Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

At the National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA), we recognise that when you provide us with your personal information, you are placing your trust in us. Whether you are a member, training delegate, exhibitor, sponsor, supplier, website visitor or simply making an enquiry, we are committed to handling your information responsibly, securely and transparently.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect your personal information, as well as the rights you have in relation to that information. We believe it is important to be open about how we process personal data and to ensure you understand what information we collect, why we collect it and how it helps us deliver the services you expect from the Association.

The NPTA processes personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and other applicable legislation. More importantly, we process your information in a way that is fair, proportionate and appropriate to the relationship you have with us.

Our approach is simple. We only collect the information we need, we only use it for the purposes we have explained, and we work hard to keep it safe.

2. About the National Pest Technicians Association

The National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA) is one of the UK’s leading trade associations representing professional pest management businesses throughout the United Kingdom.

We support the pest management profession through membership, professional training, technical guidance, qualifications, industry events, publications, technical support and representation. We also work with government departments, regulators, industry partners and other organisations to promote professionalism and high standards across the sector.

To provide these services, we need to collect and use personal information about our members, prospective members, customers, suppliers, employees, contractors and other individuals who interact with the Association.

The NPTA is responsible for determining how and why your personal information is processed and therefore acts as the Data Controller under UK data protection legislation.

The Association is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under registration reference Z5237753.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we use your personal information, you can contact us using the details below.

National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA)
NPTA House
12 Farrington Way
Eastwood Link Office Park
Eastwood
Nottingham
NG16 3BF

Telephone: 0115 924 3686

Email: office@npta.org.uk

3. What Personal Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with the NPTA. For example, if you become a member, we will collect the information needed to administer your membership. If you register for one of our training courses, we will collect the information required to manage your booking, communicate with you and, where appropriate, issue qualifications or certificates. If you contact us with an enquiry, we will only use the information needed to respond.

The personal information we collect may include:

your name, title and job role;
company or employer details;
postal address;
email address;
telephone numbers;
membership information and membership history;
training bookings, attendance records and qualification records;
registrations for PestTech, On the Road events, webinars and other NPTA activities;
exhibitor and sponsorship information;
payment and invoicing information;
correspondence and communications with the NPTA;
feedback, compliments and complaints; and
limited technical information relating to your use of our website.

We regularly review the information we hold to ensure it remains accurate, relevant and up to date. We encourage you to let us know if your details change so that we can keep our records accurate.

4. How We Collect Your Personal Information

In most cases, we collect personal information directly from you.

You may provide information when you:

apply for membership or renew your membership;
register for one of our training courses or professional qualifications;
register to attend PestTech, an On the Road event, webinar or another NPTA event;
book exhibition space or sponsorship opportunities at PestTech or an NPTA On the Road event;
subscribe to our newsletter or other communications;
complete forms on our website;
contact us by telephone, email or post;
request technical advice or support; or
engage with us through social media or other communication channels.

In some circumstances, we may receive information from third parties where this is necessary to deliver our services. This may include awarding organisations, examination bodies, payment providers or regulatory organisations.

When you visit our website, we also collect limited technical information, such as your IP address, browser type, device information and pages visited. This information helps us understand how our website is used, identify areas for improvement and enhance the experience for our visitors.

We do not buy personal information from third parties, and we do not use your information for purposes that you would not reasonably expect.

5. How We Use Your Personal Information

The NPTA uses personal information to provide the services you have requested, administer your relationship with the Association and fulfil our legal and regulatory responsibilities. We only use your information where there is a legitimate reason to do so and will never use it for purposes that are incompatible with those set out in this Privacy Policy.

Depending on how you interact with us, we may use your personal information to:

administer membership applications, renewals and member records;
provide technical support and member services;
organise and deliver training courses, qualifications and examinations;
register delegates for PestTech, On the Road events, webinars and other NPTA events;
manage exhibitor and sponsorship bookings;
issue invoices, process payments and maintain financial records;
communicate with you regarding your membership, bookings or enquiries;
send newsletters, industry updates and information about NPTA services where appropriate;
improve our services, website and member experience;
comply with legal, regulatory and contractual obligations; and
establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary.

We are committed to ensuring that any decisions involving your personal information are made fairly and responsibly. We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

6. Our Lawful Basis for Processing Personal Information

UK data protection legislation requires organisations to identify a lawful basis for processing personal information. The lawful basis we rely upon depends on the reason we are using your information.

In most cases, we process personal information because it is necessary to fulfil our contract with you. For example, when you join the NPTA, book a training course or reserve exhibition space at PestTech, we need to process your information to provide those services.

In other situations, we process information because we have a legal obligation to do so. This includes maintaining financial records, complying with tax legislation and responding to lawful requests from regulatory or enforcement authorities.

As a membership organisation, we also process certain information because it is in our legitimate interests to operate the Association effectively. This includes communicating with members, improving our services, promoting professional standards, managing events and maintaining accurate records. Whenever we rely on legitimate interests, we ensure that your rights and freedoms are not overridden.

Where we rely on your consent, such as for certain marketing communications or optional cookies, you are free to withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawing your consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before your consent was withdrawn.

7. Who We Share Your Information With

The NPTA treats your personal information confidentially and will only share it where it is necessary to provide our services, where we are legally required to do so or where you have asked us to.

