Privacy Policy

This is the privacy policy of Pitcorthie Playgroup Dunfermline, Registered Charity Number: SCO11344 based at: John Marshall Community Centre  Pitreavie School Grounds | Pitcorthie Drive | Dunfermline KY11 8AB

Introduction

We are committed to ensuring that any personal data we hold about you and your child is protected in accordance with data protection laws and is used in line with your expectations. We process all personal data according to the UK Data Protection Act 2018 (GDPR).

The Playgroup Administrator is our Data Protection Officer and is responsible for monitoring this privacy policy.

This privacy policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it and how we protect it.

What Personal Data Do We Collect?

Personal records – These include:

  • Personal details – including the information provided on the child’s registration form and any consent forms and characteristics such as ethnicity, language and nationality
  • Information pertaining to health and medical needs, development requirements, and any special educational needs
  • Contractual matters – including the child’s days and times of attendance, a record of the child’s fees and/or funding entitlement, any records of fee reminders and/or disputes
  • Emergency contact details – including those people, other than parents/guardians with authorisation to collect the child from the setting
  • Health and well-being information – including discussions about every day matters regarding the health and well-being of the child with the parent/guardian, records of accidents and medication records
  • Safeguarding and child protection concerns – including records of all welfare and protection concerns and our resulting actions, meetings and telephone conversations about the child and any information regarding a Looked After Child
  • Correspondence and reports – including letters and emails to and from other agencies and any confidential reports relating to specific children

Developmental records – These include:

  • Developmental information collected prior to the child starting at the setting
  • Observations of children in the setting, photographs, video clips, samples of work and developmental assessment records

Why We Collect the Information?

Pitcorthie Playgroup will record, process and keep personal information on you and your child in accordance with Article 9 – ‘processing of special categories of personal data’ under the GDPR – from May 2018.

We use this data to:

  • Support children’s learning
  • Make assessments on children’s development
  • Safeguard the children in our care in accordance with relevant legislation
  • Comply with Government legislation
  • Assess the quality of our services

Collecting Information

Whilst the majority of information you provide to us is mandatory, some of it is provided to us on a voluntary basis. In order to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, we will inform you whether you are required to provide certain information to us or if you have a choice in this.

Storing Data

We ensure that all data and access to children’s files is restricted to all staff and appropriate committee members (e.g. Child Protection Officer). These confidential records are stored in a locked file cabinet at Playgroup and electronically on password protected laptops.

We retain children’s records for five years after they have left the setting, except records that relate to an accident or child protection matter. These are kept seven years after our organisation’s last contact with the child and their family.

Sharing Information

The information that you provide to us, whether mandatory or voluntary, will be regarded as confidential. We do not share information about your child with anyone without consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so.

We are obliged to share confidential information without authorisation from the person who provided it, or to whom it relates, when:

  • There is evidence that the child is suffering, or is at risk of suffering significant harm
  • There is reasonable cause to believe that a child may be suffering, or is at risk of suffering significant harm
  • It is to prevent significant harm arising to children, young people or adults, including the prevention, detection and prosecution of serious crime

Requesting Access to Your Personal Data

Under data protection legislation, parents/guardians, children and young people have the right to request access to information about them that we hold. Where a child is too young to give ‘informed consent’ the parent is the ‘subject’ of the file and has a right to see the information held.

Children’s developmental records are shared regularly with parents/guardians and formal requests to access these are not required.

To make a request for your personal information, please contact our Playgroup Manager or Data Protection Officer by email: [email protected].

You also have the right to:

  • Object to processing of personal data that is likely to cause, or is causing, damage or distress
  • Prevent processing for the purpose of direct marketing
  • Object to decisions being taken by automated means
  • In certain circumstances, have inaccurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased or destroyed; and
  • Claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the Data Protection Regulations

If you would like to discuss anything in this privacy policy, please contact the Playgroup Manager or Administrator on 01383 602382.

If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, you should raise your concern with us in the first instance or directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org.uk/concerns/.

Changes to This Policy

We regularly review this privacy policy and update it from time to time as necessary.