1. What are cookies?

A cookie is a small file which asks your browser for permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added, and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site.

Cookies do different and useful jobs by gathering and remembering information about your preferences i.e. likes and dislikes. They allow web applications to respond to you as an individual and help the web application tailor its operations to your needs.

There are different types of cookies. All cookies are either session or persistent cookies, which are explained below:

2. Session or Persistent cookies

• Session cookies

last only for the duration of your visit to a web site and are deleted when you close your browser. They support tasks such as allowing a website to identify that a user of a particular device is navigating from page to page, supporting website security or basic functionality.

• Persistent cookies

last after you have closed your browser and allow a website to remember your actions and preferences. How long each cookie remains on your computer’s hard drive varies and is specific to each individual cookie. Where possible we set a maximum lifespan of 12 months for these types of cookies.

3. First and Third-Party cookies

• First party cookies

are those set by, or on behalf of, Tandem’s website. These enable the website to run smoothly and enhance your user experience. They are also used to remember your preferences.

• Third party cookies

are those which are set up by external companies. These Cookies are likely to be performance and targeting cookies, including analytics cookies which allow us to monitor and improve our website.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website user experience, by enabling us to see which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us, which will be captured by the cookie on your hard drive.

Tandem uses session cookies to show us which pages are being used, and for website use security purposes. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical and analysis purposes. These cookies contain no personal information and are removed from your device once you leave the website.

Tandem uses persistent cookies to allow us to analyse customer visits to our website. These cookies help us to understand how users arrive at, and use, our site so we can improve our service. Tandem does not use persistent cookies to provide targeted advertising based on the browsing history of the device.

4. Cookies we use

To access Tandem’s website, you must interact with our cookie banner to ensure that you provide permission for us to use cookies.

You cannot interact with the website until you have provided your cookie preferences. This change was made to comply with the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) guidance.

We have categorised the cookies we use as follows: