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Connexions Bury privacy notice

Your guide to the information we keep about you

Our core data protection obligations and commitments are set out in the Bury Council's primary and Children & Young People Department privacy notices.

This notice provides additional privacy notice information for young people between the ages of 13 and 19, or up to 24 for those with a learning difficulty and/or disability (LDD), as appropriate, which are accessing the Connexions Bury service.

For what purposes does Connexions Bury keep information about me?

Connexions Bury collects and obtains personal information so that we can provide effective targeted information, advice, guidance and support services for young people. These services are designed to support young people to overcome any barriers to participation in post 16 education, training or employment opportunities, reduce the risk of young people not being in education, employment and training (NEET), and ensuring that young people make a successful transition in to adult life and maximize their potential.

What sort of information do you keep about me?

In order to deliver Connexions services, as detailed above, we collect and obtain:

  • Contact details (name, address, telephone / mobile number, e-mail)
  • Date of birth
  • School / College attended
  • Parent / Carer contact name
  • Qualification (what type and levels are these e.g. GCSEs, A levels, BTEC National etc.)
  • Target / predicted / grades achieved
  • Gender (male, female, etc.)
  • Ethnicity (Black, White, Asian, etc.) *
  • Current destination (what are you doing, for example in school, college, employed, unemployed etc.)
  • Relevant background information (we only collect and access information, which we need, to be able, to provide you an effective service).
  • Level of support provided by Connexions Bury (as above)
  • Notes of all relevant contacts you have had with a personal adviser (as above)

The types of data, which have an asterisk (*) next to them, are classed as special category data under the UK General Data Protection Regulation because it is sensitive information and therefore will be protected at a higher level to safeguard your confidentiality and privacy. Please will you see below, for details on how this information is treated under the heading 'What do you do when you need to share information about me?'

What gives you the authority to receive and use information about me?

Connexions Bury is able to receive and use information about you because it is authorised by the 2008 Education and Skills Act under sections 10, 12, 68 and 72 and this is detailed in the statutory guidance for local authorities called 'Participation of young people in education, employment or training (September 2016)' and for schools 'Careers guidance and access for education and training providers (January 2018)'.

What are the consequences if information about me is not provided?

If you fail to provide certain information when requested we may be prevented from providing our full range of services for you. For instance, where you do not provide us with up- to- date information on your current situation, we may not be able to assess the type of support you may require e.g., therefore if you are not in work, looking for an apprenticeship and we do not know; this means will be unable to help you get one. In these situations, where you do not wish to provide relevant information, this will be detailed on your record, including the reasons, where disclosed, so that we are aware of it, if we need to contact you again.

What types of organisations do you share information about me with?

We may share personal information about you with the following types of organisations who can help you, or if we are required to do so by law (these may include voluntary and community ones):

  • Schools - We share statutory career destination information on ex-pupils immediately after leaving school.
  • Relevant departments within Bury Council and other Local authorities e.g., special educational need (SEN), children, young people in care (CYPiC) teams etc.
  • Further Education and Training Providers ('Learning providers')-with your knowledge and on your behalf, we may share some of your personal information as part of our support work, e.g., application process for college places.
  • Potential employers- with your knowledge and on your behalf, we may share some of your personal information as part of our support work, e.g., job application/CVs.
  • Support services for young people - we may share some of your personal information as part of our support work with you, e.g., sharing information with benefit providers to arrange claims, sharing details with specialist service providers such as mental health support services etc. This personal information is shared with your knowledge and on your behalf unless we have a statutory requirement to do so, or if there is a safeguarding concern.
  • Funding organisations including Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Department for Education.

What do you do when you need to share information about me?

Connexions Bury is able share relevant personal information to named and categories of organisations to offer you an effective service. It is able to do this under their 'public task' duties authorised by the Education Skills Act 2008. Consent from you is not required to share these types of information unless it is classed under UK GDPR as 'special category' sensitive type of information. This is a further check to safeguard your privacy and confidentiality and therefore this type of information will only be shared with the named and categories of organisations where you agree it would be helpful. We will ask you to fill in a consent form to give us permission to do this.

The only reason Connexions Bury will pass on any types of 'special category' data, detailed above, to anyone outside Connexions Bury without asking you to complete a consent form, is where there is a legal requirement to do so or there is a risk of serious harm or threat to life. Full conditions are described under the General Data Protection Regulation, where personal data may be shared without the young person's consent and are detailed on our privacy notice.

Consent will expire 2 years after your 20th or 25th birthday if you have special educational needs or disabilities unless you wish to withdraw your consent before this. To do this, you need to contact the Data Protection officer (see contact details below). If you have been on a programme funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, your information will be retained for seven years after the end of the programme.

Your records will be updated to indicate your withdrawal of consent and the reasons for this.

In all cases, details of the consent form, will be copied and outcomes recorded on your record.

In certain circumstances, verbal consent to share your information will be sufficient, for example where a consent form could not been completed in person but consent is given by you over the phone. Details of the verbal consent given and the reasons for this will be recorded on your personal record.

What types of organisations provide information about me?

As well as information collected directly from you, we also obtain or receive information from:

  • Schools
  • Further Education and Training Providers (Learning providers)
  • Relevant Departments in Bury Council and other councils (e.g. Admissions, SEN Team etc.)
  • Support services and agencies for young people e.g. Job Centre plus
  • Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)
  • Department for Education (DfE)
  • Organisations dealing with safeguarding or child protection concerns e.g. Local Authority Children services.
  • Organisations dealing with criminal activities e.g. Police
  • Public, family or relations who raises concerns

What if my parent's / carer's wish to access information about be?

Normally, because of the age you are permitted to use the service, you have the legal right, to have information about you kept confidential from your parent's/carer's. We will only share information with them with your explicit consent unless you are deemed not to have the mental capacity to make this decision.

How long do you keep information about me?

Connexions Bury retains your information for 2 years after your 20th or 25th birthday if you have SEND. If you have been on a programme funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, your information will be retained for seven years after the end of the programme.

How do you keep information about me safe?

Connexions Bury has put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal information being accidentally lost, used or accessed in unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal information to people who have a business need to see it.

We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected data security breach and will notify you and ICO (Data protection regulator) of a suspected breach where we are legally required to do so. To notify us of a breach, you will need to contact us.

What rights do I have regarding the information you have about me

You may request (and should receive a response in one month) to see the information held about you, at any time, by contacting us.

You also have the right for agreed data inaccuracies to be corrected and if there is any disagreement about the data held for any objections to be added to your personal record.

In most cases you will not be charged for requests and a response will made within a month. Where subject access requests are deemed to be unreasonable or excessive these can be charged for or refused.

If you have any concerns about the information you receive you should, in the first instance discuss these with the Data Protection Officer (telephone 0161-253-6252 or email ig@bury.gov.uk), or contact the Information Commissioner's Office if you are not satisfied with the response.