Privacy Policy

York Learning
Author: Will Harris
Date of Publication: 18 January 2018
Revision August 2026
First date of review August 2027

City of York Council (CYC) current data protection notification is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) – reference Z5809563.  We regularly review this privacy notice, and it was last updated in August 2026.

CYC is committed to ensuring that your information is handled in accordance with the principles set out in data protection legislation and guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). This privacy notice tells you what to expect when we process your information and  applies to our York Learning services. You can find more information about our services at Home – York Learning and .

CYC is the controller for this information unless we specifically state otherwise in this privacy notice.

You can contact the council’s Data Protection Officer at

West Offices
Station Rise
York
YO1 6GA

Telephone: 01904 555719

Email: information.governance@york.gov.uk.

This privacy notice should be read in conjunction with other CYC privacy notices that are available in our Privacy Notice and/or CYC policies and procedures.

When appropriate we will provide a ‘just in time’ notice to cover any additional processing activities not mentioned in this privacy notice.

How do we get your information

We will get your information from one or more of the following sources:

  • directly from you
  • from third parties acting on your behalf such as family member(s), advocates, councillors, MPs,
  • from third parties who are advising or supporting you such as a Specialist Careers Adviser or other supporting professional such as a Social Worker
  • from other organisations such as NHS and the Police
  • from our commissioned partners or contractors who undertake work on our behalf

What personal data we process and why

We will only process the information that is necessary to provide our services  such as:

  • Name
  • date of birth
  • NINO (National Insurance Number)
  • Address
  • Postcode
  • contact details such as phone or email
  • Employer name
  • employment status
  • destination information
  • prior attainment level
  • Specific requirements such as accessibility or additional learning needs
  • Criminal Offence(s) / History
  • Payment details

When we ask for equalities, diversity and inclusion (EDI) information sometimes called “About you” information, this may include some or all of the following

  • Age
  • gender
  • if the gender you identify with is the same as your sex registered at birth
  • how you think of yourself
  • religion or belief
  • ethnic group
  • if you consider yourself disabled,
  • if you are a carer
  • if you have experience of being in care

EDI information is only used to help us understand the EDI makeup of our customers and will be anonymised which means it cannot be linked back to you or individuals.

We will ask for your consent:

  • to access your personal learning record (PLR) as without it we will need you to bring proof of prior achievement such as exam certificates as a prerequisite for gaining a place on a course.
  • to take part in our surveys, feedback , event registration or consultation either as a learner, non-learner or attendee or exhibitor at a job fair/event,
  • to take photographs or videos or audio recording for celebrating your achievements of your work or as part of ongoing marketing and publicity such as promoting our job fairs/events etc. You can find more information about how the council may use photos, videos and audio recordings in the Communications Team including photos, filming and recording Privacy Notice
  • to be on the contact list for future Job Fairs, events etc
  • to make you aware from time to time about other York Learning Services. All marketing contact about York Learning services will be conducted by York .
  • to receive York Learning newsletters, updates and or specific courses that you might be interested in
  • to be contacted by Tribal Group for other services they offer

You can withdraw your consent to any of the above at any time by contacting york.learning@york.gov.uk

Learning activities

We use your information to provide appropriate learning that meets all learners needs including those with additional learning needs.

We are contractually required to process your information by YNYCA, WYCA, HEYCA and ESF (funding bodies) which means we are obliged to have this data as a prerequisite for you attending our learning provision. This is so both the council, and the funding bodies can meet their statutory responsibilities and exercise its functions. As part of this requirement. you may be contacted by the ESF Managing Authority, the YNYCA, WYCA, HEYCA or their agents, to carry out research and evaluation on the effectiveness of the programme.

Some of our learning requires completing an electronic portfolio of assignments. We currently use Google sites for this and OneFile specifically for our apprenticeship and work based learning programmes only. This facility gives access to learners, their tutor and limited access to their employers (if they are an apprentice only) to complete assignments and to receive feedback. This site also monitors how often and when the site is visited by the learner and this information is available to tutors only during the lifetime of the course undertaken. All learners will be required to view a privacy notice from Google/OneFile as part of induction to Google Sites/OneFile, so they understand what personal data Google/OneFile is storing and how Google/OneFile is complying with data protection legislation.

