Bluebell Admin Services Ltd

Privacy & Data Protection Notice

Trading as Bluebell Bookkeeping & Admin
Last reviewed: September 2026

 1. Who we are

Bluebell Admin Services Ltd, trading as Bluebell Bookkeeping & Admin (“Bluebell”, “we”, “us” or “our”), provides bookkeeping and related business support services to clients throughout the UK.

For data protection purposes, Bluebell may act as a data controller where we decide why and how personal information is used. For some of the work we carry out for clients, such as processing bookkeeping or payroll information on their behalf, we may act as a data processor, with our client responsible for deciding why and how that information is used.

You can contact us at:

Bluebell Admin Services Ltd t/a Bluebell Bookkeeping & Admin
Hitherwood
The Street
Rotherwick
Hampshire
RG27 9BL

Email: info@bluebelladmin.co.uk
Telephone: 01256 268998
ICO registration number: ZA773754

This notice explains what personal information we collect, why we need it, what we do with it and the rights you have over your information.

We have deliberately tried to write it in normal English. Data protection is important, but that doesn’t mean it has to be unnecessarily complicated.

2. What information do we collect?

The information we hold will depend on your relationship with Bluebell and the services we provide.

  • your name and contact details;
  • information about your business, employment or role;
  • information you provide when making an enquiry or booking a discovery call;
  • financial, bookkeeping, accounting, banking and transaction information;
  • tax and VAT information;
  • payroll and employment information where this forms part of the services we provide;
  • identification and other information required for anti-money laundering checks;
  • correspondence, emails and notes of conversations;
  • recordings and transcripts of meetings where recording or transcription software is used;
  • information contained in documents you or your advisers provide to us;
  • information obtained from HMRC, Companies House, banks, accounting software or other systems you have authorised us to access; and
  • technical information generated when you use our website or online services.

Sometimes the information we handle while providing our services may include more sensitive information, known legally as special category data. For example, payroll information may occasionally include information relating to health or absence.

We don’t collect sensitive information just for the sake of it. Where it is needed, we only use it where there is an appropriate legal reason and limit its use to what is necessary for the work being carried out.

3. Where does your information come from?

Most of the time, you give it to us.

For example, you may contact us through our website, email us, telephone us, book a discovery call or provide information when you become a client.

We may also receive information from:

  • your employer or another person within your business;
  • HMRC and Companies House;
  • banks and financial institutions;
  • accountants, tax advisers and other professional advisers;
  • bookkeeping, accounting, payroll or other systems you have authorised us to access;
  • subcontractors working with us to provide an agreed service; and
  • publicly available sources where appropriate.

4. What happens when you make an enquiry?

When you make an enquiry or book a discovery call with Bluebell, we may ask you for some information about you, your business and the help you are looking for. This helps us understand what you need and whether Bluebell is likely to be a good fit.

We may use approved software to record and transcribe discovery calls or other meetings. This allows us to focus properly on the conversation rather than trying to take detailed notes at the same time.

The recording or transcript can help us accurately capture what was discussed, decisions made and any agreed actions or next steps.

Relevant information from the enquiry and discovery process may be held within our practice management systems.

If you decide to become a client, that information forms part of the record of our relationship with you.

If you decide not to proceed, we may retain a limited record of your enquiry for a reasonable period. This helps us understand previous conversations if you contact us again and provides an appropriate business record of the enquiry.

We won’t keep information longer than we reasonably need it.

5. Why are we allowed to use your information?

This is usually called our lawful basis for processing.

That sounds very legal, but it simply means we need a valid reason under data protection law for using personal information.

Depending on what we are doing, we may use your information because:

We need it to provide a service or take steps before entering into a contract. For example, dealing with your enquiry, preparing a proposal, onboarding you as a client and carrying out the services you have asked us to provide.

We have a legal or regulatory obligation. For example, anti-money laundering requirements, tax obligations, maintaining records we are required to keep or responding to lawful requests from regulators or authorities.

We have a legitimate business interest. “Legitimate interests” sounds very legal too. It simply means there is a sensible and reasonable business reason for using the information, we have considered the impact on you, and your rights do not override that reason. This may include managing enquiries, running and improving Bluebell, keeping appropriate business records, protecting our systems, preventing fraud and maintaining the security of our services.

You have given us consent. We use consent where it is the appropriate lawful basis, for example for certain types of marketing. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

We don’t use consent as a catch-all reason for processing information where another lawful basis is more appropriate.

6. Anti-money laundering checks

As part of taking on and working with clients, we have legal and professional obligations relating to anti-money laundering.

This may involve collecting and checking identification and other information needed to confirm who you are and meet those obligations.

We may use an approved identity-verification provider to help us carry out and record these checks.

There may be circumstances where the law restricts what we are able to tell you about particular anti-money laundering enquiries or activity.

7. Providing our services

Once you become a client, we collect and use the information needed to provide the services we have agreed with you and manage our relationship with you.

We use trusted third-party software and service providers to help us run our business and provide our services.

These may include:

  • bookkeeping, accounting and payroll systems;
  • document-processing and receipt-capture systems;
  • practice-management and scheduling tools;
  • meeting recording and transcription services;
  • anti-money laundering and identity-verification services;
  • payment providers;
  • cloud, email and IT services; and
  • approved AI tools.

