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The Savvy IMG

FY2 Standalone 2024: Your chances as an IMG and how to optimise your application

FY2 Standalone is a great entry level position for IMGs. Read on to find out how you can apply and what you can do to maximise your chances of success for this competitive post.

Table of Contents

Applying to Standalone Foundation Year 2 FY2 in the UK can help international medical graduates (IMGs) adjust to working in the NHS as a doctor and also provide opportunities to apply in Round 1 of specialty training (resdiency(

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The rules, guidelines and criteria for working as a doctor in the UK change frequently. Please make sure you check the latest official guidance before taking action.

Applications for the August 2024 intake will open in January 2024. This article outlines the application process for 2023 as reference to prepare for 2024 applications.  Please check the official website for up-to-date information.

UPDATED: July 19, 2023

Are you an IMG aiming to get into UK specialty training (residency)? If so, then you will first need to have 24 months of clinical experience.

If you are currently completing, or if you have already completed, a 12-month internship back home, then you’re going to need an additional 12 months of clinical experience after internship.

There are 2 ways to meet this requirement:

  • FY2 Stand-alone 
  • A total of 12-months in an overseas training job/overseas non-training job/UK non-training job or a combination of these

We believe the FY2 Stand-alone is a fantastic option for IMGs to prepare for UK specialty training. Keep reading to find out how you can get into this recommended programme.

The basics

What is FY2 and FY2 Stand-alone?

FY2 stands for Foundation Year 2, it is the second year of the 2-year UK Foundation Programme (UK FP). The UK FP is a paid training programme that all UK medical graduates must complete prior to starting specialty training.

FY2 Stand-alone is a 12-month training job in which you enter the Foundation Programme in the second year. At the end of the year, you will be awarded a Foundation Programme Certificate of Completion (FPCC). This certificate is one of the eligibility requirements for entry to UK specialty training.

If a job is advertised as FY2 but does not award the FPCC, then it is not an FY2 Stand-alone post, and not part of the official Foundation Programme. Jobs like this are simply “non-training” jobs set at the level of FY2 ie. someone who is quite junior.

Without the FPCC, you would need to obtain the Certificate of Readiness to Enter Specialty Training (CREST form) as the equivalent in order to be eligible to apply for UK specialty training.

FY2 Stand-alone posts can be anywhere in the UK (England, Wales, Scotland & Northern Ireland) but the majority of jobs are typically in England. Jobs only start each August and applications open once a year each January.

If you’re still new to how postgraduate medical training in the UK works, you can read more about it here.

What is expected of a FY2 doctor?

Since you have completed internship, by now your seniors will expect you to handle the initial management of acute scenarios and contribute to the management of chronic cases – all of this will be with supervision.

This Oxford Handbook for the Foundation Programme was my bible at the time and has saved me on multiple occasions. Another useful book is the Hands On Guide to the Foundation Programme. If you are in the UK, you can get them delivered to your doorstep via Amazon using the links above.

Related: 12 essential items for IMGs working in the NHS

FY2 standalone job availibility

There are usually 350 jobs each year but this varies a lot. Unfortunately, this is something you have no control of over, so it’s always good to have a backup plan if things don’t go right. An alternative to Standalone FY2 is applying for non-training jobs at FY2 level.

Related: The best first job in the UK for overseas doctors

Why should IMGs consider applying for FY2 Stand-alone?

Start how you mean to end

If you want to work in the UK long-term, it’s often better to start at the most junior training position possible. This will allow you to integrate into the system faster and learn everything the “NHS way” from the beginning.

By joining FY2 Stand-alone, you will start your UK career in a junior position where there will be less expectations of you, and you can you learn at a more manageable pace.

You will also be less likely to run into potentially career-ending mistakes. It is often not the lack of medical knowledge that leads to complaints, mistakes, and lawsuits, but a misunderstandings between colleagues, or miscommunication with patients, and not knowing how the system works.

To gain an idea of how the UK system works, doing a clinical attachment can also help.

Eligibility for Round 1 of specialty training applications

The Standalone FY2 programme used to be one of the main ways that IMGs could gain exemption from Resident Labour Market Test (RLMT). Exemption from RLMT meant that IMGs would be eligible to apply in Round 1 of first-year specialty training jobs (CT1/ST1) in any specialty including Core Surgery, Radiology, Ophthalmology etc.

