Privacy Policy

Sawubona UK Ltd · Last updated: April 2026

Sawubona UK Ltd ("Sawubona", "we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of everyone who uses our website and services. This policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and your rights under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who we are

Sawubona UK Ltd is the data controller for personal information collected through this website and our services. We are registered in England and Wales. You can contact us at hello@sawubona.uk.

2. What personal data we collect

We collect the following categories of personal data:

Family enquiries: your name, email address, phone number, your elder's first name, their area, language preference, and any additional information you provide voluntarily.
Companion applications: your name, email address, phone number, location, heritage/community, languages spoken, availability, DBS check status, and any background information you provide.
Website usage: anonymised analytics data (page views, traffic source) via cookies. We do not collect personally identifiable analytics data without consent.

3. Why we collect it and our legal basis

To respond to your enquiry — legal basis: legitimate interests (responding to a contact request you initiated).
To match families with companions — legal basis: performance of a contract or steps taken at your request prior to entering a contract.
To comply with safeguarding and legal obligations — legal basis: legal obligation.
To communicate service updates — legal basis: legitimate interests, where you have registered interest in our service.

We do not use your personal data for marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

4. How we store and protect your data

Your enquiry data is submitted via Formspree and stored securely. We do not store payment card details. All data is held within the UK and European Economic Area. We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or disclosure.

5. How long we keep your data

Waitlist enquiries: held for 12 months from submission, or until we confirm you no longer wish to be contacted.
Active client and companion records: held for the duration of the relationship plus 6 years (in line with standard contractual retention requirements).
Safeguarding records: retained in accordance with local authority guidance (minimum 7 years).

6. Who we share your data with

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

Formspree — to receive and process enquiry form submissions.
uCheck — our DBS umbrella body, for enhanced DBS check processing (companion applicants only).
Legal or regulatory authorities — where required by law or for safeguarding purposes.

7. Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Request correction of inaccurate data
Request deletion of your data (subject to legal obligations)
Object to processing based on legitimate interests
Request restriction of processing
Lodge a complaint with the ICO at ico.org.uk

To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@sawubona.uk. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Cookies

This website uses a single functional cookie (swb_variant) to ensure you see a consistent version of the page during your visit. This cookie does not identify you personally and expires after 90 days. We do not use third-party advertising cookies.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the date at the top of this page. Continued use of the website after any change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact us

Sawubona UK Ltd
Email: hello@sawubona.uk
Website: sawubona.uk