Not every service or provider will be relevant to every client.

We only share or process the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose and take appropriate steps to ensure personal information is handled securely and in accordance with data protection law.

8. Employees, subcontractors and other professionals

We may use employees, trusted subcontractors or other professionals to help us run Bluebell or provide agreed services.

Where somebody needs access to personal information to carry out their role, we limit that access to what they reasonably need.

People handling personal information on our behalf are expected to follow appropriate confidentiality, security and data-protection requirements.

Where Bluebell processes information solely on behalf of a client, the client will generally remain responsible for deciding why and how that information is used and Bluebell will process it in accordance with the agreed service and appropriate instructions.

9. How we use AI

Bluebell uses approved artificial intelligence tools to support parts of our work.

AI may assist with tasks such as analysis, identifying patterns or inconsistencies, calculations and working papers, summarising information, research, drafting and administrative tasks.

Where appropriate, information processed using AI may include personal or business information needed for the task.

We minimise the information used where reasonably possible and do not deliberately provide unnecessary personal information, passwords or authentication credentials.

AI assists. We review, challenge and remain accountable.

We do not rely on AI simply because it has produced an answer. Outputs used in our work are subject to appropriate human review and checking.

We do not use AI to make solely automated decisions about people that have legal or similarly significant effects.

More information about how we use AI is available in our separate AI Usage & Transparency Policy.

10. Who do we share information with?

We do not sell your personal information.

Where necessary, we may share information with:

  • software and technology providers supporting our services;
  • trusted employees, subcontractors and professional advisers;
  • HMRC, Companies House and other public authorities;
  • professional bodies or regulators;
  • insurers and legal advisers;
  • independent reviewers where professional standards require a file or quality review;
  • a continuity provider where access is genuinely required under our business continuity arrangements; and
  • law enforcement or other authorities where disclosure is required by law.

We only share information where there is an appropriate reason to do so and limit what we share to what is reasonably necessary.

11. International processing

Some of the service providers we use may process personal information outside the UK.

Where personal information is transferred outside the UK, we take appropriate steps to ensure it remains protected in accordance with UK data protection law.

Depending on where the information is processed, this may include relying on UK adequacy regulations or appropriate contractual safeguards, such as approved international data-transfer agreements or contractual clauses.

We keep the data-protection arrangements of the providers we use under review. Further information about the safeguards applying to international transfers is available on request.

12. How do we keep your information safe?

We use reasonable and proportionate measures to protect the information we hold.

These include appropriate access controls and security measures, limiting access to people who need information for their role or to provide an agreed service, and using appropriate service providers.

We also hold some physical client records, which may include documents such as VAT certificates, bank statements and HMRC correspondence.

Paper records are stored securely and access is limited in the same way as electronic information.

We maintain procedures for dealing with data breaches and security incidents.

13. How long do we keep your information?

We don’t keep personal information forever just because we can.

As a general rule, we retain client accounting, tax, engagement and related professional records for seven years.

Some information may be kept for a shorter or longer period where appropriate, depending on what it is, why we hold it and any legal, regulatory or professional requirements that apply.

For example, information relating to an enquiry that does not become a client relationship may only need to be retained for a reasonable period.

We securely delete or destroy information when it is no longer required.

14. Your rights

Depending on the circumstances and the reason we are using your information, you may have the right to:

  • ask what personal information we hold about you and receive a copy;
  • ask us to correct information that is wrong or incomplete;
  • ask us to delete information in certain circumstances;
  • ask us to restrict how your information is being used;
  • object to certain uses of your information;
  • receive certain information in a portable format; and
  • withdraw your consent where we are relying on consent.

Not every right applies in every situation.

For example, asking us to delete information does not necessarily mean we are allowed to destroy records we have a legal or regulatory obligation to keep.

Your right to object

Where we rely on legitimate interests as our reason for using your personal information, you have the right to object to that processing in certain circumstances.

If you want to exercise any of your rights, contact us using the details at the beginning of this notice. We may need to confirm your identity before releasing or changing personal information.

15. What if you are unhappy with how we have handled your information?

Please tell us.

You can make a data-protection complaint by:

Email: info@bluebelladmin.co.uk
Telephone: 01256 268998
Post: Bluebell Admin Services Ltd, Hitherwood, The Street, Rotherwick, Hampshire, RG27 9BL

You don’t need to quote legislation or use particular legal wording. Just tell us what you think has gone wrong and give us enough information to look into it.

We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days, investigate it appropriately and respond without undue delay.

If you are still unhappy with the way we have handled your personal information, you also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

ICO website: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-complaints/

A data-protection complaint is separate from a complaint about the bookkeeping or other professional services we provide. Service complaints are dealt with under our Terms of Business and professional complaints procedure.

16. Cookies and our website

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies.

Necessary cookies help our website work. Other cookies are used in accordance with applicable data-protection and electronic-communications rules and the choices available through our cookie controls.

More information is available in our separate Cookie Policy.

17. Changes to this notice

We review this notice regularly and update it when our services, systems or legal obligations change.

If we make an important change to the way we use personal information, we will take reasonable steps to bring that change to the attention of the people affected.

Last reviewed: September 2026
Next review: September 2027, or sooner if something significant changes.