This meant that you would be considered alongside UK graduates and will be assessed solely on the merit of your application and not on where you graduated.

Since October 6, 2019, all doctor jobs were added to the UK Shortage Occupation List. This means that non-UK citizens are automatically exempt from RLMT and are now eligible for Round 1 of specialty applications even without Standalone FY2. so it’s no longer necessary to apply for Standalone FY2 just for the purpose of RLMT exemption.

Who should consider applying to FY2 Stand-alone?

  • Any IMG who still needs 12-month post-internship experience to apply for specialty training.
  • Any IMG with more than 12-months post-internship experience but wants to start their UK career in a structured programme before applying for specialty training.

FY2 Stand-alone can be a great first job to have in the UK, read our article on how to choose the best first job.

Who can’t apply to FY2 Stand-alone?

Potentially IMGs who have a valid CREST signed (Certificate of Readiness to Enter Specialty Training).

The person specifications state that, “The applicant must not be working as part of a two-year foundation programme, i.e. current F1 trainees, or have already successfully completed an F2 year and received a Foundation Programme Certificate of Completion (FPCC) or equivalent or expect to do so by the start of the programme.”

CREST is the equivalent of FPCC. However, it’s not clear if they are strict with this, they may not be. 

Is it possible for IMGs to get a Standalone FY2 post?

Absolutely!

In fact, UK graduates are mostly barred from applying to Standalone FY2 so it’s almost exclusively open to IMGs. It says even says on the UK Foundation programme website: “Stand-alone programmes provide an opportunity for overseas graduates who qualify with full registration to enter the training system in the UK.”

No guarantees

But don’t get carried away just yet. Just because your chances are good doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a job. In fact, FY2 Standalone posts have become quite popular and therefore more competitive.

To get ahead of the competition, you need to achieve 4 things:

  • Meet all the eligibility criteria by the published deadlines
  • Submit your application form correctly and on time
  • Score highly on the Situational Judgement Test (SJT), and
  • Perform well in the interview

What are the eligibility criteria for FY2 Standalone?

There are several requirements for FY2 standalone that you can read about here, but the major ones that IMGs struggle with are full GMC registration and proof of English proficiency.

Full GMC Registration

You need to have full GMC registration by the time you start FY2 Standalone. This means you can apply without GMC registration, but you need to show that you are able to get GMC registration on time.

This means that if you graduated outside of the EU, you need to have your PLAB 1 pass in hand when you submit your application for FY2 Standalone in January 2024. You then need to book PLAB 2 by the end of May 2024, and pass it, in order to apply for GMC registration in time.

Full GMC registration also means that you need to complete an internship that meets the GMC criteria. Read more about the GMC criteria for internship here.

Proof of English Proficiency

Be aware that the English requirements for Standalone FY2 are different than the GMC requirements. You will need to present one of the following four at the time of application (by January):

Take note that if you use an English test, it must not be more than 2 years old on the day that FY2 starts. For the August 2024 intake, this means that the date of your IELTS/OET must be on or after 6 Aug 2022. 

The Situational Judgement Test for FY2 Standalone

The Situational Judgement Test was introduced as a shortlisting tool to decide who gets through to interview. You need to score amongst the highest applicants in order to proceed to interview. There are 20 questions on the test and you have 45 minutes to complete it. The test is computer-based and you can take it online anywhere in the world. All applicants need to take this test, there are no exceptions.

So what is this test all about?

According to the UKFP:

The SJT assesses the following attributes including professional integrity, team collaboration, empathy and compassion, and adaptability.

The SJT presents applicants with a series of work-related situations and asks them questions about how they would respond to these situations. These questions are rating format.

Here’s an example of a scenario that could come up in the test:

Lola is observing a patient consultation in a primary care clinic. The patient has attended as he has a rash on his stomach that he has had for a long period of time and is concerned about. The patient removed his shirt to have the rash examined and makes a joke about his own weight at the same time. Lola laughs at the patient’ sjoke, however, the patient looks upset and offended by this.

How desirable are each of the following responses by Lola in this situation? 

Extremely desirable (1) -Slightly desirable (2) -Neither desirable nor undesirable (3) -Slightly undesirable (4) -Extremely undesirable (5)

  1. Make a joke about her own weight to the patient
  2. Continue to laugh at other things during the consultation
  3. Ask the patient if she has offended him
  4. Apologise to the patient for laughing
  5. Ask the patient if there was a reason that he made a joke about his weight
  6. Ask the patient if he would be happy for her to remain in the room for the remainder of the consultation

This sample question was provided by the UK Foundation Programme. You can find more SJT practice questions with answers here.

