Introduction to Permaculture Courses

Terms & Conditions, Complaints Procedure and Data Protection Policy

Student Learning Agreement

Attendance

• Where possible, for students to attend all 3 days.
• For students to inform the course facilitator if they will not be attending - with as much notice as possible.

Punctuality

• For students to arrive with enough time to get settled before teaching begins. 

Participation

• For students to be open minded and curious about participating in the range of course topics and teaching activities. Be up for giving things a go. 
• For students to co-create a set of group agreements, and uphold them throughout the course.

Preparation & Wellbeing

• Where possible, for students to arrive in the learning space well rested and fed
• For students to communicate if they need to attend to their basic needs before participating each day. 
• For students to communicate their wellbeing needs on the onboarding Google Form, and to keep facilitators informed if their needs change. 

Non-negotiable Group Agreements

• We will actively challenge any instances of sexism, racism, ableism, heterosexism, ageism, classism, religious intolerance, and discriminatory, aggressive or threatening language and/or behaviour.
• We pride ourselves on creating a safe and open culture that allows for compassionate understanding and acceptance of our differences. We aim to coexist as our authentic selves, without needing to infringe or shrink in the presence of others.  

Termination of your place by us

• We reserve the right to terminate your place before or during the introduction to permaculture course, if we deem your personal conduct as disruptive, aggressive, abusive, or, if we consider your conduct is posing a threat to the health or safety of yourself, other students, tutors, facilitators or the public.

Termination Process:

• A verbal warning / discussion - to clarify boundaries and expectations of conduct.
• Termination - communication to leave/not return to the course. No refund will be offered.
• We reserve the right to advance straight to termination if your conduct warrants immediate action.

Cancellation

By You

7 or more days before the course begins you will receive : 50% course fees refund

6 or less days before the course begins your course fees are non-refundable.

Caveat : If we have a waiting list and are able to replace your booking will offer a 90% refund

By Shift Bristol

If we cancel our event you will receive a full refund.

Complaints procedure

We aim to provide you with the most enjoyable and safe experience when booking or attending our courses.

If you are dissatisfied in any way, please tell us immediately so that we can attempt to remedy situations if we can.

How to make a complaint

Step 1:

• Before the course please contact Shift Bristol Director, Laura Corfield by email: laura@shiftbristol.org.uk, or telephone: 07970737760.
• During a course please directly discuss the matter with the course facilitators.

Step 2:

• If you are not satisfied with the outcome of step 1, please use this form to submit a written complaint that will be shared with Shift Bristol's Directors.

Step 3:

• Your complaint will be acknowledged within 10 working days, and you will receive a written response within 15 working days.

Step 4:

• If we cannot resolve your complaint through stages 1-3 the matter can be forwarded to Companies House, for independent review.

Data Protection Policy

Statement of intent

When you supply any personal information to Shift Bristol CIC, we have legal obligations towards you in the way we deal with that data. Whenever you provide such personal information, we will keep it confidential and secure in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2018.

Use and storage of your personal information

Any information you provide to Shift Bristol, in relation to your contract to undertake a course with us, will only be used by Shift Bristol. It will never be supplied to anyone outside of Shift Bristol without first obtaining your explicit consent, unless we are obliged or permitted to disclose it by law.

What information will we hold?

When booking a place for a Shift Bristol course, you will be asked to submit personal information about yourself; name, email, phone number, sensitive information - such as your wellbeing needs, or demographical personal details.

What additional information will be held during the Course?

On registration we will ask for information on any relevant health issues we may need to know about to ensure your health and safety on the Course. During the Course we will record information of accident or health issue information and details of any complaints or disciplinary measures taken.

How long will this information be held?

This information will be held in a secure database for as long as you study with us, and then in a secure archive for a subsequent 8 years. Data is archived for safeguarding and insurance reasons in line with our responsibilities as an education provider. After 8 years we will delete your data. We hold and handle your data on the legal basis of ‘legitimate interest’ in order to provide a service to you.

Secure data

We will ensure that all personal information supplied is held securely and confidentially, in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 and in accordance with best practice.

Access to your personal information

You have the right to request a copy of the personal information Shift Bristol holds about you at any time and to have any inaccuracies corrected. Please address requests to laura@shiftbristol.org.uk

Mailing List

We will not add you to any promotional or alumni mailing lists without your express consent. We will ask you if you would like to join our mailing list and provide our data protection policy on this separately. The data we hold for you as a student is in no way linked to our mailing list.

Mailing List Data Protection Policy

● No one will be added to the mailing list without their express consent. We will contact you to ask for your continued consent every 3 years.

● You will be informed on subscription and in every email how to delete yourself from the mailing list and ‘be forgotten’ at any time.

● Any request to delete your data from the mailing list is met immediately.

● We comply with any request from you to fully disclose all data we hold about you.

● We never share data with anyone else, unless we are required to do so by law.

● We only communicate with you about our courses, events or projects or any job or volunteering opportunities.

● We aim to contact you no more than quarterly but may be in touch with important information on other occasions.

● We keep all our mailing list data in a secure database managed by Brevo which is fully compliant with GDPR. Their privacy policy is here.