Privacy Policy
The Sheffield College takes the privacy of your information very seriously. Our Privacy Notice below explains how we will collect and use the information you give us via our websites and otherwise when you are using our services, for instance when you complete any paper and online forms, or provide data to us by telephone.
Who are we?
We are The Sheffield College (“we”, “our”, “us”). We are the data controller of personal information about you.
The Sheffield College includes three additional subsidiary companies to which this Privacy Notice also applies. These companies are Sparks Managed Services, Sparks Teaching Services and Sparks Solutions Ltd.
Our Data Protection Officer is Seb Smith. If you have any questions about this policy or the ways in which we use your personal information, please contact:
DPO@sheffcol.ac.uk
Data Protection Officer, The Sheffield College, Granville Road, Sheffield S2 2RL
We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under number: Z667180X.
The data we process
We process data for a number of categories of data subjects. Please view the appropriate section below to read more.
Staff
Who are you?
By staff we mean individuals who are employed by, have applied to work for or who have previously been employed by us.
How we collect personal data
We collect data directly from you in a number of way including:
when you apply to work for us
when you become an employee
when you make a holiday/sickness submission
when you apply for a change of hours or role
when you submit expense claims, travel or hotel bookings
when you complete mandatory workplace training
when you participate in social events
when you use college systems (in limited circumstances)
when you contact the helpdesk
We collect data indirectly from a variety of sources including:
companies that provide us with references
companies that provide us with results on background checks
companies that provide hotel and travel booking services
CCTV when you visit college sites
information concerning your system and application usage which is collected when accessing and using college IT systems. This includes internet usage, system access logs, communications history (including emails, instant messaging and calls)
system logs that contain online identifiers such as IP addresses and cookie-related information
photos and videos when we engage marketing agencies or otherwise collect images at events
We create information that can identify you in a number of ways including:
your unique staff number that can identify you in conjunction with other personal information
capability and disciplinary details
working time information, including sign in/out times
We aim to always ensure that you know we are processing your personal information except where it is disproportionately difficult to do so or when doing so would defeat our legitimate purpose (i.e. in the detection of fraud).
Special category data processing
Additional rules apply to the processing of special category data and, where we process this data, we need to tell you the additional lawful basis for processing.
From time to time, we will request that you complete a Display Screen Equipment (DSE) assessment to ensure that the equipment you are using and your working environment are suitable for your specific needs. This may include special category data.
In the event that you have an accident or injury at work, the details of this will be recorded by our Health and Safety Team. Depending on the nature of the report, it may contain special category data.
If you need to take time off sick (including health issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic), the College will process your information as part of our legal obligations under employment law. This includes keeping a record of employees who are self-isolating or taking time off to care for a dependant. In these situations, the relevant line manager will also record the date you returned to work.
Our lawful basis for processing in these cases is the 'employment, social security and social protection' basis within the Data Protection Act 2018.
If the College determines it is necessary to refer you to an occupational health provider, we will share your personal data with carefully selected third parties that perform occupational health assessments on our behalf.
Our lawful basis for processing in these cases is the 'health or social care purpose’ basis within the Data Protection Act 2018.
We process special category data such as disability, health and ethnicity in order to support diversity and equality in our workforce, and in order to support our colleagues with disabilities whilst working for the College.
Our lawful basis for processing in these cases is the 'equality of opportunity or treatment' basis within the Data Protection Act 2018.
For more information regarding our processing of special category data, please see our Appropriate Policy Document which can be found at privacy.sheffcol.ac.uk.
Our purpose and lawful basis for processing
We use your personal information to:
perform our employment contract
meet our legal obligations
perform tasks as a public authority
This includes but is not limited to:
checking your qualifications
conducting investigations for capability or disciplinary processes, only when required
carrying out our role as your employer or potential employer
keeping an audit trail of our relationship with you in case of employment claims
checking your identity and right to work in UK
setting up payroll and pension and to reimburse expenses
dealing with HMRC on your behalf
safeguarding students
completing our recruitment process and carry out pre-employment checks
monitoring sickness and absences, for wellbeing and health and safety
With your permission (consent), we use your personal information to:
Communicate with you, including for marketing purposes
Who we share it with
We share your personal information with:
anyone who works for us when they need it to do their job
any organisation when we need to perform our employment contract, there is a public interest or we have a legal obligation to do so
organisations who provide services to us/you based on your consent or you opting in to these services
anyone who you give us explicit permission to share it with
Apprentices
Who are you?
