The Shires Educational Psychology - Privacy Notice
Who we are
The Shires Educational Psychology Ltd. is an independent educational psychology service led by Jordan Self, Educational Psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Why we collect information
We collect and use personal information in order to provide psychological services to children, young people, families, and schools.
● to plan and deliver appropriate services and support to a child
● to contact parents and/or school staff in relation to the work we are carrying out with a child
● to provide a written report for you and for anyone else with parental responsibility for your child
● to be able to respond appropriately to safeguarding concerns
● to be able to reply to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.
What information we collect
Depending on the work requested, we may collect:
● Basic personal details (name, address, date of birth, contact details).
● Educational information (school records, reports, attendance, progress data and details of special educational needs, safety and wellbeing).
● Family background, developmental and health history where relevant, including details of other services/agencies involved with the school, family or child.
● Notes from meetings, assessments, and observations, including subsequent reports written by the Shires Educational Psychology.
How do we process your personal data?
● We comply with our obligations under the GDPR by keeping personal data up to date; by storing and destroying it securely; by not collecting or retaining excessive amounts of data; by protecting personal data from loss, misuse, unauthorised access and disclosure and by ensuring that appropriate technical measures are in place to protect personal data.
How information is collected
● Directly from parents/carers, schools, and the young person (where appropriate).
● From existing records provided by parents, schools, local authorities, or health professionals, with consent.
How we use the information
We use the information to:
● Understand the needs of the child/young person.
● Provide psychological advice, support, and recommendations.
● Communicate effectively with families, schools, and other professionals (with consent).
● Meet our legal and professional obligations as HCPC-registered practitioners.
Legal basis for processing
We collect and use personal information in circumstances where:
● You have given your consent for involvement with the Shires Educational Psychology Ltd.:
○ Article 6 (a) Consent: the individual has given clear consent for you to process their personal data for a specific purpose
○ Article 9 - (a) Explicit consent
Under UK GDPR, the lawful bases we rely on are:
● Consent – when families/schools agree to our involvement and the sharing of information.
● Legal obligation – where safeguarding concerns require us to share information
● Legitimate interests – where processing is necessary to deliver psychological services.
How information is stored
● Records are kept securely (encrypted digital files and password-protected storage).
● Any paper-based forms will be stored in locked cabinets for the duration of the educational psychology involvement then scanned and uploaded to your child’s electronic file, then destroyed (shredded).
How long information is kept
● Records are retained until the young person’s 25th birthday (or the 26th if referred after age 17), unless legal/statutory requirements differ.
● After this period, records are securely destroyed (digitally deleted).
Who information is shared with
● Reports are shared only with those agreed in advance (e.g. parents/carers, schools, local authority).
● In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and legal duties, we may also share your personal information when we feel there is a good reason that is more important than protecting your privacy. This does not happen often, but we may share your information:
○ in order to find and stop crime and fraud; or if there are serious risks to the public, our staff or to other professionals
○ to protect a child
○ to protect adults who are thought to be at risk, for example if they are frail, confused or cannot understand what is happening to them
● For all of these reasons the risk must be serious before we can decide to override your right to privacy.
● We will never share information about a child or young person with anyone without parental consent unless the law allows us to do so. We will only share information with professionals who are directly involved in supporting your child’s needs within an education setting.
● We will ask for your permission to share information and data where this is essential to support your child’s needs.
Your rights
You have the right to:
● Request a copy of information held about you/your child.
● Ask for corrections if data is inaccurate.
● Withdraw consent at any time (unless there is a safeguarding concern or legal obligation).
● Request deletion of records (unless retention is required by law).
What happens if you choose not to provide consent for processing personal data?
Please note that not providing your personal data may lead to you or your child being unable to utilise services provided by the Shires Educational Psychology Ltd..
Contact details
If you have questions about this Privacy Notice or the way your data is handled, please contact:
Jordan Self
Educational Psychologist
The Shires Educational Psychology Ltd.
jordan.self@theshires-ep.com
Complaints
If you are unhappy with how your data has been handled, please contact us in the first instance. You also have the right to raise concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): https://ico.org.uk.