Privacy notice for Children’s Services: your information and you - Overview

This privacy notice tells you how we use your information, why we do it, and what rights you have about the information we keep about you.

We might have information about you or your family because you have contacted Children's Services, are receiving help from us, or have received help before.

East Sussex County Council takes data protection very seriously. We will use your information properly, keep it safe, and only use it if it is fair and lawful in line with Data Protection law.

What information is being used?

We use different information about you depending on the services we provide. We always have your name and contact details. We might also have your date of birth, gender, ethnic background, school name, unique pupil number, and sometimes your NHS number.

For the services we give you, we might also have other information in our databases, like:

  • details and papers related to the services you get from us
  • information we get from other organisations, like reports from doctors and other health professionals, to help us decide how to provide the best services for you.

How will your information be used?

We keep your information to provide the services you need and to stay in touch. We also use it to plan and make our services better, and to check any concerns you have about the services you receive. We do this because we have legal duties or because it is important for the public (in the public interest).

We always try to keep high standards, use best practices for our record-keeping, and regularly check and report how we are doing. We never sell your information for marketing.

Only people with a valid reason and permission can see your paper or electronic records. People like a head teacher, health visitor, social worker, therapist, or other people providing services to you can access our databases.

Our staff are trained to handle your information correctly and protect your privacy.

Your information is processed in the UK or a country that has an adequacy agreement.

All information is held securely according to our Data Protection and Information Security Policy.

What is the legal basis for processing your information?

We usually collect and keep your information either because there is a law we are following, or because doing so is in the public interest and is part of the duties of the Council. For example, we have a duty, under section 11 of the Children Act 2004, to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. This means we need to collect and use your personal details to comply.

  • If we have a contract with you, we need to use your data to make it work.
  • If we need your consent to use your information, we will ask you directly.
  • If there's another reason we need to use your personal information, we will tell you when we collect it.

How long will your information be kept for?

All the information that Children's Services handles is kept for a certain amount of time. How long we keep it depends on the type of information and the need to have it, according to law or other operational requirements.

You can find the full details of how long we keep information in the Children's Services retention policy and schedules in the Council’s retention schedule.

Sharing your information

To give you the services you need, East Sussex County Council might share your information with other trusted organisations. These organisations will follow data protection rules.

Use of third party organisations

  • We only share information when it is really needed.
  • We use the smallest amount of personal information possible.
  • We make sure there are good security measures in place.
  • We follow the law when sharing information.

Some organisations we might share your information with include:

  • the Department for Education
  • Ofsted
  • the Department of Health
  • your school
  • your doctor
  • the NHS

During emergencies like coronavirus, we must share information with other organisations to help. These include other local councils, the Police, Fire services, Ambulance services, the NHS, and Public Health England.

We may use the information we have about you to help stop crime or fraud. Sometimes, we may need to share your information with other government organisations to check how we are doing and plan national services.

We only share your information if there is a real need for it, and we always follow the law. This helps us and other organisations provide the right service for you. We also share information to improve our services and to investigate any concerns you have.

We may also share your information if it is needed to protect you or someone else from harm.

Your rights

Under the law, you have the right:

  • to know why, where, and how we use your information
  • to ask to see your information
  • to ask for your information to be corrected if it is wrong or incomplete
  • to ask for your information to be deleted if we don’t need it anymore
  • to ask us to pause using your information
  • to ask us to safely move your information from one computer system to another
  • to object to how we use your information
  • to question any decisions made by computers without human involvement

You can ask to see your information using your rights under the law. This is called a Subject Access Request. If you are a child or young person, we will check if you understand your rights. If we think you do, we will answer you directly. We might allow a parent or guardian to use a child’s rights for them if the child agrees or if it’s best for the child.

Please see data subject rights for more details.

How to find out more or complain

Should you have any further queries on the uses of your information, please speak to the manager of the service you have been dealing with.

Should you wish to complain about the use of your information, please contact:


Children’s Services Customer Relations Team
PO Box 4
County Hall
St Anne’s Crescent
Lewes BN7 1SG

Telephone: 01273 482 304
Submit your complaint online

Or you can contact our Data Protection Officer

For further information on making a complaint about Children’s Services, see our complaints policy.

If you have a concern about the way we are collecting or using your personal data, we request that you raise your concern with us in the first instance. Alternatively, you can contact the ICO:

 Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

Phone: 0303 123 1113 (local rate)
Email ICO
Report a concern on the ICO website