Early Learning & Childcare Privacy Notice

The personal information provided will be used by East Dunbartonshire Council under the provisions of the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). 

The Personal Information will be used to assess and determine eligibility for an Early Learning and Childcare place within East Dunbartonshire and also to assess eligibility for government funding towards the placement. If eligible, the Personal Information will be used to process and allocate the placement and to set up and produce invoices where appropriate.

The personal information will also be used to:-

• Provide an early learning and childcare service
• Support children’s learning
• Monitor and report on children’s attendance, attainment and achievement
• Provide appropriate pastoral care to support health and wellbeing
• Assure the quality of our services in line with national expectations
• Assess and determine eligibility for Early Learning and Childcare placements
• Assess eligibility for government funding towards placements
• Process and allocate the placement
• Set up and produce invoices where appropriate
• Check the information the Council holds is accurate
• Support the promotion of health
• Prevent and/or detect crime; and
• Protect public funds. 

The Council has a legal obligation to ensure that there is an adequate and efficient early learning and childcare system within East Dunbartonshire.

If you do not provide us with the personal information we have asked for then the Council will not be able to provide Early Learning or Childcare services.

The use of the personal information is necessary for the Council to comply with legal obligations under the following legislation:-

• The Education (Scotland) Act 1980
• Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014
• The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (to ensure proper administration of the Council’s financial affairs (including the detection and/or prevention of fraud) 
• The National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978; and
• The Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 (disclosure of data to Audit Scotland for data matching).

The use of the personal information may also be necessary for the Council to perform various tasks carried out in the public interest.

To meet the above requirements the personal information will also be shared with:

• The requested early learning and childcare centre
• SEEMIS, the Council’s Education Management Information System (MIS) provider. This sharing is required in order that the Council has a secure and effective way to record information about the Council’s children
• The Scottish Government, to report performance and help the Scottish Government produce legislation and guidance
• The National Health Service, to support vaccination and health-screening programmes (including dental and vision checks)
• Health professionals where a child requires urgent medical attention, for example on a Council activity or excursion
• Scottish Government Learning Directorate to support parental engagement in the education of children
• Other departments of the Council (e.g. Social Work and the Council’s Audit Service) and Arms Length External Organisations (ALEOs), to support the early years centre and the child’s access to education, support for learning and to support their physical and mental wellbeing
• Bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds
• Other councils
• Public sector agencies
• Governmental departments
• Regulatory and law enforcement bodies; and
• Bodies carrying out data matching exercises and other private companies or entities (such as service providers/contractors to the Council and/or partner bodies.

Set out below are some examples of who we share your Information with and why:

Example 1:
Our accounts are required to be audited by the Accounts Commission. Your Information may be shared with the Accounts Commission or any auditors they appoint as part of the audit under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973.

Example 2:
If you have requested a place at an early learning and childcare centre which is a partnership centre (e.g. not an East Dunbartonshire Council run centre), the Personal Information will require to be shared with the requested partnership centre.

Example 3:
Audit Scotland may require us to take part in data matching exercises to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud and other crime under the terms of the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000.
Data matching involves comparing sets of data held by one body, against other records held by another body. Your Information may therefore be used as part of a data matching exercise.

Example 4:
We use a computerised system called SEEMIS to hold and process educational data. The Personal Information will be uploaded and held on the SEEMIS system and the fact you have applied for an early learning and childcare centre place will be recorded.

East Dunbartonshire Council uses the Scottish Council on Archives Records Retention Schedules to manage the amount of time the Council keeps information. There are a number of schedules that cover the retention of educational records.

For example:-

• 10.002.003 Admission forms Retention for 1 year
• 10.002.007 Attendance records Retention for 4 years
• 10.002.008 Exclusion records Retention for 7 years
• 10.002.012 Placing request applications for 3 years
• 10.002.014 Pupil Progress Report Retention for 5 years.

Early Learning and Childcare data within the Scottish Government is managed effectively by secure systems on secure servers and is exploited as a valuable corporate resource, subject to confidentiality restraints.

Regarding the retention of data, Article 5 of the UK GDPR “Principles relating to processing of personal data” states:
“personal data may be stored for longer periods insofar as the personal data will be processed solely for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes subject to implementation of the appropriate technical and organisational measures required by the UK GDPR in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of individuals”.

Full details about the retention schedules are available on the Scottish Council of Archives website.

We aim to directly resolve all complaints about how we handle personal information. However, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office, who can be contacted by post at: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. By phone on 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745. Visit the Information Commissioner's Office website

Should you have any questions or concerns about the Council’s handling of your personal data you can contact the Council’s Data Protection Officer.

Karen Donnelly
Data Protection Officer
East Dunbartonshire Council
12 Strathkelvin Place
Kirkintilloch
G66 1TJ

Tel: 0300 123 4510

dpo@eastdunbarton.gov.uk