Privacy Policy

Last updated: 20 August 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how The Recovery Space collects, uses, stores and protects personal information when people visit this website, contact us by email, use a website contact form, interact with our social media pages or send us a private social media message.

The Recovery Space is a UK-based recovery education, self-help and signposting website. We provide information, reflective content, recovery tools and links to external support services.

The Recovery Space is not a crisis service, counselling service, medical service, detox service, safeguarding service, trauma therapy service or ongoing one-to-one recovery support service.

Who we are

The Recovery Space is responsible for the personal information it collects directly through this website and through communications sent directly to The Recovery Space.

For the purposes of UK data protection law, The Recovery Space is the data controller for personal information it collects and uses for its own purposes.

Contact email: hello@thesecretrecoveryspace.co.uk

If you have a question about how your personal information is handled, you can contact us using this email address.

Personal information we may collect

Depending on how you interact with The Recovery Space, we may receive or process:

  • your name;

  • your email address;

  • your social media profile name or username;

  • information that is publicly visible on your social media profile;

  • messages, comments or enquiries you send to us;

  • feedback you provide;

  • information you voluntarily choose to include in a contact form, email, comment or private message;

  • basic technical information used to operate and protect the website, such as IP address, browser or device information, timestamps and security logs where these are processed by our website, hosting or security providers.

At the time of writing, The Recovery Space does not require people to provide personal information to access free recovery tools or downloads.

We do not intentionally collect personal information for newsletter subscriptions, memberships or account creation unless this is introduced in future and this Privacy Policy is updated accordingly.

Sensitive and special-category personal information

Because The Recovery Space discusses recovery, addiction, mental health, trauma and wellbeing, people may sometimes choose to share information about their health, mental health, addiction, recovery, disability or other personal circumstances.

Information concerning a person's physical or mental health may be classed as special-category personal data under UK data protection law and receives additional protection.

Please do not send detailed or unnecessary sensitive information unless it is genuinely relevant to your enquiry.

The Recovery Space does not need detailed trauma histories, medical records, diagnoses or extensive personal histories in order to provide general recovery information, self-help resources or signposting.

We aim to use the minimum amount of sensitive information necessary.

Private messages involving sensitive information

The Recovery Space may occasionally respond privately to someone who wishes to discuss general recovery tools, coping options, educational resources or appropriate support services.

This does not create a counselling, therapy, clinical or ongoing one-to-one support relationship.

If a private conversation requires The Recovery Space to use information about your health, mental health, addiction, recovery, trauma, disability or similar sensitive circumstances in order to provide a personalised response, we may ask for your explicit consent before continuing.

Where explicit consent is required, we may ask you to provide a clear written statement confirming that you are happy for The Recovery Space to use the sensitive information you choose to provide solely for the purpose of responding to that conversation.

You may withdraw your consent at any time.

If consent is withdrawn, we will stop using that information on the basis of consent unless another lawful reason requires or permits us to retain or use limited information.

You are never required to provide detailed sensitive information in order to access the publicly available recovery education, tools or signposting provided by The Recovery Space.

Social media comments and private messages

The Recovery Space may maintain pages or accounts on third-party platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

If you comment publicly, your comment, profile name and other information made visible by your account may be visible to The Recovery Space and to other users of the platform.

Please avoid posting detailed health, trauma, addiction, mental-health or other sensitive personal information in public comments.

If you send The Recovery Space a private social media message, we may receive:

  • your profile name or username;

  • information visible from your profile;

  • the content of your message;

  • any information you voluntarily choose to share.

We may use social media communications to:

  • answer general questions;

  • discuss general recovery education or self-help tools;

  • respond to feedback;

  • provide appropriate signposting;

  • respond to questions about The Recovery Space;

  • explain where professional or specialist support may be more appropriate.

The Recovery Space does not provide counselling, psychotherapy, trauma therapy, diagnosis, medical treatment, crisis intervention or ongoing case-management through social media.

Privacy of private social media conversations

The Recovery Space respects people's privacy and does not create personal case files from private recovery conversations.

Where a private social media conversation contains sensitive information and is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was provided, we will aim to delete the conversation from The Recovery Space's page inbox as soon as reasonably practical.

Sensitive private-message conversations will normally be deleted from The Recovery Space's page inbox within 30 days after the conversation has concluded and is no longer required, unless there is a legitimate legal, security, complaint or other necessary reason to retain information for longer.

Where we need to keep evidence that explicit consent was given or withdrawn, we may retain a minimal consent record for a reasonable period in order to demonstrate compliance. We will not intentionally use such a record as a detailed health, trauma or recovery case file.

Deleting a conversation from The Recovery Space's social media inbox does not necessarily delete copies held by:

  • the person who sent the message;

  • Facebook, Instagram or another social media provider;

  • other systems operated by the relevant platform.

