Greater London Authority – FE Student Mental Health Needs Assessment: Privacy Notice

In line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in this privacy notice for research participants, we explain the legal basis for data processing for the project `FE Student Mental health Needs Assessment’. This includes who will have access to your personal data, how your data will be used, stored and deleted and who you can contact with a query or a complaint.

What is the legal basis for processing my data?

The Greater London Authority (GLA) is the data controller for this project. This means that they are responsible for deciding the purpose and legal basis for processing data. For this project, the legal basis for processing data is Article 6(1)(e) where: “processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller”.

This will include sharing personal information with a third party conducting the research project (Institute for Employment Studies). 

You can contact Dan Lescure, Senior Mental Health Policy & Programme Officer at the GLA with any questions about the project at: Daniel.Lescure@london.gov.uk

Who will have access to my personal data?

The GLA and THRIVE London have commissioned the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) to lead research to understand students’ mental health needs in further education (FE), as well as the provision available through the FE sector to meet these needs.

The research will involve stakeholder interviews, a survey of education and training providers and deep-dive case studies with several providers in the capital. Personal data (i.e. name, job role, email address) will only be collected where it is necessary: either to send invitations to participate in the research or where it is relevant to the interview/survey to contextualise your responses. For the purposes of recruitment, this information will either be obtained from publicly available sources (i.e. your organisation’s website) or supplied by the GLA with your explicit consent.

Where personal information is collected, these details will be stored on an encrypted server with access restricted solely to members of the IES research team. They will not be shared outside of the organisation.

How will my data be treated?

If you are invited and choose to take part in an interview, survey or case study for this project, the data you give will be used for research purposes only. IES will produce a report that summarises the main findings from all these research activities. Individuals will not be named, nor will any information be included that could reveal your identity.

With your permission, we may list the organisations that contributed towards the study, and include the names of the education and training providers selected for the case studies when highlighting examples of best practice.

Your personal information will be securely deleted from the IES systems once the project is complete (currently estimated to be July 2021).

Who can I contact if I would like to withdraw my interview data?

You have the right to withdraw the information you have provided as part of the interviews or survey up to two weeks after you have submitted your response. If you have taken part in an interview or the survey but would like your data withdrawn, please contact: jonathan.buzzeo@employment-studies.co.uk

Who can I contact with a query about how my data will be used?

If you have any questions about how your data will be used, please contact

■    Dan Lescure, Senior Mental Health Policy & Programme Officer at the GLA, Daniel.Lescure@london.gov.uk

■    Matthew Williams, Senior Research Fellow and GDPR officer at IES Matthew.Williams@employment-studies.co.uk

Who can I contact with a complaint?

Under GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk