Cookie Policy Overview

At Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd (Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale & Trafford), we run on a philosophy of delivering wide-ranging advice and support to the people who need it, free of charge and without barriers. In supporting people to resolve issues across the whole of life, we also believe in protecting your privacy and being transparent when you choose to use our website. Our Cookie Policy details how and why cookies and similar technologies are used across https://citizensadvicesort.org/. We want you to be assured that your data is respected. At the same time, we want to empower you to control your online experience. We have written this policy to explain what cookies are, how they are used on our website, what choices you have, and how cookies play their part both in your online experience and in giving us the ability to better enhance the services we provide for the people and communities we serve.

What Are Cookies?

“Cookies are small files that are downloaded to your computer when you visit a network location. The files are commonly used to make sites work or to work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the proprietor of the site. Cookies enable sites to remember your actions and preferences over a period of time, so you do not have to keep re-entering it whenever you return to the site or browse from one web page to another. In addition to cookies, other tracking technologies may be used for similar purposes, such as web beacons, pixels, and local shared objects. For the sake of convenience and brevity, we refer to cookies and these other tracking technologies collectively as ‘cookies.’ […]”

Why Do We Use Cookies?

Cookies at Citizens Advice SORT Group are put in place to enable us to provide a smooth, personalised service for users of our online advice and support services. We use cookies to:

• ensure the website works correctly and securely
• remember your choices – such as language or accessibility preferences
• help us understand how visitors use the website so we can improve it
• assist accessibility for users with additional needs
• allow you to log in securely and make online appointments
• monitor the impact of our information, campaigns and outreach

Cookies also help us anonymously collect aggregated data by which we can monitor trends and improve the services available to residents of Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford. Plus, they enable us to maintain high standards of confidentiality and security as you access free advice and support.

Categories of Cookies We Use

We use a number of different types of cookies on our website, and they each serve a different purpose:

• Strictly Necessary Cookies: Cookies that are necessary for the website to operate and therefore cannot be turned off. For example, cookies that allow you to log into your account, use online forms, or access a resource.
• Performance Cookies: These help us understand how visitors use our website, so we can enhance navigation, content, and functionality. Information gathered is in an aggregated and anonymous form.
• Functionality Cookies: These enable us to recall your preferences and choices (such as your region, any accessibility or Deaf advice service settings, or your language) to make your visit as personalised as possible.
• Targeting/Marketing Cookies: We do not serve third party advertising, but we might use these cookies to assess the effectiveness of our targeted outreach campaigns or e-newsletters, or to make sure you receive only relevant information if you have opted in.
• Third Party Cookies: Sometimes we embed content of reputable third party partners (for example, maps, accessibility tools, or survey tools) within our site; they might drop cookies on other host sites to fulfil their roles. We review and choose partners with robust privacy policies.

Use of Cookie Data

We use cookie information in a way that is privacy-friendly and furthers our charitable objectives. We use cookie information to:

• Record which of our resources are most useful to members of the community
• Monitor our website usage to ensure that our advice and self-help tools can be accessed in a prompt and reliable way
• Improve accessibility for users with additional needs
• Monitor the success of information, events, and campaigns
• Detect and prevent technical problems or abuse of our website

All information collected via cookies is either anonymous or pseudonymised. We do not use cookies to collect personal data about you, unless you have consented to us doing so. We only make use of cookies where it is necessary, for example, to secure the service. Where necessary, we’ll make sure we share our use of cookies with you before using cookies other than those which are essential.

Your Cookie Preferences and Controls

The decision to accept cookies is yours to make. A cookie consent message giving you the ability to manage your consents is presented when you visit our website for the first time. You may:

• accept all cookies, and use the website as intended (the default setting)
• decline non-essential cookies (do this if you want to restrict tracking, but leaving necessarily-required cookies present will reduce the functionality of the site)
• customise by category (e.g. only accepting performance cookies)

You may always change or withdraw your consent by referencing “cookie settings” at the bottom of every page of our website.

Most web browsers allow users to configure cookies anyway (e.g. to block all cookies, delete all cookies, or to notify users when a cookie is being used) and you can achieve this through settings in your browser software. Please note that disabling some cookies may limit use of certain features on the website, including booking appointments and accessing content.

Cookies and the Confidentiality of Your Information

“Confidentiality is central to our service. We don’t use cookies to track your identity, store sensitive information about you, or link your Internet browsing activity to your personal advice record without your express permission. Our use of cookies enables, rather than reduces, your privacy. So if you contact us online, by phone, or in person for advice, your enquiry and data are always kept according to strict internal confidentiality practices. Data collected by cookies is kept segregated from your personal advice record and only used in aggregate form to enhance our website and the services you receive from us.”

