QAF Research & Legal Consulting Ltd

Last updated: 6 October 2026

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1. Who we are

QAF Research & Legal Consulting Ltd ("QAF", "we", "us") is a company registered in England and Wales. Company number: 16209370.

ICO registration reference: ZC013664

Address: Aidan House, Sunderland Road, Gateshead, NE8 3HU

Email: qaf.cllr@gmail.com

Phone: 0191 478 8300

Mobile and WhatsApp: 07880 000 120

We are the controller of the personal data described in this policy.

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2. What this policy covers

This policy explains how we handle your personal data when you contact us through WhatsApp, our website, email, or phone.

We offer support with welfare benefits, local council and local authority services, administrative support, and translation and communication. We do not provide immigration advice or services.

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3. The data we collect

When you message us, we may collect:

•    Your phone number

•    Your WhatsApp profile name

•    The content of your messages

•    Any information you choose to share about your situation

•    The date and time of your messages

Please do not send passports, Home Office reference numbers, immigration case details, or other sensitive documents through WhatsApp. If you send them, we will ask you to stop. A member of staff will explain how to share documents safely.

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4. How we use your data

We use your data to:

•    Reply to your questions

•    Understand which service you need

•    Pass your conversation to a member of staff when needed

•    Keep a record of our contact with you

•    Improve the quality of our service

We do not sell your data. We do not use it for advertising.

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5. Automated replies

We use an artificial intelligence tool to help answer WhatsApp messages. The tool gives general information only. It does not give legal advice. A member of staff may review its replies before sending them.

You can ask to speak to a member of staff at any time. Some messages are passed to staff automatically, for example complaints or urgent matters.

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6. Our legal basis

Under UK data protection law, we process your data on these bases:

•    Legitimate interests. We need to respond to people who contact us and to run our service.

•    Consent. Where you share sensitive information with us, we rely on your consent. You can withdraw it at any time.

•    Contract. If you become a client, we process your data to provide the service you asked for.

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7. Who processes your data for us

We use these providers to run our messaging system:

•    Meta Platforms (WhatsApp). To send and receive messages.

•    Cloudflare. To host our system and store recent conversation history.

•    Google (Gemini). To generate automated replies.

We currently use Google's free Gemini service. Under Google's terms for that service, Google may use the content of messages sent to it to improve its products and models. Human reviewers may also read some of that content. For this reason, please do not share sensitive personal information in your WhatsApp messages. If you prefer, you can contact us by phone or email instead, and a member of staff will deal with your enquiry.

Other providers act on our instructions or under their own terms. We only share what is needed to run the service.

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8. Transfers outside the UK

Your data may be processed outside the United Kingdom, including in the United States. Where this happens, we rely on the safeguards used by these providers, such as the UK International Data Transfer Agreement or the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

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9. How long we keep your data

•    Automated conversation history: 7 days

•    Messages handled by our staff: 12 months, then deleted

•    Client records: for the period set out in our service agreement with you, and as the law requires

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10. Security

We limit access to your data to the people who need it. We use secure, access-controlled services. No system is completely secure. We ask you not to share sensitive documents through WhatsApp.

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11. Your rights

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

•    Be informed about how we use your data

•    Access your data

•    Correct inaccurate data

•    Ask us to delete your data

•    Ask us to restrict how we use your data

•    Object to our use of your data

•    Ask for your data in a portable format

•    Withdraw your consent at any time

To use any of these rights, email qaf.cllr@gmail.com or send the word "delete" or "حذف" on WhatsApp. We reply within one month. We may ask you to confirm your identity.

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12. Deleting your data

To ask us to delete your data, email qaf.cllr@gmail.com or message us on WhatsApp. We delete your data within 30 days, unless the law requires us to keep it.

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13. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, please contact us first at qaf.cllr@gmail.com.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

Website: ico.org.uk

Phone: 0303 123 1113

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14. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. The date at the top shows when it was last changed.

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15. Contact

QAF Research & Legal Consulting Ltd

Aidan House, Sunderland Road, Gateshead, NE8 3HU

Email: qaf.cllr@gmail.com

Phone: 0191 478 8300

Mobile and WhatsApp: 07880 000 120