Post-pandemic speech, language and communication needs (SLCN): privacy notice

The Welsh Government has funded Bangor University and the University of South Wales (USW) to undertake a collaborative research project.

As part of this research Bangor University will be gathering information through an online survey targeted at a diverse range of stakeholders including Welsh government policy leads, regional consortia, additional learning needs coordinators, educational psychologists, schools in North and South Wales, speech and language therapists and parent and carers. 

The survey tool will also be used as a mechanism to recruit participants for follow up focus group research.

The Welsh Government is the data controller for the research, however the research team at Bangor University will undertake all data collection exercises. They will also oversee the general management of the focus groups including invitations to attend and transcription. Bangor University will anonymise all data, before it is shared with us.

Your participation in the research is completely voluntary. However, your views and experiences are important to help inform this Welsh Government research project and Welsh Government Policies. 

Ethical approval for this research study has been attained from the School of Education Research Ethics Committee of Bangor University. 

The contact for this research is educationproject@bangor.ac.uk

What personal data do we hold and where do we get this information?

Personal data is defined under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) as ‘any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified by reference to an identifier’.

The online survey will be distributed via the existing networks of members of the project advisory panel. 

You are not required to provide any personal data and by completing the survey neither your email address nor your OP address are captured automatically so your responses are anonymous. However, we would like to explore issues in more depth in focus groups and if you would be willing to take part you need to provide your contact details (name and email address). This is recorded in a separate survey form so that your responses remain anonymous.

Where you have not received a survey you may have been approached by a mutually known third party who have asked if you would be willing to take part in a focus group. You have agreed for that third party to share your details (name and email address) with Bangor University.

Were you agree to take part in a focus group, the invitations to participate will be done using privacy settings and emails sent to the group will use the Bcc section to avoid sharing contact details with all other group members.

Participation in a focus group does not require the collection of additional personal data from you, other than your image if you agree to a meeting being video recorded.

We may wish to record focus group discussions for operational reasons. We will make this clear to you before the session begins, and you will have the opportunity to tell us if you are not happy for the discussion to be recorded. Focus group discussions will only be recorded if all members of the group are happy for this to happen. If focus group discussions are recorded, any personal data shared, will be removed during the process of transcribing. Recordings will be deleted as soon as this process is completed. If discussions are not recorded, personal data will not be included in written notes.

What is the lawful basis for using your data?

The lawful basis for processing information in this data collection exercise is our public task, that is, exercising our official authority to undertake the core role and functions of the Welsh Government.

Participation is completely voluntary. However, your views and experiences are important to help inform this Welsh Government research project and Welsh Government Policies.

How secure is your personal data?

Personal information provided to Bangor University is always stored on a secure server, stored behind a Microsoft 2-step authenticator system. The data can only be accessed by a limited number of researchers working on this project. Bangor University will only use this data for research purposes.

Bangor University have procedures to deal with any suspected data security breaches. If a suspected breach occurs, Bangor University will report this to the Welsh Government who will notify you and any applicable regulator where there is a legal requirement to do so. 

The transcripts from focus group discussions will not contain personal data and will be deleted at the end of the project. Where the final research reports refer to focus group findings, this will be in relation to all participants and no identifiable information will be included.

How long do we keep your personal data? 

Bangor University will hold personal data for the duration of the contract with the Welsh Government. Bangor University will delete any personal data within three months of the end of that contract. This includes your contact details.

Individual rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to the personal information you provide as part of this research into the SLCN of learners, you have the right:

• to access a copy of your own data
• for us to rectify inaccuracies in that data
• to object to or restrict processing (in certain circumstances)
• for your data to be ‘erased’ (in certain circumstances)
• to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who is our independent regulator for data protection

The contact details for the Information Commissioner’s Office are:

Wycliffe House 
Water Lane 
Wilmslow 
Cheshire 
SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113

Website: www.ico.gov.uk

Further Information

If you have any further questions about how the data provided as part of this study will be used by the Welsh Government or wish to exercise your rights using the UK General Data Protection Regulation, please contact:

E-mail: schoolsresearch@gov.wales

Telephone number: 0300 025 1015

The Welsh Government’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted at:

Welsh Government 
Cathays Park 
Cardiff 
CF10 3NQ 

Email: DataProtectionOfficer@gov.wales