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Legal

Privacy Policy

Understanding First™ Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 21 September 2026

Understanding First™ respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data.

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This Privacy Policy explains how personal information is collected, used, stored and shared when you visit this website, contact us, subscribe to communications, register for a masterclass or event, purchase a product, enrol in a programme, apply to work with Karen, participate in an Understanding First™ experience or otherwise interact with us.

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We process personal data in accordance with applicable data protection law, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Who We Are

Understanding First™ is an educational and personal development platform founded by Karen Mullally.

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For the purposes of applicable data protection law, Karen Mullally / Understanding First™ is the controller of personal data processed through this website and the Understanding First™ business, unless otherwise stated.

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Contact details:

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Email: kmunderstandingfirst@gmail.com


Postal Address: co. Louth, Ireland

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If you have questions about how your personal data is used, you can contact us using these details.

Personal Data We May Collect

The information we collect depends on how you interact with Understanding First™.

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It may include:

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  • your name;

  • email address;

  • telephone number where provided;

  • billing and transaction information;

  • information submitted through contact forms;

  • information submitted when joining a mailing list or waitlist;

  • information provided when registering for a masterclass, programme, event or other experience;

  • information provided when purchasing a product or digital resource;

  • information submitted through an application or enquiry about working with Karen;

  • communications you send to us;

  • information necessary to provide programmes, services or member access;

  • feedback, survey responses or testimonials where voluntarily provided; and

  • other information you choose to provide when communicating or participating.

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We may also receive technical information relating to your use of the website, including IP address, browser or device information, website activity and information collected through cookies or similar technologies.

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We ask that you do not provide sensitive or special-category personal information through general website forms unless it is specifically requested and appropriate for the purpose concerned.

How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect information:

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  • directly from you when you complete a form, contact us, subscribe, register, apply, purchase or enrol;

  • through your participation in programmes, events or services;

  • automatically through website technologies such as necessary cookies and, where you have consented, analytics or other optional technologies; and

  • through service providers used to operate the website, process payments, deliver communications or provide services.

How We Use Your Personal Data

We may use personal data to:

  • respond to enquiries and communications;

  • provide information you request;

  • process purchases, registrations and enrolments;

  • administer programmes, events, masterclasses and services;

  • provide access to programme or member areas;

  • manage applications for private work;

  • deliver digital products and resources;

  • communicate with you about something you have purchased, joined or requested;

  • administer payments and maintain appropriate transaction records;

  • provide customer care;

  • manage waitlists and expressions of interest;

  • send newsletters, reflections, updates and marketing communications where permitted;

  • maintain and improve the website and customer experience;

  • understand website use where appropriate consent has been provided;

  • protect the security and integrity of the website and business;

  • maintain appropriate business and administrative records; and

  • comply with legal, regulatory, accounting and tax obligations.

Our Legal Bases for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data.

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Depending on the circumstances, we may rely on:

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Contract where processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to provide a product, programme, event or service you have purchased or joined.

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Consent where you have freely given consent for a particular purpose, for example certain marketing communications or non-essential cookies. Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

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Legal obligation where we need to process or retain information to comply with an obligation imposed by law, including appropriate financial, tax or consumer records.

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Legitimate interests where processing is reasonably necessary for the operation, administration, protection or improvement of the business and those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests. This may include responding to certain enquiries, maintaining appropriate business records, preventing misuse and protecting the security of our website and services.

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Where required, we will provide additional information about the relevant legal basis at the point your information is collected.

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The GDPR recognises a number of possible legal bases for processing, and the appropriate basis depends on the particular processing activity.

Email and Marketing Communications

If you subscribe to our mailing list or otherwise consent to receive marketing communications, we may send you emails containing educational content, reflections, news, programme information, event announcements, book updates, product news and other Understanding First™ communications.

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You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by using the unsubscribe link included in those emails or by contacting us.

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Withdrawing from marketing communications will not prevent us from sending you necessary administrative or service-related communications about a purchase, programme, event, application or service you have requested.

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Registering for or purchasing something from Understanding First™ does not mean that every communication we send is marketing. We may still need to contact you to fulfil or administer the relevant transaction or service.

Payments

Payments may be processed through third-party payment providers.

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Understanding First™ does not ordinarily receive or store your complete payment-card details where those details are entered directly into a payment provider's secure system.

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Payment providers may process personal data in accordance with their own privacy notices and legal obligations.

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We may retain transaction information necessary for customer service, administration, accounting, tax and legal purposes.

Service Providers and Third Parties

We use third-party providers where necessary to operate the website and business and to deliver products and services.