By students we mean individuals who are attending the College, have applied to the College or who have previously attended the College.
How we collect personal data
We collect data directly from you in a number of ways including:
when you apply to be a student
when you become a student
when you provide information for funding and student loans
when you create and submit work
when you participate in social events
when you use college systems (in limited circumstances)
when you contact the helpdesk
We collect data indirectly from a variety of sources including from:
third party application platforms
CCTV when you visit college sites
results from exam awarding organisations
information concerning your system and application usage which is collected when accessing and using college IT systems. This includes internet usage, system access logs, communications history (including emails, instant messaging and calls)
system logs that contain online identifiers such as IP addresses and cookie-related information
photos and videos when we engage marketing agencies or otherwise collect images at events
We create information that can identify you in a number of ways including:
your unique student number that can indirectly identify you in conjunction with other personal information
details about your behaviour, progress, and targets
attendance information, including sign-in/sign-out times
We aim to always ensure that you know we are processing your personal information except where it is disproportionately difficult to do so or when doing so would defeat our legitimate purpose (i.e. in the detection of fraud).
Special category data processing
Additional rules apply to the processing of special category data and, where we process this data, we need to tell you the additional lawful basis for processing.
In the event that you have an accident or injury at the College, the details of this will be recorded. Depending on the nature of the report, it may contain special category data.
If you need to take time off sick (including health issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic), the College will process your information as part of our legal obligations.
If the College determines it is necessary, we will share personal data that you have disclosed to us to the police, local authorities or youth services.
Our lawful basis for processing in these cases is the ‘Safeguarding of children and of individuals at risk’ basis within the Data Protection Act 2018.
We process special category data such as disability, health and ethnicity in order to support diversity and equality in our workforce and in order to support our colleagues with disabilities whilst working for the College.
Our lawful basis for processing in these cases is the 'equality of opportunity or treatment' basis within the Data Protection Act 2018.
For more information regarding our processing of special category data, please see our Appropriate Policy Document which can be found at privacy.sheffcol.ac.uk
Our purpose and lawful basis for processing
We use your personal information to:
process your application and enrolment
manage and administer your education
meet our legal obligations
perform tasks as a public authority
monitor attendance and access to the college
This includes but is not limited to:
processing your admission
putting together class lists and to allocate you to the correct classes for assessments
putting together reports and registers
making arrangements for exams or visits
considering whether to offer you a place
considering whether special provision or assistance is required for exams and visits
telling other colleges your attendance dates if you leave
With your permission (consent), we use your personal information to:
Communicate with you, including for marketing purposes
Who we share it with
We share your personal information with:
anyone who works for us when they need it to do their job
your next of kin
emergency contacts, Local Authorities and youth services
third party organisations that provide services to the college
any organisation when we have a legal obligation/legitimate interest to do so
organisations who provide services to us/you based on your consent or you opting in to these services
anyone who you give us explicit permission to share it with
Individuals who are neither staff or students
Who are you?
By individuals who are neither staff or students we mean individuals that visit or interact with the college, either in person or through the College website.
How we collect personal data
We collect data directly from you in a number of ways including:
when you fill out the visitor book
when you fill out a webform
when you provide special access requirements
We collect data indirectly from a variety of sources including from:
CCTV when you visit college sites
when students provide your contact details as a next of kin
online identifiers such as IP addresses and cookie-related information
Special category data processing
Additional rules apply to the processing of special category data and, where we process this data, we need to tell you the additional lawful basis for processing.
From time to time, we will collect disability details for access requirements.
Our lawful basis for processing in these cases is the ‘support for individuals with a particular disability or medical condition’ basis within the Data Protection Act 2018.
If we need to share your details with Track and Trace in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, the College will process your information as part of our legal obligations.
Our lawful basis for processing in these cases is the 'employment, social security and social protection' basis within the Data Protection Act 2018.
For more information regarding our processing of special category data, please see our Appropriate Policy Document which can be found at privacy.sheffcol.ac.uk.
