What are cookies?
Cookies are downloaded and placed on your computer by websites that you visit. Typically they are implemented as small encrypted text files. They are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site.
What cookies do we use and why?
The table below explains the cookies we use and why.
Under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, cookies that are strictly necessary for the operation of our website (for example, signing you in to the admin area or remembering that you have responded to our cookie banner) do not require your consent. The same exemption applies to a limited set of low-risk cookies — including first-party analytics that simply help us understand aggregate website performance, and security cookies used to protect the site — provided you are given clear information about them. Where a cookie falls outside these categories we will ask for your consent before setting it; you can withdraw or change your preferences at any time using the cookie banner or the controls described below.
| Cookie | Name | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Cookie Notice by dFactory | cookie_notice_accepted | Indicates that you have responded to our cookie banner. Valid for one month. |
| WordPress (Logged in users) | wordpress_[hash] | On login, WordPress uses the cookie to store authentication details. Its use is limited to the admin console area, /wp-admin/ |
| wordpress_logged_in_[hash] | After login, WordPress sets this cookie, which indicates when you’re logged in, and who you are, for most interface use. | |
| wp-settings-{time}-[UID] | WordPress also sets a few of these cookies. The number on the end is your individual user ID from the users database table. This is used to customize your view of admin interface, and possibly also the main site interface. | |
| WordPress (Commenters)1 | comment_author_{HASH} comment_author_email_{HASH} comment_author_url_{HASH} | When visitors comment on our blog, they too get cookies stored on their computer. This is purely a convenience, so that the visitor won’t need to re-type all their information again when they want to leave another comment. The commenter cookies are set to expire a little under one year from the time they’re set. |
| Google Analytics 4 via Site Kit plugin | Refer to Google tags — Cookies and user identification | Measure how users interact with website content. Provides a sense of the country, state or city a user comes from (also known as “IP geolocation”), device type, browser type, interaction statistics, app instance IDs. |
| TrustedSite® | trustedsite_tm_float_seen, trustedsite_visit | Indicates to the TrustedSite® certification service that a visit has taken place. This is required as the plan includes a number of free displays of the trustmark before charges commence for Common Sense Training Ltd to use this service. |
WordPress: WordPress is the content management system (CMS) used to create our website. Further information on WordPress cookies: https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/cookies/
Google Analytics 4 via Site Kit plugin: Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is used to measure how users interact with website content. We collect data into Google Analytics using the Google Site Kit plugin. Google Analytics data privacy and security.
TrustedSite®: TrustedSite continually scans websites for malware and malicious links, and independently verifies our published business contact details, providing an additional layer of online security. When you click on the TrustedSite trustmark you’ll see the details about the website and its earned certification. TrustedSite Visit Tracking
How do I change my cookie settings?
Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may prevent a website from functioning correctly as they perform a core role in enhancing/enabling usability and site processes.
To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set, visit www.aboutcookies.org or www.allaboutcookies.org.
Find out how to manage cookies on popular browsers:
To find information relating to other browsers, visit the browser developer’s website.
To opt out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites, visit https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.