— Get in touch

Tell me about your situation. I will respond personally within one working day.

A short intake is the only way in — name, email, phone, and the nature of your enquiry. Once you submit, you will receive a confirmation email within minutes and a personal response within one working day.

— How the intake works

One form, then a tailored next step.

The intake is the entry point to every engagement. It captures the minimum I need to respond well — and it ensures every enquiry is handled in the same way, regardless of how you found me.

01
You complete the form below. Four fields, takes under two minutes.
02
You receive a confirmation email immediately. Confirming what happens next, tailored to the enquiry type you selected.
03
I respond personally within one working day. With the right next step — call, proposal, questionnaire, or direct response.
of VARNHAMCONSULTING
All inbound contact through one channel · No marketing follow-up · Personal response
— The intake

A short form. A real reply.

Four required fields, one optional. The data captured here is used only to respond to your enquiry — held under legitimate interests, retained for twelve months, and never used for marketing without separate consent.

— Microsoft Form embed

The intake form will be embedded here.

Once the form is configured per the canonical specification, this placeholder is replaced with the live iframe. Until that point, please email Matthew directly using any contact route you already have.

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— What happens to the information

Captured under legitimate interests. Held for 12 months. Never sold.

The form is processed under the lawful basis of legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) UK GDPR) for the purpose of replying to your enquiry. The information you provide is retained for twelve months from your last contact, after which it is deleted unless our engagement has progressed to a contractual relationship.

I will not send marketing communications without separate consent. I will not share your contact details with third parties. I will not pass your enquiry to associates or sub-processors without telling you first.

The full privacy notice sets out what I do with personal data in detail, including your rights of access, correction, and deletion.

Read the full privacy notice →
— Your rights

Six rights you can exercise at any point.

You have the right to:

  • Access the personal data I hold about you
  • Correct data that is inaccurate or out of date
  • Request deletion of data no longer needed
  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests
  • Restrict processing in certain circumstances
  • Complain to the ICO if you remain dissatisfied
— Common questions

Questions I am asked before the first call.

If your question is not covered below, the intake form is the right place to ask.

— Question 01

Do we actually need a DPO?

Under Article 37 of the UK GDPR, a DPO is mandatory if your core activities involve regular and systematic monitoring of individuals on a large scale, or the large-scale processing of special category data. Even where not strictly required, the ICO strongly recommends appointing someone responsible for data protection. An outsourced DPO is the most cost-effective way to meet this expectation.

— Question 02

How does an outsourced DPO work in practice?

You get a named DPO registered with the ICO as your contact point. They attend structured governance meetings, provide ad-hoc advice, manage DSARs and breach incidents, deliver training, monitor regulatory changes, and maintain your compliance evidence base. The relationship is ongoing and embedded — your DPO develops deep knowledge of your organisation over time.

— Question 03

What does a retainer cost?

Retainer fees depend on your organisation's size, processing complexity, sector risk profile, and the tier of service you need. I will recommend the right arrangement after an initial conversation and provide a clear, fixed monthly quote. Out-of-scope work is always quoted separately before any commitment is made.

— Question 04

What is the difference between a Health Check and a retained DPO?

The Health Check is a one-off assessment: it tells you where you stand and what needs to be done. The retained DPO is the ongoing relationship that does the work — managing compliance, handling incidents, advising on questions, and maintaining your posture over time. Many clients start with a Health Check and then move to a retainer to implement the recommendations.

— Question 05

We are a small organisation — is this for us?

If you process personal data — and almost all organisations do — you have obligations under the UK GDPR. The ICO's enforcement actions show that penalties and reprimands are not reserved for large enterprises. The Essentials tier is designed specifically for smaller organisations who need proportionate support without the overhead of a more intensive engagement.

— Question 06

What happens if we have a data breach?

As your retained DPO, I am available for immediate escalation. I help assess the breach against the ICO's notification threshold, determine whether the 72-hour obligation is triggered, prepare and submit the notification if required, advise on data subject communication, and conduct root-cause analysis. Retainer clients have an accelerated SLA for breach incidents.

— Question 07

What about the DUAA and the June 2026 deadline?

The Data Use and Access Act 2025 introduces a mandatory complaints handling process for all organisations by 19 June 2026. The Health Check includes specific readiness assessment, and the retained DPO service includes implementing the necessary procedures ahead of the deadline.

— Question 08

Why no direct phone or email on the website?

Every prospect is captured, classified, and responded to consistently when contact comes through one channel. It also satisfies UK GDPR cleanly — the form has a documented lawful basis, declared retention, and consent for follow-up correspondence. A scattered set of contact details would not.

— Or find me on LinkedIn

If you would rather connect first, LinkedIn works too.

Connecting on LinkedIn is not a substitute for the intake form when you have a substantive enquiry — but it is the right place if you want to follow my regulatory commentary, see who I am connected to, or check the credentials before reaching out.

Connect on LinkedIn →
— A note

LinkedIn is for connection, not engagement.

I do not respond to client work matters via LinkedIn messages — every substantive enquiry needs to come through the intake form so it is captured, classified, and routed correctly. If you message on LinkedIn with a substantive query, I will reply asking you to complete the intake form.