It’s crucial that you’re familiar with the expectations of a UK FY2 doctor to answer these questions well. Don’t answer them according to how you would respond in your home country or as a senior doctor.

SJT preparation material

The FY2 standalone interview

The FY2 Standalone applicant guidance does not have a lot of information about the interview itself, the only information given is that the interview is:

  • 20-minutes long;
  • Involves being asked a series of questions including a clinical scenario; AND
  • Scored by a panel of at least 2 members
  • Can be done online (make sure your computer, software & internet connection are all working beforehand!)

Related: NHS Video Interviews: Tips for IMGs to Excel Virtually

Making sure you are up-to-date with the management of common clinical scenarios is essential. You can prepare for this by familiarising yourself with the ALS/ILS/ACLS guidelines if you haven’t already taken the course, reading up on UK clinical guidelines for common conditions, and simply asking other IMGs what came out at their interview. If you did a PLAB 2 course then this is good preparation for the interview as well.

Answering the interview questions in the right tone and structure will also play a huge role in how the panel will score you! I attended the Standalone FY2 interview back in 2015 and managed to get a post in London.

That was my first ever medical interview in the UK and I found the Medical Interviews book (available here on Amazon) extremely helpful. I cannot recommend this book enough! Honestly, I would not have made it in without this secret weapon.

Also, being familiar with the following guidance will help you:

You will also be asked about your CV so be prepared to talk about your achievements to date, as well as what you aspire to achieve.

How do I apply?

Applications are made online through the website Oriel. The process of applications and the timeline can be found in the applicant guidance handbook on the official website.

Where can I get more information?

If you have any further questions, make sure to read the following as almost every possible question about this programme is covered here:

If you still can’t find the answer to your question, the best thing to do is email the UK Foundation Programme directly for an official answer. They usually reply within 3-5 days, although in our experience they’re not very helpful.

helpdesk@foundationprogramme.nhs.uk

Disclosure: There are some affiliate links in the article above. This means that at no additional cost to you, we may earn a commission if you make a booking or purchase by clicking on the link. We only recommend products and services that we use ourselves or have proven success amongst IMGs.

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Looking for a step-by-step guide?

Subscribe to the Savvy IMG and grab your FREE 2-year roadmap to UK residency as an IMG.

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Subscribe to the Savvy IMG and grab your FREE 2-year roadmap to UK residency as an IMG.

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108 Responses

  1. Hello, The English language criteria for fy 2 standalone, is 400 in each subtest of oet , which is a rare entity. I am fulfilling all other criterias including the audit, research work, teaching role, presentations, qualifications, and other achievements. I would like to have few words of guidance regarding this language criteria for my future application of fy2 standalone.

    1. Hi Raj, the score of 400 in OET is a strict criteria I’m afraid. Audit, research, presentations and all are nice to have but not strictly required.

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Privacy Overview

This Privacy Policy sets out how we, The Savvy IMG, collect, store and use information about you when you use or interact with our website, thesavvyimg.co.uk (our website) and where we otherwise obtain or collect information about you. This Privacy Policy is effective 13th November 2019.

Contents

  • Summary
  • Our details
  • When you visit our website
  • When you use our website
  • Marketing communications
  • Information obtained from third parties
  • Disclosure and additional uses of your information
  • How long we retain your information
  • How we secure your information
  • Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area
  • Your rights in relation to your information
  • Changes to our Privacy Policy
  • Children’s Privacy

Summary

This section summarises how we obtain, store and use information about you. It is intended to provide a very general overview only. It is not complete in and of itself and it must be read in conjunction with the corresponding full sections of this Privacy Policy.

  • Data controller: The Savvy IMG
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Our details

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact the data controller.

The data controller in respect of our website is The Savvy IMG.

You can contact the data controller by sending an email to info@thesavvyimg.co.uk.

When you visit our website

We collect and use information from website visitors in accordance with this section and the section entitled Disclosure and additional uses of your information.

Web server log information

We use a third party server to host our website called BlueHost Inc. the privacy policy of which is available here: https://www.endurance.com/privacy/privacy

Our website server automatically logs the IP address you use to access our website as well as other information about your visit such as the pages accessed, information requested, the date and time of the request, the source of your access to our website (e.g. the website or URL (link) which referred you to our website), and your browser version and operating system.

