SEN Help is committed to operating transparently and in full compliance with UK law. This page explains how we meet our regulatory obligations and the standards we hold ourselves and our listed professionals to.
Data Protection (UK GDPR)
SEN Help processes personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
We operate as a Data Controller for the personal data collected through sen.help. Our lawful bases for processing are consent (for email communications and quiz participation), contract (for professional subscriptions and digital product purchases), and legitimate interest (for fraud prevention and platform quality control).
We apply the principle of data minimisation throughout our platform. We deliberately do not collect Special Category Data such as children’s names, diagnoses, medical records, or school names. Our Get Matched form limits free-text input to 200 characters to prevent parents from inadvertently sharing sensitive information.
For full details on how we handle your data, see our Privacy Policy.
ICO Registration
SEN Help is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as required for organisations processing personal data in the UK.
Registration Number: [To be added upon registration]
Registration Fee: £40/year (Tier 1)
If you believe we are not handling your data correctly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the ICO at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.
Professional Verification Standards
Every professional listed on SEN Help undergoes manual credential verification before their profile is published. Our verification process includes:
- HCPC Registration Check: Educational Psychologists, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists are verified against the Health and Care Professions Council register at hcpc-uk.org/check-the-register
- SRA Registration Check: Solicitors and legal professionals are verified against the Solicitors Regulation Authority register at sra.org.uk/consumers/register
- Legal Declaration: Every professional must declare that they hold valid Professional Indemnity Insurance and an Enhanced DBS check. This declaration is timestamped and stored for audit purposes.
- Terms of Service Agreement: Every professional agrees to our professional standards before their profile is published.
We do not verify the accuracy of self-reported information such as years of experience, specialisations, or biographical text. We recommend parents request evidence of relevant experience directly from any professional they are considering instructing.
Quality Control
SEN Help operates a zero-tolerance policy for professional misconduct on the platform. If we receive credible evidence that a listed professional has:
- Misrepresented their qualifications or registration status
- Failed to respond to client enquiries routed through SEN Help
- Missed statutory deadlines on a case obtained through SEN Help
- Behaved in a way that brings the platform into disrepute
We will remove their profile immediately, cancel their subscription, and permanently ban them from the platform. We are not a regulatory body and do not investigate complaints in the way that the HCPC or SRA would, but we take the trust of the families using our platform seriously.
If you have a concern about a professional listed on SEN Help, email hello@sen.help with details and we will review it within 5 business days.
Payment Processing
All payments on SEN Help are processed by Stripe, a PCI DSS Level 1 certified payment processor. We do not store credit card numbers, CVVs, or banking details on our servers. All payment data is handled directly by Stripe’s secure infrastructure.
For more information on Stripe’s security practices: stripe.com/docs/security
Cookies and Tracking
SEN Help uses only essential cookies and anonymised Google Analytics tracking. We do not use advertising cookies, retargeting pixels, or any form of cross-site tracking. For full details, see our Privacy Policy.
Accessibility
We aim to make sen.help accessible to all users in accordance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. This includes:
- Sufficient colour contrast across all pages
- Keyboard navigability for all interactive elements
- Screen reader compatibility
- Minimum touch target sizes of 44x44px on mobile devices
- Clear, readable fonts at appropriate sizes
If you experience any accessibility issues on our site, please contact hello@sen.help and we will address them promptly.
Safeguarding
SEN Help does not work directly with children. Our platform is designed for use by parents, guardians, and professionals. We do not collect data from or communicate directly with any person under 18.
All professionals listed on our platform are required to hold an Enhanced DBS check as a condition of their listing. If you have a safeguarding concern about any professional listed on SEN Help, contact hello@sen.help immediately and we will escalate it to the appropriate regulatory body.
Contact
For any compliance-related questions: hello@sen.help