The Data Protection Act 1998 imposes obligations on those responsible for processing personal data and gives individuals rights to access their personal information

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) uses information collected in the School Workforce Census for research and statistical purposes, to evaluate and develop education policy. The data may be shared with the following third parties, as prescribed in the regulations (http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2007/uksi_20072260_en_1):

• Local Government Association, www.lga.gov.uk
• HM Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills, www.ofsted.co.uk
• Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, www.qca.org.uk
• Learning and Skills Council for England, www.lsc.gov.uk
• Audit Commission for Local Authorities http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk
• National Health Service in England and Wales. http://www.nhs.uk
• National College for School Leadership, http://www.ncsl.org.uk/
• Office of Manpower Economics, www.ome.uk.com
• Training and Development Agency for Schools, www tda.gov.uk
• General Teaching Council for England, www.gtce.org.uk

The DCSF may also disclose individual information to independent researchers who have a legitimate need for it for their research, but each case will be determined on its merits and subject to the approval of the Department’s Chief Statistician.

Information collected may be matched with other data sources that the Department holds to provide comprehensive information back to LAs and learning institutions to support their day to day business. The Department may also use contact details from these sources to obtain samples for statistical surveys: these surveys may be carried out by research agencies working under contract to the Department and participation in such surveys is usually voluntary. The Department may also match data from these sources to data obtained from statistical surveys.

The Local Authority will use information about the school workforce for whom it provides services to carry out specific functions for which it is responsible. This information is used to derive statistics to inform decisions on workforce development and recruitment.

Staff employed or otherwise engaged to work at schools or Local Authorities, as data subjects, have certain rights under the Data Protection Act, including a general right of access to personal data held on them. If you wish to have further information about the personal data held, please contact in the first instance your Head Teacher or the Local Authority’s Principal Information and Records Officer, Rob Hutton (rob.hutton@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk).