Privacy and Security Statement

This privacy statement only applies to the site at http://www.cetoptics.com. Links within this site to other websites are not covered by the policy.

Vantage Technologies Limited is a data controller under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998. This statement gives an outline of how we will use and protect information that you provide about yourself.

1. How We Will Use Your Personal Data

Registration of Providers

If you provide your details for the purpose of registering as a provider of CET, we will use the information you provide for these purposes:

To process your enquiry or application
To compile statistics
To send you relevant documents
We will supply information to the General Optical Council so they can compile statistics

If you subsequently obtain registration as a CET Provider we will use the information you provide to us for these purposes:

To update, administer and maintain your registration
To process your CET Approvals
To compile statistics
We will make your organisation's name and contact details available to any enquirer via the website as part of the published register of CET Providers
We invite feedback from you about the site and, from time to time, we use the site to carry out electronic consultation exercises. If you send comments to us via the site we will collect your comments and your contact details for the purposes of the consultation concerned
We will pass information about your approved CET to the online CPD system run by the College of Optometrists where it is subject to their Privacy Policy

CET users

If you provide your details for the purpose of activating your CET points record, we will use the information you provide for these purposes:

To validate your identity against your GOC registration details
To compile statistics
To send you relevant documents and a statement of CET points
To maintain a record of the number of CET points you have achieved
We will supply information to the General Optical Council so they can compile statistics and reports
We will supply information to the General Optical Council so they can identify the number of CET points an individual has achieved
We invite feedback from you about the site and, from time to time, we use the site to carry out electronic consultation exercises. If you send comments to us via the site we will collect your comments and your contact details for the purposes of the consultation concerned

Approvers

If you provide your details for the purpose of becoming a member of the Approvals panel, we will use the information you provide for these purposes:

To process your application
To send you relevant documents
We will supply information to the General Optical Council so they can compile statistics and reports

If you subsequently become a member of the Approvals panel, we will use the information you provide for these purposes:

To update, administer and maintain your Approver details
To send you relevant documents
To process payments
To compile statistics and reports
We will make your name available to any enquirer on request who asks for confirmation that you are an Approver or asks to see a list of Approvers
We will supply information to the General Optical Council to confirm you meet the criteria for being an Approver We will supply information to the General Optical Council so they can compile statistics and reports

2. Your rights under the Data Protection Act 1998

You may obtain confirmation of the basic information that we hold about you at any time. If it is incorrect we will promptly correct it when we have received the appropriate notice or evidence from you in writing.

You are also able to make a request for all information that we hold about you under section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998. This request must be made in writing and we make a charge of 10 for each request.

3. Use of Cookies

The CET Optics site uses cookies. A 'cookie' is a piece of information, like a tag, which some websites create against your PC. The 'cookies' we use log your progress through the site and to record how you accessed the site. They do not collect any personal information about you or about the use of your PC or Internet browsing in any way.

If you do not want cookies to be created on your PC, web browsers such as Firefox and Internet Explorer provide the option to disable them. [Please bear in mind that some personalised services on our Web site may not be available if you choose to disable cookies].

4. Website security: how we protect your information

We are careful to guard the security of your personal data and the details of any transactions you make with us over the Internet. This we do by putting in place and carefully administering a secure IT infrastructure in accordance with industry standards and good practice.

When you use our Web site to make payments, or transfer personal data, for example a n annual provider registration fee, we use a secure server. Any data you enter is encrypted using a 'Secure Socket Layer' (SSL) session. SSL is an industry standard security device and a way to ensure Internet messages are not intercepted.

When you have finished your session log off the CET Optics site to prevent your details being seen by anyone else.
Clear any 'cache' so there is no record of any transactions left on screen - both Netscape and Internet Explorer let you do this.
Close your browser so that any history of the session is cleared.
As an extra precaution your session on many areas of our Web site will terminate if you have not used the site for 15 minutes.