ELC Transformation Project: privacy notice

How the data is collected and stored

What happens to your information?

The Scottish Government will receive ELC information directly from each local authority to reduce the burden upon settings and promote the efficient collection, processing and dissemination of statistical information. The data processing will be conducted by SEEMiS (in the majority of local authorities) who are working directly with the Scottish Government and local authorities to compile and transfer the data between the organisations involved. Data not received through SEEMiS will be transferred directly from local authorities to the Scottish Government.

The trials data will be used to test the process of the new census and identify any issues. When established, the new ELC census data will be used to support research, planning, management and monitoring of funded ELC provision as well as to make publicly available summaries of the data in National Statistics publications.

As part of its data policy, Scottish Government will not publish or make publicly available any information that allows individual children or staff to be identified, nor will data be used by Scottish Government to take any actions in respect of individuals.

How will the data be kept secure?

Education data within Scottish Government is managed effectively by secure systems on secure servers and is treated and used as a valuable corporate resource subject to confidentiality restraints.

Regarding the retention of census data, it may be kept indefinitely following appropriate safeguards, in line with current data protection legislation. Data from the trials will only be kept for as long as is deemed necessary, and will not be shared.

The data are processed in line with the existing data protection legislation. When the census is established, the data will be used to inform funded ELC planning and provision, with the potential for future data linkage, possibly with health or educational outcomes. Data may be made available to researchers or charities to meet their own research needs, subject to strict access controls and approval on an individual application basis by a Data Access Panel. This is a group of relevant colleagues and individuals within and outwith Scottish Government who make an informed decision prior to any sharing or linkage of data. Any resulting actions will be done under the strict control of Scottish Government, and will be consistent with our data policy and the Guiding Principles for Data Linkage. At all times the rights of the individual (children or staff) under the data protection and other relevant legislation will be ensured.

Who is processing the data for this project?

The data processor for the majority of the data for this project is SEEMiS Group who process data for both ELC settings and schools in Scotland. SEEMiS are not using this data for their own purposes. SEEMiS Group are an education Management Information System provider and may be contacted at letters@seemis.gov.scot. The data collected will be held within Scotland before being transferred to the Scottish Government. The source of this data is information held on local authority data management systems on children receiving ELC funded hours within Scotland.

Not all data is likely to be received through SEEMiS as not all local authorities use this system to record ELC data. Some information will come directly from the local authority to the Scottish Government. ScotXed (within the Scottish Government) will transfer the data from SEEMiS or local authorities to the Scottish Government using ProcXed, a secure software for collecting and validating data.

Why is this information needed, and how will it be used?

Scottish Ministers and education authorities have a legal obligation to assess education and therefore require accurate data on funded ELC provision to meet these duties. For example, linking funded ELC uptake rates with information on the children enrolled in funded ELC allows for consideration of flexible yet effective ways to deliver funded ELC. In addition, having richer, more considered information available helps identify areas to improve the quality of education and care, by ensuring that provision is accessible to all, and has the skilled workforce required.