Our purpose and lawful basis for processing
We use your personal information:
to meet our legal obligations
to perform tasks as a public authority
in a way that you would reasonably expect, based on our legitimate interest
This includes but is not limited to:
to effectively manage and administer the College
for analysis and monitoring the performance of the website
to respond to queries about the College
to contact you in relation to a student for who you are next of kin
to ensure that the College is safe and secure for all persons
to understand details of who is in the building and to be able to communicate with them
Who we share it with
We may share your personal information with:
anyone who works for us when they need it to do their job
emergency contacts, Local Authorities and youth services
third party organisations that provide services to the college
any organisation when we have a legal obligation/legitimate interest to do so
organisations who provide services to us/you based on your consent or you opting in to these service
anyone who you give us explicit permission to share it with
Sharing personal data
In order to effectively operate, we need to share personal data from time to time. We only share the minimum amount of information required and where a lawful basis for us to do so has been identified.
The College will only appoint data controllers and data processors who can provide sufficient guarantees that the requirements of the UK GDPR will be met and your rights will be protected.
For international learners sponsored by their country, we will confirm learners are enrolled and attending. Model clauses are in the agreements/contracts with these countries who send international students.
Where we store your data
We do not store personal data outside the UK however we may use organisations to process data on our behalf that do so. We only allow data to be stored in countries that the UK has deemed to have adequate data protection regulations.
Where this is not possible, a legal safeguard will be in place to facilitate the transfer of data.
How long we keep your data
The storage of your personal data will be kept to a minimum, and personal data will not be stored for longer than required for the purpose of which it was collected.
The amount of data stored, and the retention period for that data, is limited to the requirements of the business, contractual, legal or regulatory purposes as specified in our Personal Data Retention Policy.
Your rights
Your data belongs to you; and your rights as the owner of your data are enforced by data protection legislation. A brief summary of your rights is presented below:
Access your data: You can access the information we hold on you at any time, by making a Subject Access Request. There are some exemptions to this right, which means you may not always receive all the information we process.
Rectify your data: You can ask us to correct or complete any information we hold about you that is inaccurate. In some circumstances you can do this yourself via a self-service portal.
Request erasure: You have the right to ‘be forgotten’ in certain circumstances. This right is not absolute.
Request the restriction of processing: You may ask us to suspend the processing your data under certain circumstances. This right is not absolute.
Request the transfer of your data: In some cases, you can ask us to transfer the data you originally provided to us to you or to another company.
Object to the processing of your data: You can object to us processing your data. This right is not absolute.
Object to automated descion-making: You can object to us processing of your personal information where profiling is being used to make assumptions about your behaviours or preferences. The College does not undertake any automated decision-making.
Your right to lodge complaints with the data privacy supervisory authority
If you want to complain about any issues relating to your personal information, you can email or write to us using the address provided above.
You can also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, who can be contacted by telephone at 0303 123 1113, by email using the form at the following web link Contacting the ICO , or in writing to:
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
The Sheffield College is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office under Registration number: Z667180X.
Changes to this privacy notice
We keep our privacy notice under regular review. Our data practices may change from time to time. If and when our data practices change, we will notify you of the changes via this page where the current version of the Privacy Notice will be published. Where appropriate, we will notify you of changes usually by email, but occasionally in another more appropriate format such as letter. We also encourage you to check this page frequently.
Use of cookies
A cookie is a small file placed on a computer’s hard drive to enable the College’s website to identify a computer as individuals view different pages on its website. Cookies allow websites and applications to store preferences in order to present content, options, functions that are specific to individuals. We use “cookies” on our sites to improve the quality of the service we offer, see how many people use the website and to enable users with visual impairment to alter the appearance of our site to suit their needs.
All cookies used by this website are used in accordance with the current Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 as amended by the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) (Amendment) Regulations 2011.
Cookies set by third party site
To support our web sites and services, we sometimes embed photos and video content from websites such as YouTube or Twitter. As a result, when you visit a page with content embedded from these sites you may be presented with cookies from them. The College does not control the dissemination of these cookies. You should check the relevant third-party website for more information about these.
Cookie settings
The process for deleting or blocking cookies depends on the specific browser that you use. Your browser settings can be used to block all cookies or only those of specific websites, including third party cookies.
If you block or delete cookies in some areas of our website this may cause some features to not function properly.
Find out more at www.aboutcookies.org
External links
The site includes links to other ‘external’ websites. We do not control or endorse these websites and are not responsible for their content.