Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)

SEND privacy notice for parents, carers and young people

Who we are and what we do

Westmorland and Furness Local Authority (LA) needs to collect some of your child's personal information to help with your child’s Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) or an assessment to see if your child might need an EHCP.

We will:

  • take good care of your data
  • tell you how we are going to use it
  • keep this information up to date and make changes if the rules change

How we use your information

We follow important rules to make sure your information is:

  • used fairly: We use your information in a way that is fair and legal
  • only for what we need: We only ask for the information we need to help with your child’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or an assessment to see if your child needs an EHCP
  • accurate: We keep your information up to date
  • safe: We make sure your information is kept secure

The information we collect

To help with your child’s EHCP or assessment for an EHCP, we might need to collect:

  • personal data: This includes your name, address, telephone number, email, date of birth, and your parent or carer’s details
  • special category data: This could be things like your school attendance, any special help your child gets at school, health information, or other details about your child

Please note: We do not collect any criminal information.

Where we get the information and why

You might give us your information directly by filling out forms or by contacting us. We might also get it from other schools, health services, or other Local Authorities (LA).

We collect your information to:

  • see if your child needs an EHCP
  • help with the support your child has in school
  • make sure your child is safe and healthy
  • keep track of how your child is doing in school

Collecting your information

We collect your information to:

  • see if you need an EHCP
  • help with your school support
  • make sure you are safe and healthy
  • keep track of how you are doing in school

Sharing your information

Sometimes, we need to share your child’s information with:

  • other schools or education services
  • health services, like doctors or nurses
  • other teams or services in the LA that might help you

We only share your child's information when it is necessary and always keep it safe.

Your rights

You have rights when it comes to your information:

  • see your data: You can ask to see the information we have about your child
  • fix mistakes: If something is wrong with your child’s information, we will fix it
  • say no: You can say no to how we use your child’s information in some cases
  • erase data: You can ask us to delete your child’s information if we do not need it anymore.

If you have any problems in relation to your personal data or you see something that doesn’t look right, contact dataprotection@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.

If you have questions

If you have any questions about how we use your child’s information, you can email us at dataprotection@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk 

or write to us at:

The Data Protection Team
Westmorland and Furness Council
South Lakeland House
Lowther Street
Kendal
Cumbria
LA9 4DQ

If you are not happy with our response

You can complain to:

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which makes sure that personal information is handled correctly.
ICO - Make a complaint
or call 0303 123 1113

We are here to help and keep your information safe.