Privacy Policy
Nova Mediation Solutions
Last updated: 14 October 2026
1. Introduction
Nova Mediation Solutions is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information responsibly, securely and transparently.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share and protect personal information when you visit our website, make an enquiry, participate in mediation or otherwise communicate with us.
We process personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and other applicable data protection legislation.
2. Who We Are
Nova Mediation Solutions is an independent civil and commercial mediation service operated by Amy Bates as a sole trader.
For the purposes of UK data protection legislation, Amy Bates, trading as Nova Mediation Solutions, is the data controller responsible for determining how and why personal information is processed.
Contact email: info@novamediationsolutions.com
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact us using the email address above.
3. Personal Information We Collect
Depending on the nature of your enquiry or involvement in mediation, we may collect and process:
Your name and contact details, including email address and telephone number.
Information provided through our website enquiry form.
Information about the nature and circumstances of a dispute.
Contact details of other individuals involved in a dispute.
Information provided during preliminary suitability and safeguarding assessments.
Relevant correspondence, mediation statements and supporting documentation.
Signed Agreements to Mediate and settlement agreements.
Invoicing, payment and transaction information.
Information required to address complaints, legal obligations or insurance matters.
Website usage information collected through cookies and similar technologies.
We aim to collect only information that is relevant and necessary for the purposes of providing our services.
4. Information Provided by Other People
In some circumstances, we may receive your name, contact details or limited information about a dispute from another individual who has approached us about mediation.
For example, one party may provide another party's contact details so that we can explore whether they would be willing to participate in voluntary mediation.
Before making contact, we consider whether doing so is appropriate, necessary and proportionate, including any relevant safeguarding concerns.
Where appropriate, we may rely on our legitimate interests in facilitating access to voluntary dispute resolution and responding to mediation enquiries.
If we contact you using information provided by another person, we will explain the source of your information and the general purpose of our communication, subject to applicable confidentiality and legal restrictions.
We will also provide access to this Privacy Policy.
Participation in mediation is entirely voluntary. You are under no obligation to participate, and you may decline an invitation or object to relevant processing of your information.
We will not disclose one party's confidential mediation communications to another party without appropriate authorisation or another lawful basis for doing so.
5. How We Use Personal Information
We use personal information where necessary to:
Respond to enquiries about our services.
Assess whether a dispute is suitable for mediation.
Conduct preliminary safeguarding, conflict-of-interest and suitability checks.
Contact prospective participants where appropriate.
Arrange and facilitate mediation sessions.
Communicate with participants before, during and after mediation.
Prepare and administer mediation agreements and related documentation.
Process invoices, payments and accounting records.
Respond to complaints and resolve service-related issues.
Comply with legal, regulatory, professional and insurance requirements.
Protect the security and integrity of our business systems and information.
We do not use confidential mediation information for unrelated marketing purposes.
6. Our Lawful Bases for Processing
Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal information.
Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on:
Contractual necessity — Article 6(1)(b)
Where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, including administering an agreed mediation service.
Legitimate interests — Article 6(1)(f)
Where processing is necessary for legitimate business purposes and those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
This may include responding to enquiries, assessing the suitability of mediation, making proportionate initial contact with a prospective participant, maintaining business security and managing relevant records.
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we consider the necessity and potential impact of the processing.
Legal obligation — Article 6(1)(c)
Where processing is necessary to comply with applicable legal requirements, including accounting, taxation and certain data protection obligations.
Consent — Article 6(1)(a)
Where consent is the appropriate lawful basis for a specific processing activity.
Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before consent was withdrawn.
The lawful basis used will depend on the particular information and purpose involved.
7. Sensitive Personal Information and Safeguarding
Mediation enquiries may occasionally involve sensitive personal information, including information about health, disability or personal circumstances.
We do not routinely request detailed sensitive information where it is unnecessary for assessing suitability or facilitating mediation.
Where a participant requires reasonable adjustments, we generally record the adjustment needed rather than the underlying medical condition or diagnosis.
Certain information is subject to additional legal protections, including special-category personal data under Article 9 UK GDPR and information relating to criminal offences or allegations under Article 10 and the Data Protection Act 2018.
We will only intentionally collect, retain or otherwise process such information where necessary and where the applicable lawful basis, additional processing condition and safeguards have been established.
Where sensitive information is disclosed unexpectedly, we will assess whether it is necessary and lawful to retain it.
Safeguarding and suitability information is handled sensitively, and access is restricted.
We may decline, pause or discontinue mediation where we consider that participation would be unsafe, involuntary or otherwise inappropriate.
8. Confidentiality of Mediation
Confidentiality is an important principle of our mediation service.
Information shared during mediation is handled in accordance with the applicable Agreement to Mediate, our professional obligations and relevant law.
We act independently and impartially and do not routinely disclose confidential information shared by one participant to another without appropriate permission.
Confidentiality is not absolute. Disclosure may be necessary or permitted in certain circumstances, including where required by law, to address serious safety concerns where a lawful basis exists, or in connection with applicable legal proceedings.
The specific confidentiality arrangements for a mediation will also be explained in the Agreement to Mediate.
9. How We Store and Protect Information
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, alteration or disclosure.
These measures include:
Password-protected devices and accounts.
Two-step verification for our business email account.
Encrypted storage on our business computer.
Restricted access to confidential case files.
Secure handling of electronic documents and correspondence.
Data minimisation and retention procedures.
Procedures for identifying, assessing and responding to personal data breaches.
Confidential case documents are primarily maintained in encrypted local storage.
Although we take reasonable precautions, no electronic storage or communication system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
10. Third-Party Service Providers
We use selected third-party services to support the operation of Nova Mediation Solutions.
These include:
Squarespace
Used to host our website, receive website enquiries and provide website analytics and cookie management functions.
Google Workspace
Used for business email communications and the receipt and handling of enquiries and attachments.
Apple
Provides operating system, device and cloud services. Some business information may be processed through Apple services, depending on the relevant device and synchronisation settings.
Video conferencing and electronic signature providers
Where required for a particular mediation, we may use third-party video conferencing and electronic signature services, such as Zoom and DocuSign. Relevant provider details will be made available when those services are used.
Banking and payment services
We may share necessary transaction information with our banking provider to receive payments and maintain financial records.
We seek to use service providers with appropriate contractual, confidentiality and security arrangements.
We may also disclose information to professional advisers, insurers, regulators or public authorities where necessary and lawful.
We do not sell personal information to third parties.
11. International Data Transfers
Some of our service providers may process or store personal information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred internationally, we seek to ensure that appropriate protections are in place in accordance with UK data protection legislation.
Depending on the circumstances, these may include UK adequacy regulations, the UK International Data Transfer Agreement, the UK Addendum to approved standard contractual clauses or other legally recognised safeguards.
Further information about relevant transfer arrangements may be requested by contacting us.
12. How Long We Keep Personal Information
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, taking account of legal, professional, contractual, insurance and accounting requirements.
Our usual retention periods are:
Enquiries that do not proceed: Generally up to 12 months after the last communication.
Working mediation notes, opening statements and supporting evidence: Ordinarily securely deleted within 30 days of case closure, unless continued retention is necessary for a specific lawful purpose.
Signed mediation agreements, settlement agreements where retained, and essential administrative case records: Ordinarily retained for six years following case closure, subject to applicable legal, professional and insurance requirements.
Financial and accounting records: Retained for the period required by applicable tax legislation.
Complaints, legal claims and related records: Retained for as long as necessary to address the matter and any associated legal or insurance requirements.
Retention periods may be extended where necessary and lawful, including where a complaint, dispute, legal proceeding or regulatory matter remains ongoing.
When information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to securely delete or dispose of it, including addressing relevant copies held by service providers where applicable.
13. Your Data Protection Rights
Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, you may have the right to:
Request access to personal information held about you.
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
Request deletion of your personal information.
Request restriction of certain processing activities.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Request transfer of certain information to another organisation.
Withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis for processing.
These rights are not absolute and may be subject to applicable legal exemptions or restrictions.
To exercise your rights, please contact:
info@novamediationsolutions.com
We will respond in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, normally within one month of receiving a valid request.
14. Cookies and Website Analytics
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality, understand website usage and manage visitor preferences.
Cookies may include:
Strictly necessary cookies
Required for essential website functions and security.
Performance and analytics cookies
Used to understand how visitors interact with our website and help improve its performance.
Advertising cookies
May be used in connection with advertising or marketing technologies where applicable.
Our website provides a cookie consent banner allowing visitors to accept, reject or manage non-essential cookies.
Non-essential cookie categories are not selected by default in our cookie preference settings.
Visitors can review and change their cookie preferences using the website's cookie preference controls.
For further information, please refer to the cookie settings available on our website.
15. Automated Decision-Making
Nova Mediation Solutions does not make decisions about individuals based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects.
Decisions about mediation suitability, safeguarding and participation are made through human assessment.
16. Complaints and Concerns
If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact us in the first instance:
info@novamediationsolutions.com
We will consider your concerns and respond in accordance with applicable data protection requirements.
You also have the right to raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection regulator.
Website: https://ico.org.uk
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
17. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal obligations or data protection practices.
The latest version will be published on our website, together with the date it was last updated.
Where changes materially affect how we use personal information, we will take appropriate steps to inform affected individuals where required.