To help us deliver our services, we use a number of carefully selected organisations that provide specialist support on our behalf. These organisations only receive the information necessary to perform their services and are expected to process it securely and in accordance with UK data protection legislation.

These include:

ACT! CRM
We use ACT! to manage membership records, enquiries and communications. This enables us to administer membership, maintain accurate records and communicate effectively with members, customers and other stakeholders.

Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 provides our email, document management and business collaboration systems. This allows us to communicate securely, store business records and manage day-to-day operations.

Xero
We use Xero to manage our accounting records, invoices and financial administration. Personal information is only processed where necessary for financial management and compliance with legal obligations.

UTP Group
UTP provides secure payment processing services for membership subscriptions, training courses, PestTech exhibitor bookings and other payments made to the NPTA. Payment card information is processed directly by UTP using secure payment systems. The NPTA does not store your full payment card details.

We may also share information with awarding organisations where necessary to administer qualifications or examinations, with professional advisers such as accountants, auditors or legal advisers, and with regulatory or law enforcement bodies where we are legally required to do so.

The NPTA does not sell personal information to third parties, nor do we allow third parties to use your information for their own marketing purposes.

8. Marketing Communications

The NPTA likes to keep members, customers and industry professionals informed about the work of the Association. This may include newsletters, technical updates, training opportunities, PestTech information, On the Road events, member benefits and other news that we believe may be of interest.

Where required by law, we will only send marketing communications where you have provided your consent. In other circumstances, we may contact existing members or customers about services that are relevant to their relationship with the Association where permitted by law.

Every marketing email we send includes the opportunity to unsubscribe. You may also contact us at any time if you no longer wish to receive marketing communications. Please note that even if you opt out of marketing, we may still need to send important service communications relating to your membership, training bookings, event registrations or other services you have requested.

9. Website, Cookies and Analytics

The NPTA website has been designed to provide information about the Association, promote professional standards within the pest management industry and enable visitors to access our services.

When you visit our website, we automatically collect limited technical information about your visit. This may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, pages viewed, the date and time of your visit and how you navigate around the website. This information does not usually identify you directly but helps us understand how our website is being used and where improvements can be made.

We use website analytics to monitor performance, improve user experience and better understand which information is most valuable to our visitors. This helps us continually develop the website and ensure it remains useful for members and the wider public.

Our website also uses cookies to provide essential functionality and, where you have given your consent, to help us analyse website traffic and improve our online services. Further information about the cookies we use, their purpose and how you can manage your preferences is available in our separate Cookie Policy.

The NPTA website also includes the Find a Pest Controller service. This directory allows members of the public and businesses to search for NPTA members operating in their area. When using this service, visitors contact member companies directly. The NPTA does not receive, process or store enquiries submitted to those businesses through this service.

10. Payment Processing

The NPTA accepts payments for membership subscriptions, training courses, qualifications, PestTech exhibition space, sponsorship opportunities and other Association services.

To ensure payments are processed securely, we use trusted third-party payment providers. Payment card information is processed securely by these providers and is not stored by the NPTA.

Financial information required for invoicing, accounting and auditing purposes is retained only for as long as necessary to meet our legal and regulatory obligations.

11. Keeping Your Personal Information Secure

Protecting the personal information we hold is extremely important to us.

The NPTA has implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard personal information against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction.

These measures include, where appropriate:

secure access controls;
password-protected systems and devices;
Microsoft 365 security features;
appropriate backup and recovery arrangements;
secure disposal of confidential information;
staff training and awareness; and
regular reviews of our information security arrangements.

While we work hard to protect your information, no method of transmitting or storing information electronically can ever be guaranteed to be completely secure. However, we continually review our security arrangements to ensure they remain appropriate for the information we hold and the services we provide.

If the NPTA becomes aware of a personal data breach, we will respond promptly and in accordance with our Data Breach Procedure. Where required by law, we will notify the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and affected individuals.

12. How Long We Keep Your Information

The NPTA only retains personal information for as long as it is required for the purpose for which it was collected, or to meet legal, regulatory or contractual obligations.

Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the reason it was collected. For example, financial records must be retained for statutory accounting and taxation purposes, while membership and training records may be retained for longer where necessary to maintain historical records or verify qualifications.

Once personal information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, anonymised or confidentially destroyed in accordance with the NPTA Retention Schedule.

13. Your Rights

Under UK data protection legislation, you have a number of rights regarding the personal information we hold about you.

These include the right to:

request access to the personal information we hold about you;
request that inaccurate or incomplete information is corrected;
request the deletion of your personal information where appropriate;
request that we restrict the way we use your information;
object to certain types of processing;
withdraw your consent where processing is based on consent;
request the transfer of your personal information to another organisation, where applicable; and
complain if you believe your information has not been handled appropriately.

We will always try to resolve any concerns quickly and fairly. If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Further information about your rights is available from the ICO at www.ico.org.uk.

14. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, guidance, technology or the way the NPTA operates.

Any significant changes will be communicated where appropriate, and the latest version will always be published on the NPTA website.

We recommend reviewing this Privacy Policy periodically to ensure you remain informed about how we protect and use your personal information.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the personal information we hold about you or wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, please contact us.

National Pest Technicians Association (NPTA)
NPTA House
12 Farrington Way
Eastwood Link Office Park
Eastwood
Nottingham
NG16 3BF

Telephone: 0115 924 3686

Email: office@npta.org.uk

Information Commissioner’s Office Registration Reference: Z5237753