Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

The Scaffold Software (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at thescaffoldsoftware.co.uk, use our office system at app.thescaffoldsoftware.co.uk, or use The Scaffold Software app on an iPhone or Android phone (“the app”).

The Scaffold Software Limited (company number 17205365, registered office 35 Gaskell Road, Highgate, London N6 4DU) is the data controller for the personal data described here. We process it under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Two roles. For your own account details, our website and our marketing, we are the data controller. For the business records a scaffolding company keeps in the system about its jobs, customers and staff, that company is the controller and we are its processor: we hold the data on its instructions, under the data-processing terms in its licence. If you are a scaffolder using the app, your employer decides what is recorded about your work; section 3 explains what that is.

Our lawful bases. When you sign up for a trial or a subscription we process your details to perform that contract. When you ask us for a demo, a brochure or a call back, we use your details to respond, which is in our legitimate interest and yours. We only send marketing email to people who have asked for it, and every message has an unsubscribe link. Analytics and advertising cookies on the website are used only with your consent, which you give or withhold on the cookie banner. The app asks for your permission before it uses your location, camera or notifications, and you can withdraw that permission in your phone's settings at any time.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

Personal Information: Name, email address, phone number, business name, business address, and any other information you voluntarily provide when registering interest, creating an account, or contacting us.

Account Information: Your login email and a securely hashed password, your display name and job title, which company account you belong to and your role in it, and your notification preferences. Site app logins are created by your employer and use your name and a passcode rather than an email address.

Usage Data: Information about how you access and use the platform, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, pages viewed, time spent on pages, and other diagnostic data.

Cookies and Tracking: We use a small number of cookies and similar technologies, each listed with its purpose and lifetime on our cookies page. We also record that a visit to the website happened, which page, the referring site and any campaign tag on the link, together with a one-way hash of the IP address, so we can see which marketing works; this is kept for no longer than 12 months. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent.

3. The Phone App

The app is for the staff of scaffolding companies that use The Scaffold Software. Everything you submit through it goes to your employer's account, where the office can see it. The app collects only what a feature needs, when you use that feature:

Your name and login. Your name appears on everything you submit (sign-ons, inspections, handovers, reports) so the office knows who did the work.

Location. If your employer uses clock in and out, the app records your phone's position at the moment you clock in and clock out, so the office can confirm you were on site. The pre-start check records your position when you submit it. Location is captured only at those moments, only with your permission, and never in the background. Companies that do not use these features never receive a location.

Photos. Photos you take or choose for handover certificates, inspections, progress reports, vehicle checks, site reports and site surveys are uploaded to your employer's account. The app only reaches your camera or photo library when you tap to add a photo.

Signatures. When you sign a RAMS, a handover, a contract, a PPE issue or a warning acknowledgement on the phone, the drawn signature and the time are stored with that document.

Hours, checks and reports. Timesheet hours, daily vehicle checks, harness inspections, PPE checks, dayworks, variation orders, end-of-day progress and site reports, exactly as you enter them.

Notifications. If you allow notifications, the app stores a token that identifies your phone so the office can reach it with job assignments and messages. The token is deleted when you sign out or delete your account.

Records your employer keeps about you. The app shows you records the office holds on your staff file, such as your training tickets, contracts, PPE issued and warning letters. Those are entered by your employer, not collected by the app.

The app does not collect your contacts, your messages, your browsing history, or anything from other apps. It contains no advertising and no in-app purchases. It works offline by keeping unsent forms and photos on the phone until signal returns; they are removed from the phone once sent.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Provide, operate, and maintain our platform; improve, personalise, and expand our services; understand and analyse how you use our platform; develop new products, services, and features; communicate with you, including for customer service, updates, and marketing purposes; process transactions; detect and prevent fraud; and comply with legal obligations.

5. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored securely using industry-standard encryption and security measures. We use Supabase for our database and file storage, which provides enterprise-grade security including encryption at rest and in transit. All traffic between your browser or phone and our servers is encrypted (HTTPS). We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction, or damage. More detail is on our technology and data page.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information with trusted service providers who assist us in operating our platform, conducting our business, or servicing you, so long as those parties agree to keep this information confidential. The companies that process data on our behalf, what each one does and where it is based are listed on our sub-processors page. We may also disclose your information where required by law, to enforce our site policies, or to protect our or others' rights, property, or safety.

7. Your Data Rights

Under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you; request correction of inaccurate data; request deletion of your personal data; object to processing of your personal data; request restriction of processing; request data portability; and withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent to process your personal data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@thescaffoldsoftware.co.uk. We respond within one month. Where the data is your employer's business record (section 1, “Two roles”), we will pass your request to them and help them answer it.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113. We would appreciate the chance to put it right first.

8. Deleting Your Account

You can delete your login from inside the app (Profile, then Delete my account) or the office system (Settings, Account, Delete my account), or ask us to do it on our delete your account page, which needs no login. Deleting your login removes your account details, your notification devices and your membership of any company account. Records you created for your employer stay with your employer, which has its own legal duties to keep some of them; that page explains exactly what is deleted and what is kept.

9. Data Retention

We will retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this policy. Account details are kept while the account is open and deleted when it is closed. A company's business records are kept for as long as it subscribes, and deleted on its instruction or when its account is closed, save for invoices and billing records the law requires us to keep (six years for UK tax purposes). Website visit records are kept for no longer than 12 months. Trial accounts that are never used are removed. We will retain and use your data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

10. Third-Party Services

Our platform may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not operated by us. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services. We strongly advise you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit.

11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the “Last updated” date. You are advised to review this page periodically for any changes.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at info@thescaffoldsoftware.co.uk or on 0330 133 1808.