Children's services privacy notices

Purpose for processing your information

Westminster City Council (WCC) has a contract with Ormiston Academy Trust (OAT) to deliver:

• full time alternative education from the Alternative Provision (AP) academies for children and young people who live in WCC who have been removed from mainstream school as a result of their behaviour,
• on-site behaviour outreach for primary schools where pupils are at risk of exclusion,
• short-term off-site intervention places from the Westminster and Golborne Education Centres for secondary students at risk of exclusion.

We collect the following information

The information that is collected includes the following:

1. AP data:
   1. Personal information: name, date of birth, gender
   2. Personal sensitive information: ethnicity, SEN status, whether previously or currently a looked after child (LAC)
   3. Education information: referring school, reason for referral, start and end dates of placement, school enrolment status, school attendance, exclusions received, academic attainment, whether assessed for re-integration, confirmed destination after year 11, progression to education employment or training (EET).
2. Behaviour Outreach Services:
   1. Personal information: name, date of birth, gender
   2. Personal sensitive information: ethnicity, SEN status, whether previously or currently LAC
   3. Education information: referring school, start and end dates of placement, type of referral/intervention.

Your personal information is only used for a specified purpose(s) but if we intend to use it for any other new purposes, we will normally ask you first.  For instance, in some cases, the Council may wish to use your information for another purpose such as related to improving and developing services, or to prevent or detect fraud. In any event our processing will always have a demonstrable lawful basis. Where practicable and reasonable we will always seek to inform you of any significant proposed changes to how we process or intend to process your personal data, in order to ensure full transparency over how we handle your information.

How we collect your information

The Council receives data from OAT to check that students are being supported towards improved educational outcomes, that future services meet the need of children and young people, and that there are a sufficient number of places available.

OAT collects personal data on the children and young people referred to the services from the referring mainstream schools. The information relating to the child or young person’s education outcomes and progression to EET destinations is collected by OAT directly.

Who is the information shared with?

Information may be shared within Children’s Services including the Early Help Service, to avoid duplication and ensure children and young people receive the appropriate help and support.

We may share information with schools in WCC to agree funding arrangements and check to see how the service is working, this data will not identify you.

We may also share information, for example, if there is a risk of serious harm or threat to life, for the prevention and detection of fraud or crime, assessment of any tax or duty or if we are required to do so by any court or law. 

How long do we keep your information?

The data will be retained for 6 years and then securely destroyed in line with the Corporate Retention Schedule (Nov 2020) policy for School Capacity Planning.

Your rights and access to your information

You have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you. 

The Data Protection Act 2018 also gives you additional rights that refer to how the council holds and uses your information.

Consequently, under certain circumstances, by law you have the right to:

• withdraw consent and the right to object and restrict further processing of your data; however, this may affect service delivery to you.
• request to have your data deleted where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing and provided that there are no legitimate grounds for retaining it.
• request your data to be rectified if it is inaccurate or incomplete
• have your data transferred or copied should you move to another authority
• not be subject to automated decision-making including profiling

Find more information about how to submit a Subject Access Request.

Please visit our web pages for further details on how the council complies with the new Data Protection Act 2018

If you have any concerns

Please contact us if you would like to know more about the information we hold about you and how we use it. Contact: Laura Gregory, [email protected].

You have a right to complain to us if you think we have not complied with our obligation for handling your personal information; for more information please visit our website

If you are not satisfied with the Council’s response you have a right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).  You can report a concern by visiting the ICO website.

Changes in your circumstances

You must notify us immediately if there are any changes in your circumstances and personal details so we can maintain an accurate and up to date record of your information.