At Worker’s’ Educational Association (“WEA”), we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy,
This policy explains when and why we collect personal information, how we use it, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others and how we will keep it secure. Our policy applies to all learners and other service users.
By giving the WEA your information or by using our website you are confirming that you are agreeing to be bound by this policy.
Who are we?
The WEA is a charity dedicated to bringing high-quality, professional education into the heart of communities. We are registered under company number 02806910 at our registered office at 4 Luke Street, London, EC2A 4XW.
The WEA is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) as a Data Controller under reference Z4686639. We have appointed a Data Protection Office (DPO) to oversee our processing or personal information.
Why do we collect, process and store personal information?
We need to collect, process and store personal information about you in order to fulfil our obligations as an education provider and to deliver efficient and effective services.
WEA will process your data to:
- Send you marketing information that may be of interest to you.
- Respond to your enquiries and register you for any events hosted by WEA.
- Book you onto your chosen course and where applicable to claim funding.
- Deliver your chosen course of study and monitor your progress.
- Personalise our support to meet your individual needs.
- Ensure security on our premises.
- Fulfil statutory reporting and statistical research purposes.
- Follow up post course for feedback and destination tracking.
How do we collect information about you?
The methods by which we collect information are:
- Website
- WEA Portal
- Call Centre (Support Centre)
- Application and booking form
We may occasionally receive your personal data indirectly from the following sources:
- Your local authority
- The police or other government agencies
- UCAS
- Learning Aims Reference Service (LARS)
- Your employer
- Referral Agencies
How do we manage your personal information?
Processing of your personal information will be undertaken in accordance with the principles of the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation.
Access to information is restricted to authorised individuals on a strictly need to know basis. We will treat your personal information fairly and lawfully. We will ensure that information is:
- Processed for a specific purpose.
- Kept up to date, relevant and not excessive.
- Not kept any longer than necessary.
- Kept secure.
What information do we hold about you?
The information we hold on our records concerns our relationship with you. For example:
- Identifiers – including name, date of birth, nationality, gender, NI number, learner ID number and your photograph.
- Contact details – including address, telephone number and e-mail address.
- Family details – including names and contact details of next of kin.
- Academic Attainment – including prior qualifications, examination and assessment results, and details of current study including process and attendance information.
- Disciplinary details – academic misconduct and details for mitigation.
- Employer details – if your employer is paying your course fees.
- Learning support requirements.
- Safeguarding referrals or investigations details where applicable.
- Financial details – including bank details, fee receipts, outstanding debts, household income and details of any grants or benefits received as applicable.
- Images, audio, and video recordings.
- Records of your correspondence with WEA.
- Records of your attendance at any event hosted by WEA.
This list is not exhaustive, as we hold records of most contacts we have with you, or about you, and we process this information so we can deliver services to you.
We will only ask for personal information that is appropriate to enable us to deliver our services. In some cases, you can refuse to provide your details if you deem the request to be inappropriate. However, you should note that this may impact on our ability to provide some services too you if you refuse to provide information that stops us from doing so.
The types of information collected from you can be categorised as:
- Personal Information
This information can be used to identify you as an individual
- Name (Including previous names)
- Date of Birth
- Qualification details
- Nationality
- National insurance number
- Bank details
- Employment status details
- Benefit details
- Next of kin
- Photographs
- Sensitive personal information/ Special category information
In order for WEA to draw down funding, provide access to some services and for legislative purposes it may be necessary to collect your sensitive personal information, which may include:
- Gender
- Race
- Ethnicity
- Physical or Mental health needs
- Personal Contact Information
This is the personal information you have given us in order that we are able to contact you, this includes:
- Telephone numbers
- Email address
- Postal address
- Customer Feedback
This is the information you voluntarily share with us about your experiences of WEA and includes unsolicited comments, suggestions and feedback which is typically collected in surveys or contact forms.
What are the lawful bases for processing information?
