Privacy Policy
Last updated: 30 September 2026
The Scottish Soul Sister respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and share personal information when you visit this website, contact us, subscribe to our mailing list, download a free resource, purchase coaching, purchase access to our digital content, or otherwise interact with The Scottish Soul Sister.
1. Who we are
The Scottish Soul Sister is operated by Nikki Steele Osborne.
The Scottish Soul Sister
Oudebaan 2a, Box 11
2180 Antwerp
Belgium
Registration Number: 1015.048.481
Email: nikki@thescottishsoulsister.com
For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), The Scottish Soul Sister is the controller of the personal data described in this policy, except where another organisation acts as an independent controller.
2. Information we collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
your name;
email address;
telephone number where you choose to provide it;
correspondence you send directly to us;
newsletter and free-resource subscription information;
information necessary to provide coaching services;
customer and membership account information;
purchase, order and transaction information;
information relating to access to purchased digital content;
technical information concerning your interaction with our website; and
cookie and analytics information where you have consented to its collection.
We aim to collect only information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.
3. Sensitive information
Our services concern pregnancy, postpartum experiences, parenting and wellbeing. You may therefore voluntarily disclose information concerning your health, mental health, pregnancy, family circumstances or other sensitive matters when communicating with us or participating in coaching.
Please do not provide sensitive information that is not reasonably necessary for us to respond to your enquiry or provide the service you have requested.
Where information falling within a special category of personal data under applicable data-protection law is processed, we will only process it where an appropriate legal basis and applicable condition for doing so exists.
4. How we use your information
We may use personal information to:
respond to enquiries and correspondence;
provide coaching and other services you purchase or request;
provide and administer access to Stepping Into Parenthood and other digital content;
create and administer customer or member accounts;
process purchases and transactions;
provide free resources you request;
administer our mailing list;
send marketing communications where permitted;
operate, maintain and secure our website;
understand website usage where you have consented to analytics;
maintain appropriate business and financial records;
prevent misuse, fraud or security problems; and
comply with legal, tax, accounting and regulatory obligations.
We do not sell your personal information.
5. Our legal bases for processing
The legal basis we rely on depends on why we are processing your information.
Contract
We process information where necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform a contract with you, such as providing coaching, processing a purchase or providing access to paid digital content.
Consent
We rely on consent where appropriate, including for certain marketing communications, optional cookies and analytics technologies.
Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing that lawfully occurred before consent was withdrawn.
Legitimate interests
We may process information where necessary for our legitimate interests, such as operating and protecting our business, responding to ordinary enquiries, preventing misuse and maintaining appropriate business administration, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.
Legal obligations
We process and retain information where necessary to comply with applicable legal, tax, accounting or regulatory requirements.
Additional requirements apply where special-category personal data is processed.
6. Free resources, newsletters and Mailchimp
Our free-resource and mailing-list signups are connected to Mailchimp, which we use to manage email subscriptions and communications.
When you sign up for a free resource through a relevant signup form, the form explains that you are also joining The Scottish Soul Sister mailing list for occasional parenting resources, news and information about our services.
We use a double opt-in process. This means you may be asked to confirm your subscription before being added as a confirmed subscriber.
You can unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time using the unsubscribe link included in our marketing emails.
You may also contact us at nikki@thescottishsoulsister.com.
Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent us from sending communications necessary to fulfil a purchase, administer your account, provide a service you requested or respond to you.
7. Direct contact
Our website provides an email address and telephone number through which you can contact The Scottish Soul Sister directly.
Information you provide when contacting us will be used to respond to your communication and, where appropriate, provide information or services you have requested.
Contacting us does not automatically subscribe you to our marketing mailing list.
8. Stepping Into Parenthood and digital membership access
Stepping Into Parenthood is a one-time paid purchase providing access to members-only digital content through Squarespace.
When you purchase or access the programme, information may be processed as necessary to:
administer your purchase;
create and maintain your access;
authenticate your account;
provide the digital content;
communicate with you concerning your purchase or access; and
provide customer support.
This information is processed primarily as necessary to perform our contract with you and to administer the service.
9. Purchases and payments
Our website and checkout are operated using Squarespace.
Payments may be processed using Stripe or PayPal, depending on the payment method you select.