Use of website server log information for IT security purposes

We collect and store server logs to ensure network and IT security and so that the server and website remain uncompromised. This includes analysing log files to help identify and prevent unauthorised access to our network, the distribution of malicious code, denial of services attacks and other cyber-attacks, by detecting unusual or suspicious activity.

Unless we are investigating suspicious or potential criminal activity, we do not make, nor do we allow our hosting provider to make, any attempt to identify you from the information collected via server logs.

Legal basis for processing: compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject (Article 6(1)(c) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legal obligation: we have a legal obligation to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk of our processing of information about individuals. Recording access to our website using server log files is such a measure.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: we have a legitimate interest in using your information for the purposes of ensuring network and information security.

Use of website server log information to analyse website use and improve our website

We use the information collected by our website server logs to analyse how our website users interact with our website and its features. For example, we analyse the number of visits and unique visitors we receive, the time and date of the visit, the location of the visit and the operating system and browser use.

We use the information gathered from the analysis of this information to improve our website. For example, we use the information gathered to change the information, content and structure of our website and individual pages based according to what users are engaging most with and the duration of time spent on particular pages on our website.

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Legitimate interest: improving our website for our website users and getting to know our website users’ preferences so our website can better meet their needs and desires.

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You can reject some or all of the cookies we use on or via our website by changing your browser settings or non-essential cookies by using a cookie control tool, but doing so can impair your ability to use our website or some or all of its features. For further information about cookies, including how to change your browser settings, please visit www.allaboutcookies.org or see our cookie policy.

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When you send an email to the email address displayed on our website we collect your email address and any other information you provide in that email (such as your name, telephone number and the information contained in any signature block in your email).

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

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Enquiry forms

When you contact us using an enquiry form, we collect your personal details and match this to any information we hold about you on record. Typical personal information collected will include your name and contact details. We will also record the time, date and the specific form you completed.

If you do not provide the mandatory information required by our contact form, you will not be able to submit the contact form and we will not receive your enquiry.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

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We will also use this information to tailor any follow up sales and marketing communications with you. For further information, see the section of this privacy policy titled ‘Marketing Communications’.

Messages you send to us via our contact form may be stored outside the European Economic Area on our contact form provider’s servers.

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We record customer-facing phone calls for training and customer service purposes.

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Legitimate interest(s): responding to enquiries and messages we receive and keeping records of correspondence.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract or to take steps at your request to enter into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: where your message relates to us providing you with goods or services or taking steps at your request prior to providing you with our goods and services (for example, providing you with information about such goods and services), we will process your information in order to do so).

Post

If you contact us by post, we will collect any information you provide to us in any postal communications you send us.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation)

Legitimate interest(s): responding to enquiries and messages we receive and keeping records of correspondence.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract or to take steps at your request to enter into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: where your message relates to us providing you with goods or services or taking steps at your request prior to providing you with our goods and services (for example, providing you with information about such goods and services), we will process your information in order to do so).

When you use our website

We collect and use information from individuals who interact with particular features of our website in accordance with this section and the section entitled Disclosure and additional uses of your information.

Social Media Tools

We have a wide range of social media tools to be able to use on our website. These tools include (but not limited to); Sharing, Likes, comments and submitting content both on and off our website. By using these tools, you are providing your consent to store and use the submitted data whether personal information or general information both on and off our website.

Legal basis for processing: your consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation). Consent: you give your consent to us storing and using submitted content using the steps described above.

We may also use this information to tailor any follow up sales and marketing communications with you. For further information, see the section of this privacy policy titled ‘Marketing Communications’.

Information you submit may be stored both inside and outside the European Economic Area on our servers as well as third-party servers such as Facebook.

For further information about the safeguards used when your information is transferred outside the European Economic Area.

Registering on our Website

When you register on our website or via teachable, we collect the following information; Your Name, Email.

If you do not provide the mandatory information required by the form, you will not be able to interact with our website or on Teachable.

You can view Teachable's privacy policy here https://teachable.com/privacy-policy

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest: registering and administering accounts on our website to provide access to content, allows you to download content and facilitates the running and operation of our business.