The information you supply is used by the Learning Records Service (LRS). The LRS issues Unique Learner Numbers (ULN) and creates Personal Learning records across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and is operated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, an executive agency of the Department for Education (DfE).

The ULN is required to fulfil statutory requirements for administrations of services within the education and training sector. You cannot opt out of being issued with a ULN by the Learning Records Service.

You may also be contacted through details on the separate privacy notice issued by the YNYCA on the Individual Learner Record (ILR) you sign before you begin your course or on the following link: https://yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/YNYCA-Privacy-Policy-v3-Jan-2025.pdf

Where York Learning uses drones as part of relevant learning provision you can find out more details about this at https://yorklearning.org.uk/drone-filming/.

Non learning activities

We will use your information when you request to attend York Jobs Fair either as an attendee or as an exhibitor via Eventbrite. This includes contacting you about the event (e.g., timings, any changes etc) and if you are an exhibitor to collect any relevant fees or charges from . We will share organisations names with Jobcentre Plus. Accessibility requirements and organisation names may need to be shared with the venue to help with planning.

All exhibitors will need to register on Eventbrite for our job fair(s) and you will be asked to pay the fees upfront.

Communications and online learning

Some of our learning is delivered using online meeting software and we use Zoom or Microsoft Teams for this.

A very limited number of our curriculum areas, including but not limited to our Apprenticeship provision and our Projects delivery, use WhatsApp if this has been indicated as the preferred communication method of the learner. The use of WhatsApp to support your learning is not compulsory.

When you complete an online form on the York Learning or other council websites and you have provided your email address, we will send you an email confirmation.

When you make an online payment on the York Learning or other council website, you can find details at Online Payments Privacy Notice – City of York Council. If attending an event at a council venue that is covered by our public space CCTV you can find details at CCTV Privacy Notice – City of York Council.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to support or enhance council services. Where AI is involved in a process that directly affects your interaction with us, we will inform you before your user journey begins. This ensures transparency and helps maintain trust in how we use AI.

Our use of AI complies with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), including the principles of lawfulness, fairness, transparency, accountability, and accuracy. We conduct Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) where AI systems are likely to result in high risks to individuals’ rights and freedoms, such as automated decision-making or profiling.

If generative AI tools are used, we do not use personal or end-user data to train AI models. This helps ensure compliance with the purpose limitation and data minimisation principles under UK GDPR.

AI for Staff Productivity and Accessibility

Where AI tools are used solely by staff to assist with drafting, research, or accessibility – for example, to improve writing efficiency or summarise information – these uses do not form part of a business process that affects service delivery or decision-making. As such, no specific notification will be provided for these internal productivity uses.

These uses are considered low-risk and do not involve automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects. They are also subject to internal governance and safeguards to ensure responsible use.

Examples include:

  • Drafting internal reports or meeting notes
  • Summarising lengthy documents for quicker review
  • Assisting with spelling, grammar, or formatting tasks

We may use your information to create reports and statistics that are anonymous and cannot be linked back to you or individuals such as:

  • for statistical analysis
  • for statutory returns
  • for audit frameworks
  • to see how the council and its partners are supporting individuals
  • to help design better services
  • to inform funding decisions

Automated Decision Making

Where we use automated decision-making when providing York Learning Services, this means that certain decisions are made automatically using your information, without human involvement.

You have the right to object to this type of processing and to request human involvement. To do this please contact: information.governance@york.gov.uk.

Where we are required or permitted by law to process your information in this way, we may not always be able to comply with your request. If this is the case, we will explain our reasons to you.

Collecting information automatically

Please see our cookies page for further information about the information we collect automatically when you use our website.

Childrens’ information

Where we provide services directly to children or young people, the information in the relevant parts of this notice applies to children and young people, as well as adults.

Lawful basis for processing your personal data

Any personal data including special category data that we process about individuals is done so in accordance with one or more of the following Articles: 6, 9 and 10 of the UK GDPR and Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018). These are:

  • Articles 6 (1)

(a) Consent: the individual has given clear consent for the council to process their personal data for a specific purpose.