Social media providers process information according to their own privacy policies and data-retention practices.

How we use personal information

We may use personal information to:

  • respond to enquiries;

  • answer questions about The Recovery Space;

  • discuss general recovery education and self-help resources;

  • provide support-service signposting;

  • respond to feedback;

  • manage website-related communication;

  • investigate broken links, website problems or technical issues;

  • protect the website and our communication channels from spam, fraud, misuse or security threats;

  • manage complaints or disputes;

  • comply with legal obligations where applicable.

We do not use personal information to provide:

  • medical diagnosis;

  • clinical treatment;

  • detox advice;

  • counselling;

  • psychotherapy;

  • trauma processing;

  • safeguarding casework;

  • crisis intervention;

  • ongoing individual recovery case-management.

Lawful basis for using personal information

The Recovery Space only uses personal information where there is a lawful reason to do so.

For most ordinary enquiries and communications, our lawful basis under Article 6 of the UK GDPR will usually be legitimate interests.

Our legitimate interests include:

  • responding to people who choose to contact us;

  • operating The Recovery Space;

  • maintaining and improving the website;

  • responding to feedback;

  • protecting our website and communication systems from misuse or security threats.

We consider these uses to be reasonable and proportionate and aim to use only the information required for the relevant purpose.

Where processing is required to comply with a legal obligation, we may rely on legal obligation.

Where consent is the appropriate lawful basis, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

Special-category data and Article 9

Information concerning physical or mental health, addiction, recovery, trauma or disability may constitute special-category personal data.

Where The Recovery Space needs to process this information, we must have both:

  • an appropriate lawful basis under Article 6 of the UK GDPR; and

  • an appropriate condition under Article 9 of the UK GDPR.

For personalised private-message conversations involving sensitive health, mental-health, addiction, recovery, trauma or disability information, The Recovery Space will normally seek to rely on explicit consent under Article 9(2)(a) where this is the appropriate condition.

Explicit consent must be freely given, specific and clearly confirmed.

Where another condition under data protection law applies in exceptional circumstances, information may be processed on that basis instead.

For example, the law may permit limited processing or disclosure where this is necessary to protect a person's vital interests and the relevant legal requirements are satisfied.

The Recovery Space is not an emergency or safeguarding service and private messages are not continuously monitored.

Contact forms and email messages

If you contact The Recovery Space through a website contact form or email, the information you provide will be used to understand and respond to your message.

Please share only the information reasonably necessary for your enquiry.

The Recovery Space is not monitored as an emergency service.

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E.

If you need urgent medical or mental-health help and it is not a 999 emergency, contact NHS 111.

You can contact Samaritans free on 116 123, day or night.

Free downloads and recovery tools

The Recovery Space may provide free PDF recovery tools, worksheets, Recovery Reminders and other self-help resources.

At the time of writing, these resources do not require visitors to provide their name, email address or other personal information in order to download them.

If this changes in future, this Privacy Policy will be updated before the new processing begins.

Cookies and tracking

The Recovery Space is built using Hostinger Website Builder.

At the time of writing, The Recovery Space does not intentionally use optional advertising or behavioural-tracking technologies such as:

  • Google Analytics;

  • Google Tag Manager;

  • Meta Pixel / Facebook Pixel;

  • Hotjar;

  • Google AdSense;

  • Google AdMob.

Optional analytics and marketing cookie categories are currently switched off.

Strictly necessary cookies or similar technologies may still be used where required for the website to operate, remain secure or remember essential settings.

The Recovery Space uses a cookie banner so visitors can manage relevant cookie choices.

If optional analytics, advertising or tracking technologies are introduced in future, our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy will be updated as required.

More information is available in our Cookie Policy.

Website hosting and technical information

Our website, hosting and related technical providers may process limited technical information necessary to:

  • deliver the website;

  • maintain security;

  • detect malicious activity;

  • prevent spam or abuse;

  • troubleshoot technical problems.

This may include information such as IP addresses, browser or device information, access timestamps and security logs.

Where this information is processed on behalf of The Recovery Space, we aim to use it only where reasonably necessary for operation, security and technical administration.

External links

The Recovery Space contains links to external websites, charities, NHS services, helplines, support organisations and other third-party resources.

When you click an external link, you leave The Recovery Space website.

External organisations may collect or process personal information according to their own privacy policies and cookie policies.

The Recovery Space is not responsible for the privacy practices, security, cookies, content or policies of external websites.

More information is available in our External Links Disclaimer.

Who personal information may be shared with

The Recovery Space does not sell personal information.

Personal information may be processed or shared with service providers where reasonably necessary for our website or communications to operate.