We will also use this information to tailor any follow up sales and marketing communications with you. For further information, see the section of this privacy policy titled ‘Marketing Communications’.

Transfer and storage of your information

Information you submit to us via the registration form on our website may be stored outside the European Economic Area on our third-party hosting provider’s servers.

Marketing communications

Our content, goods and services

When signing up for content, registering on our website or making a payment, we will use the information you provide in order to contact you regarding related content, products and services.

We will continue to send you marketing communications in relation to similar goods and services if you do not opt out from receiving them.

You can opt-out from receiving marketing communications at any time by emailing info@thesavvyimg.co.uk

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: Sharing relevant, timely and industry-specific information on related business services, in order to assist your organisation, grow.

Third party goods and services

In addition to receiving information about our products and services, you can opt in to receiving marketing communications from us in relation third party goods and services by email by ticking a box indicating that you would like to receive such communications.

Legal basis for processing: consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Consent: you give your consent to us sending you information about third party goods and services by signing up to receive such information in accordance with the steps described above.

Transfer and storage of your information

Information for marketing campaigns will be stored outside the European Economic Area on our third-party mailing list provider’s servers in the United States.

For further information about the safeguards used when your information is transferred outside the European Economic Area, see the section of this privacy policy below entitled Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area.

Use of tracking in emails

We use technologies such as tracking pixels (small graphic files) and tracked links in the emails we send to allow us to assess the level of engagement our emails receive by measuring information such as the delivery rates, open rates, click through rates and content engagement that our emails achieve.

Information obtained from third parties

This section sets out how we obtain or collect information about you from third parties.

Information received from third parties

We can often receive information about you from third parties. The third parties from which we receive information about you can include partner events within the marketing industry and other organisations that we have a professional affiliation with.

It is also possible that third parties with whom we have had no prior contact may provide us with information about you.

Information we obtain from third parties will generally be your name and contact details but will include any additional information about you which they provide to us.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract or to take steps at your request to enter into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: where a third party has passed on information about you to us (such as your name and email address) in order for us to provide services to you, we will process your information in order to take steps at your request to enter into a contract with you and perform a contract with you (as the case may be).

Legal basis for processing: consent (Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Consent: where you have asked that a third party to share information about you with us and the purpose of sharing that information is not related to the performance of a contract or services by us to you, we will process your information on the basis of your consent, which you give by asking the third party in question to pass on your information to us.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: where a third party has shared information about you with us and you have not consented to the sharing of that information, we will have a legitimate interest in processing that information in certain circumstances.

For example, we would have a legitimate interest in processing your information to perform our obligations under a sub-contract with the third party, where the third party has the main contract with you. Our legitimate interest is the performance of our obligations under our sub-contract.

Similarly, third parties may pass on information about you to us if you have infringed or potentially infringed any of our legal rights. In this case, we will have a legitimate interest in processing that information to investigate and pursue any such potential infringement.

Information obtained by us from third parties

In certain circumstances (for example, to verify the information we hold about you or obtain missing information we require to provide you with a service) we will obtain information about you from certain publicly accessible sources, both EU and non-EU, such as Companies House, online customer databases, business directories, media publications, social media, and websites (including your own website if you have one.

In certain circumstances will also obtain information about you from private sources, both EU and non-EU, such as marketing data services.

We will continue to send you marketing communications in relation to similar goods and services if you do not opt out from receiving them.

You can opt-out from receiving marketing communications at any time by emailing hello@thesavvyimg.co.uk

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: Sharing relevant, timely and industry-specific information on related business services.

Where we receive information about you in error

If we receive information about you from a third party in error and/or we do not have a legal basis for processing that information, we will delete your information.

Disclosure and additional uses of your information

This section sets out the circumstances in which will disclose information about you to third parties and any additional purposes for which we use your information.

Disclosure of your information to service providers

We use a number of third parties to provide us with services which are necessary to run our business or to assist us with running our business

These include the following: Internet services, IT service providers and web developers.

Our third-party service providers are located both inside and outside of the European Economic Area.

Your information will be shared with these service providers where necessary to provide you with the service you have requested, whether that is accessing our website or ordering goods and services from us.

We do not display the identities of our service providers publicly by name for security and competitive reasons. If you would like further information about the identities of our service providers, however, please contact us directly by email and we will provide you with such information where you have a legitimate reason for requesting it (where we have shared your information with such service providers, for example).

