Privacy and Informed Consent Policy

This privacy notice will also provide further details regarding:

• Who we are
• How long we use your information for
• Your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (the GDPR) and
• How to exercise them

You can see this information in the Youth Partnership Service in Luton’s  https://m.luton.gov.uk/Page/Show/privacy-cookies/privacy-notice/service/Pages/Children-families-education.aspx   on our web site or you can ask us for a copy of this information.

The Youth Partnership service in Luton comprises the following branches;

• Edge of Care service
• Targeted Youth service
• Youth Justice service
• Primary to Secondary Transitions (Pilot service)

Each service area is delivered under the separate relevant governance arrangements to ensure the data processing and management principles of GDPR are adhered to. Some children may move between service areas, if this transpires the data processing compliance is followed relevant to the child for that episode.

We use personal information about young people referred to us assist in working with these child to address concerns, vulnerabilities and issues present at referral and following assessment. For example this could be to address vulnerabilities and concerns which may lead to child criminal or sexual exploitation or assist with reducing further offending and anti-social behaviour,

 The information we collect and record may be to formulate:

• Early help services to prevent young people committing crime and anti-social behaviour including assessments of young people to determine whether assistance is required
• The provision of assistance to young people determining whether youth cautions / youth conditional cautions should be given
• The provision of assistance to young people determining whether they are suitable for a Turnaround outcome.
• The assessment of children and young persons, and the provision for them of rehabilitation programmes
• The provision of people to act as appropriate adults
• The provision of reports or other information required by courts in criminal proceedings against children and young persons
• The provision of mentors for young people and volunteers for example on Referral Order Panels
• The provision of support to parents to assist in the protection of children and young persons and reduce the risk of re-offending
• The provision of support to victims
• The provision of supervision as follows:
  • The supervision of young people on bail
  • The supervision and rehabilitation of young people to whom such cautions are given
  • The supervision of children and young persons sentenced to a youth rehabilitation order under that Part which includes a supervision requirement
  • The supervision of children and young persons sentenced to a detention and training order
  • Post-release supervision
  • The supervision of young people sentenced to detention
• For statistical purposes. For example, to inform decisions on how we work with young people and their families and to assess the performance of the YJS

We also use this information to assess the quality of our services to young people and to evaluate and improve our policies and procedures.

We may also use information in other ways compatible with the above.

The information we collect and use may include:

• Name 
• Address 
• DoB 
• Contact details
• Police National Computer Number
• Court reference number
• Gender 
• Language 
• Education and training details
• Employment history and current employment
• Financial position
• Personal, relationships and social history
• Housing situation

We also collect information about the following which is classed as “special category data” under the GDPR.  

• Racial and ethnic origin
• Religious or philosophical beliefs
• Sexual orientation
• Health data including disabilities

We also collect information about criminal convictions and offences

The GDPR includes safeguards to protect the use of your special category data and criminal conviction data. Further details can be found on our website in the document named ‘Special category data and criminal offences data policy’ which sets out our procedures for compliance with the principles of the GDPR and the retention and erasure of this information.

The information we hold includes information you have provided to us.

We also receive information from:

• Your family
• Children’s Services
• Health bodies – including GPs and substance misuse teams
• Schools and colleges
• Police
• Probation
• Judicial agencies – courts and Crown Prosecution Service
• Appropriate Adult Service
• YJS volunteers
• Voluntary organisations and charities

We have legal grounds to process this information because it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest. The tasks we carry out in the public interest are under the:

• Children Act 1989
• Crime (Sentences) Act 1997
• Crime and Disorder Act 1998
• Criminal Justice Act 2003

We have legal grounds to process (including share) special category data and criminal convictions data where it is in the exercise of a statutory function and it is in the necessary for reasons in the substantial public interest. The statutory functions are as set out above.

We may also share your personal information with:

• Your family – in respect of support to families
• Children’s Services
• Health bodies – including GPs and substance misuse teams
• Schools and colleges
• Police
• Probation
• Courts
• Crown Prosecution Service
• Appropriate Adult Service
• YJS volunteers
• Voluntary organisations and charities

As explained above, we share information without your specific consent as it is reasonable and necessary to do so to fulfil our public tasks or, in relation to special category data, is in the substantial public interest to do so. We also explained that the law imposes safeguards to protect your privacy in these circumstances. 

We will also share your information, subject to contractual and other legal safeguards, with organisations commissioned to provide services to you and others. Finally, we may also share your information across different departments of the Youth Partnership Service in Luton where it is necessary for our public tasks or functions to do so.

The information is stored electronically on either the YJS’s records management system known as Childview, or Luton council’s LiquidLogic Children’s services data base (Edge of Care) Information is also securely stored in other mediums, including email accounts. Information is transferred via encryption using central government approved software to ensure the protection of your information.

We do not transfer your information outside of the UK for storage or processing however the requirements of managing an individual case may require information to be shared between government agencies, this is done with the accordance of the law and complies with the law in the UK.

We do not make automated decisions about you and your family.

This notice was updated in May 2023.