Payment providers process information necessary to complete transactions, prevent fraud, meet legal requirements and provide their payment services.
The Scottish Soul Sister does not need to receive your complete payment-card details where those details are processed directly by the relevant payment provider.
We may retain transaction and order information where necessary to administer your purchase and comply with accounting, taxation and other legal obligations.
10. Squarespace
This website is built and hosted using Squarespace.
Squarespace may process information necessary to host and operate the website, provide checkout and commerce functionality, maintain customer and member accounts, provide digital content access, maintain security and provide other website functionality.
We have configured our website's privacy controls to restrict non-essential cookies where consent is required.
11. Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website and to help us improve its performance and content.
Analytics technologies are treated as optional through our website's cookie controls where consent is required.
You can decline analytics cookies or change your preferences using our cookie settings.
Further information about cookies and analytics is available in our Cookie Policy.
12. Cookies and similar technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies.
Some cookies are necessary for the website to function and remember choices such as your cookie preferences.
Optional cookies, including performance and analytics technologies, are subject to the choices available through our cookie banner where required.
When you first visit the website, you can:
Accept all optional cookies;
Decline all optional cookies; or
Manage cookies and select your preferences.
You can change your preferences later using the Manage cookies option on the website.
Please see our Cookie Policy for further information.
13. Embedded content and external websites
Our website may include embedded content or links to third-party services, including YouTube and social-media platforms.
Third-party providers may process information when you interact with their services. Where applicable, our website passes or respects cookie-consent choices in connection with supported integrations.
When you leave our website or interact directly with another provider, that provider's own privacy and cookie practices may apply.
14. Service providers and recipients
We use third-party services where reasonably necessary to operate our website and business.
These currently include services such as:
Squarespace — website hosting, commerce, customer/member access and digital content;
Mailchimp — mailing-list management and email communications;
Google Analytics — website analytics where consented to;
Stripe — payment processing; and
PayPal — payment processing.
Other professional or technical service providers may process information where reasonably necessary to provide services to us or where disclosure is required by law.
We do not permit service providers to use personal information for unrelated purposes where they act as processors on our behalf.
15. International transfers
Some of the service providers we use operate internationally, which means personal information may be processed outside Belgium or the European Economic Area.
Where GDPR requires safeguards for an international transfer, we rely on appropriate mechanisms recognised by applicable data-protection law, such as an adequacy decision, appropriate contractual safeguards or another lawful transfer mechanism.
16. How long we keep information
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected and to satisfy applicable legal, accounting, tax and regulatory obligations.
Retention periods vary according to the type and purpose of the information.
For example:
mailing-list information may be retained while you remain subscribed, together with appropriate records necessary to respect or demonstrate your communication preferences;
customer and transaction information may be retained for the period required by applicable accounting and taxation laws;
account and digital-access information may be retained while necessary to provide purchased access;
correspondence will be reviewed and deleted or anonymised when it is no longer reasonably required; and
coaching-related information will not be retained longer than reasonably necessary for the relevant service and applicable legal or business requirements.
17. Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.
We also use established third-party providers to operate important parts of our website, email and payment infrastructure.
No internet-based service can guarantee absolute security.
18. Your data-protection rights
Subject to the requirements and exceptions contained in applicable law, you may have the right to:
request access to personal information we hold about you;
request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
request deletion of your personal information;
request restriction of processing;
object to certain processing;
request portability of certain information;
withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
lodge a complaint with a competent data-protection supervisory authority.
To exercise a data-protection right, contact:
nikki@thescottishsoulsister.com
We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests.
19. Children
Our services are directed primarily towards parents and other adults.
Children should not independently provide personal information through this website or purchase our products or services.
If you believe a child has provided personal information to us inappropriately, please contact us.
20. Complaints
If you have a concern about how we handle your personal information, please contact us first so that we have an opportunity to address it.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority (Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit / Autorité de protection des données) or another competent supervisory authority.
21. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy when our services, technology, service providers or legal obligations change.
The current version will be published on this website and the date at the top of the policy will be updated.
22. Contact
For questions about this Privacy Policy or the way we handle personal information, contact:
The Scottish Soul Sister
Oudebaan 2a, Box 11
2180 Antwerp
Belgium
Registration Number: 1015.048.481