, date of birth, and education or work background.
Assessment information: background questionnaires from you and, where relevant, a school or college; assessment results and observations; and, only with your separate permission, audio or video recordings.
Health and developmental information, where relevant to the assessment, such as vision, hearing, speech and language history or existing diagnoses.
Payment details needed to take payment.

Health and developmental information is “special category” data in law, which means it needs extra care. I only collect it with your clear, separate consent.

4. Why I use it

To reply to your enquiry.
To carry out the assessment and write the report.
To keep in touch with you about the assessment, the results and any follow-up call.
To take payment.
To keep proper records and check the quality of my work.

I don’t use your information for marketing, and I never sell it.

5. My legal basis

Contract: to provide the assessment you’ve booked.
Consent: for anything I specifically ask your permission for, such as recordings, health information, or contacting a school or college.
Legal obligation: where the law requires me to keep or share information.
Legitimate interests: for example, replying to enquiries and keeping records to maintain the quality of my assessments.

You can withdraw consent at any time. This won’t affect anything I’ve already done.

6. Children and young adults

Under 18: a parent or someone with parental responsibility gives consent and uses the rights in this policy on the child’s behalf. I’ll always explain things to the young person in a way that suits their age, and take their views into account.
18 and over: the person being assessed gives consent and controls their own information, including their report. If a parent books or pays, I’ll only share the report or results with that parent if the young adult agrees.

7. Who I share it with

I only share personal information with your permission, or where the law requires it. With permission, this may include:

a school, college or university, for example a SENCO, teacher or disability adviser
an employer, only if the person being assessed asks me to
other professionals involved, such as an educational psychologist, speech and language therapist or paediatrician

I also use trusted service providers to run my business, such as my website host, email and online forms, and payment services. They must protect your information properly. Some may store information outside the UK, and where they do, legal safeguards are in place to protect it to UK standards.

8. How long I keep it

Information	How long I keep it
Enquiries that don’t lead to a booking	12 months, then deleted
Audio or video recordings	Deleted once the report has been completed and sent
Test papers and questionnaires	Securely destroyed once no longer needed for the report
The final report	Until the assessed person’s 25th birthday, or for 7 years, whichever is later

You can ask for an electronic copy of a report while I still hold it. An administration charge may apply. Please keep your own copy safe, as I can’t provide one after this time.

9. Keeping it safe

I use secure storage and encryption to protect your information from being lost, seen or changed without permission. No system is ever completely secure, but I take this seriously and review how I work.

10. Your rights

You have the right to:

ask for a copy of the information I hold about you or your child
ask me to correct anything inaccurate or incomplete
ask me to delete your information, in some circumstances
ask me to limit how I use it, in some circumstances
object to how I use it, in some circumstances
ask for your information in a format you can reuse
withdraw consent at any time

To use any of these rights, email me. I’ll reply within one month.

11. How to complain

If you’re unhappy with how I’ve handled your information, please email rosie@dyslexiadiscovery.org with “Data protection concern” in the subject line, and I’ll do my best to put things right.

You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113.

12. Changes to this policy

I may update this policy, for example if the law or the way I work changes. Any update will be posted here with a new effective date.

13. Contact

Dyslexia Discovery, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Email: rosie@dyslexiadiscovery.org