Outreach programme privacy notice

Information you need to know

The Outreach Team is part of Liverpool John Moores University. See further information on the institution.

Liverpool John Moores University is the Data Controller.

Our Data Protection Officer can be contacted at DPO@ljmu.ac.uk.

This privacy notice explains how we use your personal information and your rights regarding that information.

For information about how the wider university uses personal data, please see the Privacy notice section of our website.

Information we are collecting

We collect personal information from you via the personal information sheet so that you can take part in the programme. This includes your:

  • full name
  • home address
  • telephone number
  • email address
  • school and year group

We may also collect additional information to support the delivery and monitoring of the programme. This can include information about:

  • your gender and ethnicity
  • details of any disability or additional support needs
  • whether your parents or carers have attended university
  • whether you have spent time in local authority care
  • whether you are a young carer

Source of the personal data

We collect personal data directly from you. This information is provided when you complete the personal information sheet to take part in the programme.

Why we are collecting your data and the legal basis for this

We process personal data in accordance with the principles of the GDPR and only where there is a valid lawful basis to do so.

The university runs outreach programmes to help support access to higher education. These programmes are delivered with local schools and form part of the university’s Access and Participation Plan, which is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS).

To meet these requirements, LJMU must be able to understand who is taking part in outreach activities and, where possible, track progression into higher education in order to demonstrate the impact of these programmes.

We collect and use your personal data to:

  • enable you to take part in the outreach programme
  • monitor and evaluate progress within the programme
  • meet our statutory and regulatory requirements to report to funders and education regulators on the effectiveness of our outreach activity

The lawful basis for this processing is that it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest, and the legal basis is Article 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR.

LJMU uses HEAT, a sector standard, web based system used by universities across the UK to manage outreach data and evaluate access and participation activity. For further information about how HEAT uses personal data, please see their privacy notice.

We may also collect additional information such as:

  • gender
  • ethnicity
  • disability
  • care experience
  • caring responsibilities

This information helps us to understand whether our programmes are supporting access to higher education for a broader section of society and ensure that appropriate support or adjustments can be provided when attending activities.

This information is optional and is collected only with your explicit consent. The lawful basis for processing this information is Article 9(2)(a) of the UK GDPR (consent).

You may withdraw your consent at any time. This will not affect your ability to take part in the programme. Consent can be withdrawn by contacting the relevant Outreach Account Manager or the university’s Data Protection Officer.

Who has access to this data

Your personal data will be accessed by relevant LJMU staff only where it is necessary for them to carry out their role in delivering, managing, or evaluating outreach activities.

LJMU also uses HEAT, a secure, sector‑standard system used by universities to record and evaluate outreach activity. Personal data entered into HEAT is used solely for outreach and access monitoring purposes.

The university may also share personal data with other trusted service providers who support our outreach and communications activities. These organisations act on the university’s behalf under contractual agreements and are required to protect personal data to UK data protection standards.

We do not sell your data or use it for marketing purposes, and your information will not be shared outside the university’s approved service providers for purposes unrelated to the outreach programme.

How the university protects your data

We are committed to keeping your personal data safe in line with data protection legislation and the university’s information security and data protection policies.

Paper based records are stored securely in locked cabinets and are accessible only to members of the Outreach Team who need the information as part of their role.

Electronic data is stored securely, either within HEAT or on restricted University systems, such as the department’s shared drive. Access to these systems is limited to authorised Outreach Team staff only.

How long the university keeps your data

Your personal data will be kept for five years after your last interaction with the university, in line with the university’s Records Retention Schedule.

Some outreach programmes engage with pupils from Year 9 through to Year 13. Retaining data for this period allows the university to understand participation over time and to report accurately on progression into higher education, as required by the Office for Students.

After this period, personal data is securely deleted or anonymised in accordance with university policy.

Your rights

As a data subject, you have a number of rights. You can:

  • access and obtain a copy of your data on request - this could be in a portable electronic format
  • request that the university changes incorrect or incomplete data if you think that it is inaccurate or out of date
  • request that the university delete or stop processing your data, for example where the data is no longer necessary or legally required for the purposes of processing

If your personal data has been provided by consent, you have a right to withdraw that consent at any time.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact the Data Protection Officer at DPO@ljmu.ac.uk.

If you do not provide data

Providing additional personal data is optional. If you choose not to provide data for tracking and reporting purposes, your information will not be processed within HEAT.

In these cases, the university will retain a minimal record of your name, school, and year group to allow the outreach activity to be delivered and administered appropriately.

Transfers of data outside the UK

We normally keep your personal data within the UK. In some cases, however, we may need to transfer it to another country - for example, to deliver a contract with you or to work with a partner organisation such as a university based overseas.

Whenever this happens, we make sure your information stays protected. This could be through a UK “adequacy regulation” (which confirms that the other country’s data protection laws are up to UK standards) or by putting strong safeguards in place.

These safeguards might include:

  • model contractual clauses
  • formal data sharing or processing agreements
  • binding corporate rules

In short, even if your data travels abroad, it will continue to be treated with the same care and respect as it would under UK law.

Automated decision-making

We do not use computers to make decisions about you based solely on your personal data. Any decisions that affect you will always be made by a human, ensuring that you are treated fairly.

How to complain to the university

You have a right to complain to the university if you think it has not properly responded to your request for personal information or feel it has not handled your personal data responsibly.

If you are not satisfied with how your request for information or how your personal data has been handled, you should set out your complaint in writing to:

Maria Burquest
University Secretary and General Counsel
Legal and Governance Services
2nd Floor Exchange Station
Tithebarn Street
Liverpool
L2 2QP

or by email via DPO@ljmu.ac.uk.

How to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office

You have the right to complain to The Information Commissioner if you believe that our processing of your personal data does not meet our data protection obligations. The Information Commissioner can be contacted using the following details:

  • Post: Information Commissioners Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK95AF.
  • Telephone: 0303 123 1113.
  • Email: contact can be made by accessing the ICO website.