Legal basis for processing: legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest relied on: where we share your information with these third parties in a context other than where is necessary to perform a contract (or take steps at your request to do so), we will share your information with such third parties in order to allow us to run and manage our business efficiently.

Legal basis for processing: necessary to perform a contract and/or to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract (Article 6(1)(b) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Reason why necessary to perform a contract: we may need to share information with our service providers to enable us to perform our obligations under that contract or to take the steps you have requested before we enter into a contract with you.

Disclosure and use of your information for legal reasons

Indicating possible criminal acts or threats to public security to a competent authority

If we suspect that criminal or potential criminal conduct has been occurred, we will in certain circumstances need to contact an appropriate authority, such as the police. This could be the case, for instance, if we suspect that we fraud or a cyber-crime has been committed or if we receive threats or malicious communications towards us or third parties.

We will generally only need to process your information for this purpose if you were involved or affected by such an incident in some way.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interests: preventing crime or suspected criminal activity (such as fraud).

In connection with the enforcement or potential enforcement our legal rights

We will use your information in connection with the enforcement or potential enforcement of our legal rights, including, for example, sharing information with debt collection agencies if you do not pay amounts owed to us when you are contractually obliged to do so. Our legal rights may be contractual (where we have entered into a contract with you) or non-contractual (such as legal rights that we have under copyright law or tort law).

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest: enforcing our legal rights and taking steps to enforce our legal rights.

In connection with a legal or potential legal dispute or proceedings

We may need to use your information if we are involved in a dispute with you or a third party for example, either to resolve the dispute or as part of any mediation, arbitration or court resolution or similar process.

Legal basis for processing: our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) of the General Data Protection Regulation).

Legitimate interest(s): resolving disputes and potential disputes.

How long we retain your information

This section sets out how long we retain your information. We have set out specific retention periods where possible. Where that has not been possible, we have set out the criteria we use to determine the retention period.

Retention periods

Server log information: we retain information on our server logs for 3 months.

Correspondence and enquiries: when you make an enquiry or correspond with us for any reason, whether by email or via our contact form or by phone, we will retain your information for as long as it takes to respond to and resolve your enquiry, and for 36 further month(s), after which point we will archive your information.

Newsletter: we retain the information you used to sign up for our newsletter for as long as you remain subscribed (i.e. you do not unsubscribe).

Membership: we retain the information you used to sign up for our memberships for as long as you remain subscribed (i.e. you do not unsubscribe).

Criteria for determining retention periods

In any other circumstances, we will retain your information for no longer than necessary, taking into account the following:

    • the purpose(s) and use of your information both now and in the future (such as whether it is necessary to continue to store that information in order to continue to perform our obligations under a contract with you or to contact you in the future);
    • whether we have any legal obligation to continue to process your information (such as any record-keeping obligations imposed by relevant law or regulation);
    • whether we have any legal basis to continue to process your information (such as your consent);
    • how valuable your information is (both now and in the future);
    • any relevant agreed industry practices on how long information should be retained;
    • the levels of risk, cost and liability involved with us continuing to hold the information;
    • how hard it is to ensure that the information can be kept up to date and accurate; and
    • any relevant surrounding circumstances (such as the nature and status of our relationship with you).

How we secure your information

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to secure your information and to protect it against unauthorised or unlawful use and accidental loss or destruction, including:

  • only sharing and providing access to your information to the minimum extent necessary, subject to confidentiality restrictions where appropriate, and on an anonymised basis wherever possible;
  • using secure servers to store your information;
  • verifying the identity of any individual who requests access to information prior to granting them access to information;
  • using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) software to encrypt any payment transactions you make on or via our website;
  • only transferring your information via closed system or encrypted data transfers;

Transmission of information to us by email

Transmission of information over the internet is not entirely secure, and if you submit any information to us over the internet (whether by email, via our website or any other means), you do so entirely at your own risk.

We cannot be responsible for any costs, expenses, loss of profits, harm to reputation, damages, liabilities or any other form of loss or damage suffered by you as a result of your decision to transmit information to us by such means.

Transfers of your information outside the European Economic Area

Your information may be transferred and stored outside the European Economic Area (EEA) in the circumstances set out earlier in this policy.

We will also transfer your information outside the EEA or to an international organisation in order to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject (compliance with a court order, for example). Where we are required to do so, we will ensure appropriate safeguards and protections are in place.