(b) Contract: the processing is necessary for a contract the council has with the individual, or because they have asked the council to take specific steps before entering into a contract.

(c) Legal obligation: the processing is necessary for the council to comply with the law (not including contractual obligations).

(d) Public task: the processing is necessary for the council to perform a task in the public interest or for our official functions, and the task or function has a clear basis in law.

(e) Legitimate interests: the processing is necessary for the council’s legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of a third party, unless there is a good reason to protect the individual’s personal data which overrides those legitimate interests.

  • Article 9 (2)

(a) Explicit consent

(b) Employment, social security and social protection (if authorised by law)

(g) Reasons of substantial public interest (with a basis in law)

 

This is supported by Schedule1, Part 2 (6) of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the following legal :

Where we process personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences, this is also under Article 10 UK GDPR that covers processing in relation to criminal convictions and offences or related security measures. In addition, section 11(2) of the DPA 2018 specifically confirms that this includes personal data relating to the alleged commission of offences, or proceedings for an offence committed or alleged to have been committed, including sentencing.

Some of the Schedule 1 conditions for processing special category and criminal offence data require an Appropriate Policy Document (APD) to be in place, which sets out and explains the procedures for securing compliance with the principles in Article 5 and policies regarding the retention and erasure of such personal data. This document explains this processing and satisfies the requirements of Schedule 1, Part 4 of the DPA 2018 and supplements this privacy notice

Our Appropriate Policy Document – City of York Council provides further information about this processing.

How long we keep your personal data

We will only keep your information for as long as it is needed then it will be securely and confidentially deleted or disposed of.

You can find details on how long the council keeps records at Council Retention Schedule – City of York Council.

 

Data Sharing

We will only share your information where it is appropriate to, with:

In some circumstances, such as under a court order or safeguarding, we are legally obliged to share your information.

We will always satisfy ourselves that we have a lawful basis on which to share the information and document our decision making.

Additionally, we are required under the Public Records Act 1958 (as amended) to transfer records to the City or National Archives (TNA) for permanent preservation. Full consideration will be given to Data Protection and Freedom of Information legislation when making decisions about whether such records should be open to the public.

Data processors and or third parties

Transfers of personal data

We do not routinely transfer personal data, special categories of personal data or criminal offence data, outside of the UK but when this is necessary, we ensure that we have appropriate safeguards in place and that it is done in accordance with the UK data protection and privacy legislation.

How we protect your information

We are committed to keeping your information safe and secure. There are several ways we do this, such as:

  • IT security safeguards such as firewalls, encryption, and anti-virus software
  • on-site security safeguards to protect physical files and electronic equipment
  • training for all staff and elected councillors
  • policies and procedures

Your rights in relation to this processing

To find out about your rights under Data Protection law, you can go to the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) For the public | ICO

You can also find information about your rights at Our Privacy Notice – City of York Council

If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice, want to exercise your rights, or if you have a complaint about how your information has been used, please contact us at information.governance@york.gov.uk or on 01904 555719, or write to the:

Data Protection Officer
City of York Council
West Offices
Station Rise
York
YO1 6GA

Cookies

By using our website you are consenting to certain types of cookie being placed on your device. See our Cookies Policy

Where our website links to external resources or websites, these may add their own cookies. These are outside our control. Cookies can be disabled by changing the settings in your browser, but you may need to re-enter information at times.

Email

Emails that we send to you or you send to us, may be retained as a record of contact and your email address stored for future use in accordance with our record retention schedules. If we need to email sensitive or confidential information to you, we may perform checks to verify the correct email address and may take additional security measures.

Unsolicited mail

You will not receive unsolicited paper or electronic mail as a result of sending us any personal data while using our website, unless you have given us permission to do this.

Third Parties

We do not pass personal data to third parties for marketing, sales or any other commercial purposes without your prior explicit consent.

If we have to share your personal data externally, we require any third party to comply with the principles of data protection legislation, and our procedures and instructions, when they use your information on our behalf.