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These may include providers supporting:

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  • website hosting and website functionality;

  • forms and registrations;

  • programme or member areas;

  • payment processing;

  • email and communications;

  • online meetings or live programme delivery;

  • file or digital-content delivery;

  • analytics, subject to applicable consent requirements;

  • IT and security;

  • professional, accounting or legal services; and

  • other operational services reasonably required to run Understanding First™.

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Where a provider processes personal data on our behalf, we take appropriate steps to use providers capable of handling personal information appropriately.

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Some providers may also act as independent controllers for particular processing activities and will have their own privacy notices.

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We do not sell your personal data.

International Transfers

Some of the technology and service providers we use may process or store personal data outside Ireland or the European Economic Area.

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Where personal data is transferred outside the EEA, we will take appropriate steps required by applicable data protection law to protect that information, which may include relying on an adequacy decision or appropriate contractual safeguards.

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Where relevant, further information about safeguards used for international transfers may be requested using the contact details in this Policy.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

This website uses cookies and may use similar technologies.

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Some cookies are strictly necessary for the website to operate and do not require consent.

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Other cookies or technologies including analytics, advertising or other non-essential technologies where used will only be placed or accessed where the required consent has been obtained.

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You can manage your choices through the cookie controls provided on the website and can withdraw or change your consent where applicable.

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Further information about the cookies and technologies actually used on this website, their purposes and duration should be available through our cookie notice or cookie settings.

UNfirst Kids™ and Children's Privacy

UNfirst Kids™ is designed to create playful, creative and meaningful experiences for children and families.

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Where products or resources are intended for children, purchases, account creation, subscriptions and other transactions involving personal information should be completed by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult unless expressly stated otherwise.

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We do not knowingly seek to collect personal information directly from young children through general website forms, mailing-list subscriptions or purchasing processes.

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If a child provides personal information to us unexpectedly, or if you believe that we may hold a child's personal data in circumstances that should be reviewed, please contact us.

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Where Understanding First™ offers an online service directly to children or processes children's personal data, additional protections and age-appropriate information will be provided where required.

Special Category and Sensitive Information

Some communications or applications may involve information of a personal or sensitive nature.

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Please only provide information that is relevant and necessary for the purpose for which you are communicating with us.

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Where special-category personal data is processed, we will only do so where an appropriate lawful basis and additional legal condition applies.

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Understanding First™ educational programmes and public website services should not be used to submit urgent medical or mental-health information.

How Long We Keep Personal Data

We retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and to meet applicable legal, accounting, tax, contractual or regulatory requirements.

Different categories of information may therefore be retained for different periods.

When information is no longer required, it will be deleted, anonymised or otherwise securely disposed of where appropriate.

Retention decisions may take account of:

  • the nature of the information;

  • why it was collected;

  • the duration of our relationship with you;

  • legal and financial record-keeping requirements;

  • potential disputes or legal claims; and

  • security and administrative requirements.

Data Security

We take reasonable and appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss or misuse.

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No website, electronic transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we take data protection and security seriously and review our practices as appropriate.

Your Data Protection Rights

Subject to applicable law and the circumstances of the processing, you may have the right to:

  • obtain information about how your personal data is processed;

  • request access to your personal data;

  • request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data;

  • request erasure of personal data;

  • request restriction of processing;

  • object to certain processing;

  • receive certain personal data in a portable format where the right applies;

  • withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent; and

  • lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority.

These rights are not absolute in every circumstance, and particular legal requirements or exemptions may apply.

To exercise a data-protection right, contact us at:

kmunderstandingfirst@gmail.com

We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.

Complaints and the Data Protection Commission

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, we would welcome the opportunity to address them directly.

You also have the right to raise a concern or lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (DPC), Ireland's data-protection supervisory authority.

Data Protection Commission

The DPC confirms that individuals have rights including access, correction, erasure, restriction, objection and portability, subject to the applicable conditions.

Automated Decision-Making

Understanding First™ does not currently use personal data to make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.

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If this changes, this Privacy Policy will be updated and any information required by law will be provided.

External Links

This website may contain links to third-party websites or services.

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Understanding First™ is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of independent third-party websites. Please review their privacy information before providing personal data to them.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in our services, technology, business practices or legal obligations.

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The current version will be published on this website with its latest revision date.

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Where a change materially affects how we process personal data, we will take additional steps to inform affected individuals where appropriate.

Contact

For questions about this Privacy Policy, our use of personal data or your data-protection rights, please contact:

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Karen Mullally / Understanding First™


Email: kmunderstandingfirst@gmail.com


Postal Address: Co. Louth, Ireland

A Final Note

Trust matters.

Any information you share through this website is treated with care, respect and responsibility.

At Understanding First™, we believe meaningful change begins with understanding, and that includes respecting the trust people place in us when sharing their information.

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