Third Party Cookies and Other Embedded Content

Occasionally, pages on our site provide content from third-party providers such as interactive maps, accessibility widgets, video content, or surveys. Such third parties may use or set their own cookies on your device. The Organization has taken care to work with partners that maintain high standards for privacy and that we believe would be useful to our community. These include but are not limited to:

• Google Maps (office locations)
• Accessibility tools for individuals with disabilities
• Survey tools used to capture community responses

You should review the cookie and other privacy policies of any third-party website you visit. Cookie preferences for third-party websites and services can be managed using the settings within this website or by adjusting your browser settings.

How Long Will Cookies Remain on Your Device?

Cookies can be “stored” on your hard drive for varying amounts of time depending on their use:

• Session cookies: These are temporary cookies which are automatically deleted when you close your browser. They are commonly used for security log-ins and to retain temporary information such as items in a shopping basket.
• Persistent cookies: These are stored on your hard drive for a set period of time or until you manually deactivate or delete them, and are commonly used to remember settings and preferences, or to analyse site usage for performance purposes.

We set all cookies with an appropriate lifespan. We also carry out an ongoing audit of our cookies to ensure they’re the latest versions, necessary for the functioning of the site, and not intrusive to your privacy.

Managing Your Cookies Preferences in Web Browsers

Cookie settings can be modified in cloud or web browser applications. Most web browsers offer users the ability to:

• See, block, or delete cookies set by websites
• Select how to set preferences for individual sites
• Clean and clear all cookies when the web browser is closed
• Enable “Do Not Track” requests

Please refer to your web browser’s help documentation for detailed information. If you would like more assistance managing cookies, the Citizens Advice SORT Group digital team can help. Just email [email protected] or call (564) 875-8083.

Cookies and Accessibility

We are working to make our website accessible to everybody, including people using assistive technology and those with disabilities. Some cookies are essential to providing accessibility features such as increased contrast, ability to increase the text size, or to hear language translated for Deaf advice services. Accepting these cookies helps us provide you with a smoother, more inclusive experience. We welcome any feedback you have about accessibility or to seek advice by emailing us at [email protected].

Protecting Your Privacy

Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd is committed to the principles and standards of good data protection and respect for privacy. We do not use cookies to process sensitive personal data, nor to profile our users or customers. Information gathered through any cookies we use is only used to help us improve the performance, usability, and security of our website. Any use of data through cookies is compliant with relevant privacy legislation and regulation (the Financial Conduct Authority (Ref: 617695)). Staff and volunteers of Citizens Advice SORT are trained in data protection, and your trust is important to us as a registered charity (Reg Charity: 1171817).

How We May Update This Cookie Policy

We regularly review and update this policy to ensure it accurately reflects any changes in technology, laws, and the services we provide. We may also amend the policy to help us comply with legal requirements or respond to our introduction of any new services or enhanced transparency requirements. If, in our view, there are material changes to the policy, we will highlight these on this website and, where necessary, contact individuals who have signed up for our newsletter. The latest update will always be displayed at the top of this page. We encourage you to periodically review this policy. Doing so will enable you to find out how cookies are used on our website to better inform you about what we do in terms of providing you with advice and representing you.

Contact Us Regarding Questions

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions about our use of cookies, then our team can support you in finding out what your rights are and how best to exercise them. You can get in touch with us by emailing [email protected], calling (564) 875-8083, or contacting us by post at Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd, 1501 4th Ave Ste 730, Seattle WA 98101. For more general issues regarding your use of privacy, please read our Privacy Policy. Wherever you need advice or support on any issue, however, we can help by phone, online, or in person with a very friendly group of professionals. We also value feedback on how we could deliver our digital services to the communities of Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford.

Your Rights and Additional Resources

You can get details about the personal data we hold, rectify any inaccurate data, and withdraw your consent for non-essential cookies at any time. You may find the following resources useful in learning more about your online rights and how to opt-out of cookies:

• Citizens Advice national guidance on online privacy
• Your web browser’s help pages
• Our Privacy Policy

If you think we have infringed your privacy rights, you are entitled to complain to the relevant regulator.

Recap: Cookies and Our Purpose

For Citizens Advice SORT Group Ltd, our use of cookies reflects our core values: confidentiality, impartiality, and putting communities at the heart of what we do. Cookies enable us to provide accurate, accessible, and effective advice to tens of thousands of people across Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford every year. By being open about what we do and giving you greater control, we hope to build trust and help you access the support you require. If you have any queries or would like to update your preferences, please call or visit our website for further information.

Staying Up To Date and Connected

We are committed to ensuring that you are kept informed about how we use technology to assist you. You can subscribe to our newsletter via our website for a monthly update about the difference that we are making, new services we are offering, and our approach to digital privacy. If you need free confidential advice or want to volunteer, get in contact with us. We can work together to continue to make an impact in the lives of those living in Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford – whoever you are, whatever your problem.