Your rights in relation to your information

Subject to certain limitations on certain rights, you have the following rights in relation to your information, which you can exercise by writing to the data controller using the details provided at the top of this policy.

  • to request access to your information and information related to our use and processing of your information;
  • to request the correction or deletion of your information;
  • to request that we restrict our use of your information;
  • to receive information which you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format (e.g. a CSV file) and the right to have that information transferred to another data controller (including a third-party data controller);
  • to object to the processing of your information for certain purposes (for further information, see the section below entitled Your right to object to the processing of your information for certain purposes); and
  • to withdraw your consent to our use of your information at any time where we rely on your consent to use or process that information. Please note that if you withdraw your consent, this will not affect the lawfulness of our use and processing of your information on the basis of your consent before the point in time when you withdraw your consent.

In accordance with Article 77 of the General Data Protection Regulation, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work or of an alleged infringement of the General Data Protection Regulation.

Further information on your rights in relation to your personal data as an individual

You can find out further information about your rights, as well as information on any limitations which apply to those rights, by reading the underlying legislation contained in Articles 12 to 22 and 34 of the General Data Protection Regulation, which is available here:http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/reform/files/regulation_oj_en.pdf

Verifying your identity where you request access to your information

Where you request access to your information, we are required by law to use all reasonable measures to verify your identity before doing so.

These measures are designed to protect your information and to reduce the risk of identity fraud, identity theft or general unauthorised access to your information.

How we verify your identity

Where we possess appropriate information about you on file, we will attempt to verify your identity using that information.

If it is not possible to identity you from such information, or if we have insufficient information about you, we may require original or certified copies of certain documentation in order to be able to verify your identity before we are able to provide you with access to your information.

We will be able to confirm the precise information we require to verify your identity in your specific circumstances if and when you make such a request.

Your right to object

You have the following rights in relation to your information, which you may exercise in the same way as you may exercise by writing to the data controller using the details provided at the top of this policy.

  • to object to us using or processing your information where we use or process it in order
  • to carry out a task in the public interest or for our legitimate interests, including ‘profiling’ (i.e. analysing or predicting your behaviour based on your information) based on any of these purposes; and
  • to object to us using or processing your information for direct marketing purposes(including any profiling we engage in that is related to such direct marketing).

You may also exercise your right to object to us using or processing your information for direct marketing purposes by:

  • clicking the unsubscribe link contained at the bottom of any marketing email we send to you and following the instructions which appear in your browser following your clicking on that link;
  • sending an email to info@thesavvyimg.co.uk, asking that we stop sending you marketing communications or by including the words “OPT OUT”.

Sensitive Personal Information

‘Sensitive personal information’ is information about an individual that reveals their racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic information, biometric information for the purpose of uniquely identifying an individual, information concerning health or information concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.

Our website does not allow you to register any ‘Sensitive Information’, however if we ask for this, you will be considered to have explicitly consented to us processing that sensitive personal information under Article 9(2)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

We update and amend our Privacy Policy from time to time.

Minor changes to our Privacy Policy

Where we make minor changes to our Privacy Policy, we will update our Privacy Policy with a new effective date stated at the beginning of it. Our processing of your information will be governed by the practices set out in that new version of the Privacy Policy from its effective date onwards.

Major changes to our Privacy Policy or the purposes for which we process your information

Where we make major changes to our Privacy Policy or intend to use your information for a new purpose or a different purpose than the purposes for which we originally collected it, we will notify you by email (where possible) or by posting a notice on our website.

We will provide you with the information about the change in question and the purpose and any other relevant information before we use your information for that new purpose.

Wherever required, we will obtain your prior consent before using your information for a purpose that is different from the purposes for which we originally collected it.

Children’s Privacy

Because we care about the safety and privacy of children online, we comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA). COPPA and its accompanying regulations protect the privacy of children using the internet. We do not knowingly contact or collect information from persons under the age of 18. The website is not intended to solicit information of any kind from persons under the age of 18.

It is possible that we could receive information pertaining to persons under the age of 18 by the fraud or deception of a third party. If we are notified of this, as soon as we verify the information, we will, where required by law to do so, immediately obtain the appropriate parental consent to use that information or, if we are unable to obtain such parental consent, we will delete the information from our servers. If you would like to notify us of our receipt of information about persons under the age of 18, please do so by contacting us by using the details at the top of this policy.