- Contract
When you book onto your chosen course you enter into a contractual agreement (learning agreement). If you choose to use services such as learning support this is also covered under your contractual agreement. - Legal Obligation
WEA are governed by certain legislation, regulations and standards that may require us to retain your data as well as share it with a range of different organisations and public sector agencies or government bodies. - Public Task
WEA is an education institution receiving public funding. As part of our involvement in performing a public task, we are required to use your personal data for statistical analysis and research purposes as well as share your personal data with a range of different organisations and public sector agencies or government bodies. Some processing will involve sharing your contact details with organisations who will ask you to complete surveys. - Vital Interests
In an emergency we may be required to share your personal details with the Emergency Services or Local Authorities. - Legitimate interest
We may process your personal data if it is necessary for our legitimate interests, and you would reasonably expect us to hold and process this data. - Consent
You have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for a specific purpose, like sending us a query or subscribing to receive marketing information.
Under what circumstances will personal data be shared?
Normally, only our employees and volunteers will be able to see and process your personal information. However, there may be times when we will share relevant information with third parties. When sharing personal information, this will be done on a strictly need to know basis and we will comply with all aspects of the Data Protection Act and UK General Data Protection.
When necessary or required we may share your personal information as follows:
- With third party service providers in connection with services performed on our behalf. For example, if we use a mailing house to distribute our letters.
- Our relationships with providers that are governed by our contracts with them which include strict data sharing agreements and confidentiality protocols.
- With local authorities and government departments in England and Scotland as necessary for administering justice, or exercising statutory, governmental, or other public duties.
- With relevant authorities in England and Scotland (for example: Department for Education, Education & Skills Funding Agency, Ofsted, HM Revenues and Customs) In relation to accessing funding and assessment and collection of taxes.
- With other statutory organisations, for example social services and health authorities as necessary for exercising statutory duties.
This is not an exhaustive list as there are other circumstances where we may also be required to share information, for example:
- To meet our legal obligations
- In connection with legal proceedings (or where we are instructed to do so by Court Order)
- To protect the vital interests of an individual (in life-or-death circumstances)
- With mediation and advocacy organisations.
Education and Skills Funding Agency Privacy Notice
The Education and Skills Funding Agency require that all training providers provide you with their privacy notice. You can find the most up-to-date privacy notice via the link below:
ILR Privacy Notice
West Midlands Combined Authority Privacy Notice
The West Midlands Combined Authority require that all training providers provide you with their privacy notice. You can find the most up-to-date privacy notice via the link below:
Privacy Notice (wmca.org.uk)
Greater Manchester Combined Authority Privacy Notice
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority require that all training providers provide you with their privacy notice. You can find the most up-to-date privacy notice via the link below:
GMCA AEB Privacy Notice July 2022 (greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk)
We are committed to ensuring your information is secure. WEA are Cyber Essentials + accredited and take technical measures to protect the confidentiality and integrity of personal information irrespective of the method of collection.
What rights do I have about my personal data and how it is used?
You have rights under Data Protection legislation regarding the information WEA process about you:
- The right to be informed – to be informed why, where, and how we use your information.
- The right of access – to access personal information we hold about you.
- The right to rectification – to ask for your information to corrected if inaccurate or incomplete.
- The right to erasure – to ask for your information to be deleted or removed if there is no need for us to continue processing it.
- The right to restrict processing – to ask us to restrict the use of your personal information.
- The right to portability – to ask us to copy information from one system to another.
- The right to object – to object to how your information is used.
- Rights in relation to automated decision making – to challenge any decisions made without human intervention.
- The right to lodge complaint to the Information Commissioners Office, contact details are below.
- If our processing based upon your consent – to withdraw your consent.
How long is personal data kept?
We will only hold your data for as long as reasonably necessary and in line with our Data Retention Schedule. This does mean that your data may be retained for a period of time after you have stopped using WEA’s services.
Further information
If you would like to exercise any of your rights above, have any questions that you feel have not been covered by this privacy notice, or if you have concerns or a complaint in relation to WEA processing your personal data, please don’t hesitate to contact us on:
Tel: 0300 303 3464
Email: [email protected]
Address: 4 Luke Street, London, EC2A 4XW
You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioners Office if you are unhappy with the way we process your data. Details can be found on the ICO Website, or you may write to the ICO at the following address:
Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a national rate number
Email: [email protected]
Address: Information Commissioners Officer, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
