SENAC Privacy Policy

This policy sets out detail on the personal information the Special Educational Needs Advice Centre (SENAC) collects, how the personal information is used and stored and our commitment to protect and process your personal information in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018.

The Special Educational Needs Advice Centre (SENAC) is an independent charity registered with the Charity Commission NI (Charity number 101355). We provide independent advice, advocacy and representation on the Special Educational Needs (SEN) system in Northern Ireland. SENAC is registered as a Data Controller with the Office of the Information Commissioner for Northern Ireland.

Why we collect your data (i.e. lawful basis)

Our use of your personal information is necessary for us to provide those who contact our services with the SEN advice and support required.

As a Charity and ‘not for profit’ organisation whose charitable mission is to provide independent advice, advocacy and representation to advance the education of children and young people with special educational needs we process personal information for the legitimate interest of ensuring we can provide the accurate and appropriate advice requested and required by our service users and progress our charitable mission to the benefit of the children. The collection and processing of personal information is necessary for this task and we use the personal information as expected by our service users i.e. information required to assess, advise and progress all enquiries and requests for advice and support.

Our activities to provide independent advice and support required by our service users to ensure the children’s individual educational needs are met means it is necessary for SENAC to process sensitive personal data or special categories data in respect of physical and mental health as defined under the GDPR. SENAC recognises the additional responsibility to protect children’s personal information and applies a range of technical and physical measures to protect this information and no sensitive data is disclosed to any third party without consent.

Further references to personal information in this policy includes personal information and sensitive or special category data.

What Personal Information do we collect?

When you contact and use SENAC’s services whether via email, telephone, correspondence or in person the personal information we collect may include:

  • Your name
  • Your child’s name
  • Your address
  • Your child’s age / date of birth
  • Your email address(s)
  • Your telephone number[s]
  • Other information relating to your child’s disability / needs
  • Other information relating to your child’s education
  • A record of your enquiry with us and our contact with you

How we use the information we collect?

We collect your information as necessary to provide the independent advice, information, advocacy and representation on SEN assessment and provision required and requested by those using SENAC’s services and projects.

We also use your personal information to fulfil your requests for information and resources and keep in touch with you in the ways you have indicated and consented to. This includes:

  • Providing information and resources which you have requested or that may be of interest to you. These may include information about the SEN system, training, support services, SEN policy, events, and fundraising.
  • Keeping you updated with developments in SENAC and notifying you of changes to our services.
  • Evaluating our services

We may also process your personal information to comply with legal obligations or statutory requirements for example to process a donation you have made or gift aid requirements.

You are in control of how we contact you by post, telephone, or email. Any direct marketing from SENAC will be controlled by communicating your preference and your consent to subscribe to our email or mailing lists. If you wish to stop receiving emails you have the option to click the ‘unsubscribe’ link at the bottom of any of our emails.

Do we share your personal information with others?

We do not share the personal information you have given us with any other organisation or third party unless you have requested this and given your explicit permission, and we never share your personal information for others to use in their marketing or fundraising.

The confidentiality of you and your child’s personal information is paramount in all our activities and processing.

SENAC’s Website

SENAC do not gather personal information on www.senac.co.uk The only information that is gathered on SENAC’s website is for general statistics such as numbers who visit our website, the pages they visit and which parts of the world they come from. This is done through Google Analytics cookies, they do not tell us who you are or collect any personal information.

NB:Following Links to third party websites from SENAC’s website

This policy does not cover any external websites which may be reached from links within this site. You should always be aware of this when moving to another site and read the privacy statement of any site which may collect personal information.

How long will we keep your information?

We will keep your personal information for no longer than necessary for the activities and services we provide, taking into account the following:

  • whether we are legally required to continue to process your personal information, for example, if a law says we must keep records (for example records pertaining to Gift Aid)
  • whether we have a legitimate business reason to continue to process and store your personal information

How do we keep your personal information safe?

We take appropriate physical, electronic and managerial measures to secure your personal information and protect it against unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss or damage including:

  • Use of encryption and password protection
  • Use of appropriate security IT software
  • Use of secure servers
  • Secure locked storage for all physical files containing personal information with appropriate restrictions to access in place.
  • Data Protection and Confidentiality agreements and training for all SENAC Staff and Volunteers.
  • Application of a strict policy for securing case files containing personal information when in transit.
  • Where SENAC stores case files in secure storage other than at SENAC’s registered office i.e. in secure storage facilities at a registered Records Management Facility a signed contract will be in place. In this instance only authorised SENAC staff have access to the files and no personal information is shared or disclosed to any third party or personnel at this facility. The data remains SENAC’s responsibility. SENAC’s data retention and destruction policy applies as normal to this data.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Object to the processing of your personal data and to direct marketing.
  • Request access to your personal information and information relating to our use and processing of your personal information.
  • Request that we restrict our use of your personal information
  • Request your personal information to be erased where it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected
  • Have inaccurate personal information rectified.
  • Withdraw your consent to the use of your personal information where the processing of your data has been based on consent

To exercise any of these rights as above or if you have any question or concern on how we collect, handle, store or secure your personal information please write to SENAC’s Chair at the address below indicating clearly your request or concern. Your request will be responded to within the time frame set out in the GDPR.

For more information on Data Protection, your rights and the DPA and GDPR please go to https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public

This policy is kept under review and may be amended so please check from time to time for any changes

SENAC, Graham House

Knockbracken Healthcare Park,

Saintfield Road

Belfast BT8 8BH

Advice Line 028 9079 5779

For advice about your child’s education, please contact our Advice Line to speak to one of our advisers.

For current Advice Line hours, see our Contact page

Limited Company No. NI48698
Charity No. NIC101355

Contact us

Graham House,
Knockbracken Healthcare Park,
Saintfield Road, Belfast BT8 8BH.

Office Enquiries: 07950 949405
Office Email: info@senac.co.uk

Office email cannot be used for advice queries, for education advice please contact our Advice Line

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