Last updated: 17 March 2026

Who we are

The FCSA Academy (academy.fcsa.org.uk) is operated by the Freelancer and Contractor Services Association (FCSA), the UK’s leading professional body for contractor and freelancer services.

Contact: michael.bryce@fcsa.org.uk
Website: https://academy.fcsa.org.uk

What personal data we collect and why

Account Registration

When you register for a course, we collect:

• Full name
• Email address
• Organisation/company name (if applicable)
• Password (stored securely in hashed form)

This data is necessary to provide you with access to courses, track your progress, and issue certificates upon completion.

Course Progress and Assessment

We collect:

• Lesson completion status
• Quiz answers and scores
• Course completion dates and certificates issued

This data is necessary to deliver the educational service, track CPD hours, and issue completion certificates.

Payment Information

If you purchase a course, payment is processed by our third-party payment provider. We do not store credit card or bank details on our servers. We retain transaction records (amount, date, product) for accounting and legal purposes.

Technical Data

We automatically collect:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device information
• Pages visited and time spent
• Referring website

This data helps us maintain site security and improve the user experience.

Legal basis for processing

We process your data under the following legal bases (UK GDPR):

• Contract: To deliver courses you have registered for
• Legitimate interest: To improve our services and maintain site security
• Consent: For marketing communications (where applicable)
• Legal obligation: To maintain financial records

How long we keep your data

• Account data: For as long as your account is active, plus 2 years after last activity
• Course completion records: 6 years (for CPD verification purposes)
• Payment records: 6 years (as required by UK tax law)
• Technical logs: 12 months

Who we share your data with

We may share your data with:

• MemberPress (our course platform provider) to deliver course functionality
• Payment processors to process transactions
• Email service providers to send course-related communications
• Hosting providers who store data on our behalf

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

Your rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Rectify inaccurate data
• Erase your data (subject to legal obligations)
• Restrict processing
• Data portability — receive your data in a portable format
• Object to processing based on legitimate interest
• Withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent)

To exercise these rights, contact michael.bryce@fcsa.org.uk.

Cookies

Please refer to our separate Cookie Policy for details on how we use cookies.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of significant changes by email.

Contact and complaints

For data protection queries, contact: michael.bryce@fcsa.org.uk

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): https://ico.org.uk