How We Use Your Personal Information and why we have it
For the purposes of relevant data protection legislation, the DfE is the data controller for personal data processed by the ESFA. Your personal information is used by the DfE to exercise its functions and to meet its statutory responsibilities, including under the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 and to create and maintain a unique learner number (ULN) and a personal learning record (PLR).
Your information may be used for education, training, employment, and well-being related purposes, including for research. The DfE and the English European Social Fund (ESF) Managing Authority (or agents acting on their behalf) may contact you to carry out research and evaluation to inform the effectiveness of training.
How long we will keep your personal data
Your information will be securely destroyed in accordance with the ESFA’s retention and disposal schedule after it is no longer required for these purposes.
How we share your personal data
Your information may also be shared with other third parties for the above purposes, but only where the law allows it, and the sharing is in compliance with data protection legislation.
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you have rights including:
- Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.
- Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
- Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
- Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
- Your right to object to processing - You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
- Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.
- You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.
How to withdraw consent
You can agree to be contacted by other third parties by ticking any of the following boxes:
About courses or learning opportunities
For surveys and research
By post
By phone
By e-mail
For further information about use of and access to your personal data, details of organisations with whom we regularly share data, information about how long we retain your data, and how to change your consent to being contacted, please visit:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esfa-privacy-notice
How to complain
If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to the Data Protection Officer at: Ministerial and Public Communications Division, Department for Education, Piccadilly Gate, Store Street, Manchester, M1 2WD. You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data by writing to: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. Helpline number: 0303 123 1113. ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk
Changes to this privacy notice
We may change this privacy notice and we encourage you to check this privacy notice from time to time.
Date last updated: 26th January 2021