These may include:

  • website hosting providers;

  • website-builder providers;

  • email providers;

  • social media platform providers;

  • security or anti-spam providers;

  • technical service providers;

  • professional advisers where genuinely necessary.

If you communicate through a third-party platform such as Facebook or Instagram, that platform will also process information according to its own terms and privacy policy.

We may disclose limited personal information where required by law, in response to a valid legal requirement, or where data protection law otherwise permits disclosure.

We will not routinely disclose private recovery, mental-health or trauma conversations to third parties.

International processing and transfers

Some of the technology, hosting, email or social media providers used by The Recovery Space may process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where The Recovery Space is responsible for making a restricted international transfer of personal information, we will take reasonable steps to ensure an appropriate safeguard recognised under UK data protection law is in place where required.

Third-party platforms such as Facebook and Instagram may also process information internationally under their own privacy arrangements.

You should review the relevant provider's privacy information if you want more detail about how that platform handles international transfers.

How long we keep personal information

The Recovery Space does not keep personal information indefinitely.

We aim to retain information only for as long as it is reasonably required for the purpose for which it was collected.

As a general approach:

  • ordinary website or email enquiries may normally be kept for up to 12 months after the last meaningful contact;

  • sensitive private social-media conversations will normally be deleted from The Recovery Space's page inbox within 30 days after the conversation has concluded and is no longer needed;

  • minimal records demonstrating that explicit consent was obtained or withdrawn may be kept for a reasonable period where necessary to demonstrate compliance;

  • information concerning complaints, security incidents, misuse or legal matters may be retained for longer where reasonably necessary;

  • technical and security information may be retained according to the reasonable retention periods used by the relevant service provider.

We periodically review information where practical and aim to delete or securely remove personal information that is no longer required.

Data minimisation

The Recovery Space aims to collect and use only the personal information that is reasonably necessary.

We do not want people to provide detailed medical histories, trauma histories, treatment records or other highly sensitive information unless there is a genuine and lawful need for it.

Where a general question can be answered without using sensitive personal information, we will aim to do so.

How we protect personal information

The Recovery Space aims to handle personal information carefully and responsibly.

We take reasonable organisational and technical steps to reduce the risk of:

  • unauthorised access;

  • accidental loss;

  • misuse;

  • inappropriate disclosure;

  • unnecessary retention.

However, no website, email service, social media platform or online communication system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Please take care when deciding what information to share online.

Automated decision-making and profiling

The Recovery Space does not currently use personal information to make solely automated decisions that have legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.

We do not currently profile visitors according to their addiction, mental-health, trauma or recovery history.

If this changes in future, this Privacy Policy will be updated.

Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law may give you rights over your personal information.

These may include the right to:

  • ask what personal information we hold about you;

  • request a copy of your personal information;

  • ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;

  • ask for information to be deleted in certain circumstances;

  • ask for processing to be restricted in certain circumstances;

  • object to certain uses of your personal information;

  • request data portability where this right applies;

  • withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent.

Not every right applies in every situation.

To ask about your personal information or exercise a data-protection right, contact:

hello@thesecretrecoveryspace.co.uk

We may need to confirm your identity before acting on certain requests.

Complaints

If you are concerned about how The Recovery Space has handled your personal information, please contact us first so we have the opportunity to respond.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data-protection regulator.

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

ICO helpline: 0303 123 1113

Website: ico.org.uk

Children and young people

The Recovery Space is not designed to collect personal information from children.

Some pages may provide signposting to organisations that support children, young people, parents, carers or families, but The Recovery Space does not provide direct one-to-one support to children or young people.

Children and young people should avoid sending private sensitive information to The Recovery Space.

If a child or young person needs support, they should speak to a trusted adult, an appropriate professional or a specialist support service.

If a child or young person is in immediate danger, call 999.

Public comments and community interaction

Comments made publicly on The Recovery Space social media pages may be visible to other users.

Please avoid including:

  • addresses;

  • telephone numbers;

  • email addresses;

  • detailed medical information;

  • detailed trauma histories;

  • information identifying another person's health or recovery circumstances;

  • other sensitive information that you would not want publicly visible.

The Recovery Space may hide or remove comments where reasonably necessary to protect privacy, safety, community wellbeing or the integrity of the page.

Removing a comment from The Recovery Space's page does not guarantee that copies, screenshots or platform records no longer exist.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

The Recovery Space may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

This may happen if we introduce:

  • new contact methods;

  • newsletters;

  • analytics;

  • marketing tools;

  • embedded content;

  • online accounts;

  • paid products;

  • new social media features;

  • additional service providers;

  • other website or business services.

Where appropriate, this Privacy Policy will be updated before new personal-data processing begins.

The latest revision date will always be shown at the top of this page.

Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how The Recovery Space handles personal information, please contact:

The Recovery Space
Email: hello@thesecretrecoveryspace.co.uk