Home to school transport and passenger transport privacy notice

Updated: 3 November 2023

Our contact details

Name: Data Protection Officer

Address: Time Square, Market Street, Bracknell, RG12 1JD

Phone Number: 01344 352000

Email: dpo@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

Bracknell Forest Council is registered as a controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

You can find us on the ICO website - our registration number is Z4971654.

The type of personal information we collect

When you apply for transport using our online transport application processes, we collect the following information:

  • your personal information (such as your name, address and date of birth)
  • your child’s personal information (such as their name, address, date of birth and any photo of their likeness that may be provided with their application)
  • details about your household income, where parents apply for low income assessment
  • information about your family

We collect the following special category information:

  • education health and care plan status
  • details of any Special Educational Needs

Special categories data is being processed for:

  • assessing your child’s eligibility for free or discretionary school transport assistance, in line with its duty under the Education Act 1996 (section 508B) to make sure that suitable travel arrangements are made, for eligible children, to facilitate their attendance at school

How we get the personal information and why we have it

Information is collected from you as the service user through our online forms.

We also get personal information from the following sources:

  • confirmation of Education Health and Care Plan status and detail of any Special Educational Need from the council's SEND service
  • your child’s monthly attendance where parents have been offered mileage reimbursement or provided a Personal Transport Budget
  • central government agencies
  • other local authorities
  • health and social care providers
  • family members

The personal data of children and young people and that of their parents or carers will be used:

  • to process any application for education transport
  • to meet the home to school travel assistance needs of eligible children and young people who are of compulsory school age (5 to 16 years)
  • for discretionary transport for post-16 learners
  • to determine eligibility for assistance with home to educational establishment transport in line with our statutory duties and powers set out in statutory guidance
  • to determine eligibility for enhanced eligibility or reduction or remission of travel costs on the grounds of low income or hardship

How the law allows us to use your personal information

The council has a duty under the Education Act 1996 (section 508B) to make sure that suitable travel arrangements are made, for eligible children, to facilitate their attendance at school.

Lawful basis for processing

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the lawful basis for processing is Article 6 UK GDPR:

  • (c) processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject
  • (e) to perform a public task

Special category data

Special category data is being processed under Article 9 UK GDPR:

  • (g) reasons of substantial public interest

You can read the guide to lawful basis for processing special category data on the Information Commissioner's Office website.

Who we share your information with

Who we share your personal information with:

  • teams within the council working to improve outcomes for children and young people
  • transport teams within the council
  • commissioned providers of local authority services (such as transport providers)
  • schools

How we store your personal information

Your information is stored on:

  • secure council systems
  • a web based route planning application
  • shared drives for which access is restricted to the team for which the data is necessary

Data will not be kept for longer than is necessary and is kept in line with the council’s retention and disposal schedule. We will dispose your information by securely destroying any data we hold.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights we need to make you aware of. The rights available to you depend on our reason for processing your information.

Your right of access

You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. This right always applies. There are some exemptions, which means you may not always receive all the information we process.

Find out more about your right of access from the ICO.

Your right to get your data corrected

You have the right to ask us to correct information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete. This right always applies.

Find out more about your right to get your data corrected from the ICO.

Your right to get your data deleted

You have the right to ask us to delete your personal information in certain circumstances.

Find out more about your right to get your data deleted from the ICO.

Your right to limit how organisations use your data

You have the right to ask us to limit the processing of your information in certain circumstances.

Find out more about your right to limit how organisations use your data from the ICO.

Your right to object to the use of your data

You have the right to object to processing if we are able to process your information because the process forms part of our public tasks.

Find out more about your right to object to the use of your data from the ICO.

Your right to data portability

This only applies to information you have given us. You have the right to ask that we transfer the information you gave us from one organisation to another, or give it to you.

The right only applies if we are processing information based on your consent or for the performance of a contract, and the processing is automated.

Find out more about your right to data portability from the ICO.

Making a request

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have 28 days to respond to you.

Please contact education.transport@bracknell-forest.gov.uk to make a request.

Service adjustments

As a public authority and a provider of services to the public, we have a legal duty to comply with the Equality Act 2010.

This means we need to make service adjustments for anyone with a disability who contacts us in any capacity, to eliminate any barriers to accessing our services.

Our lawful basis for processing this information is article 6(1)(c) of the UK GDPR as we have a legal obligation to provide this. Our processing of special category data, such as health information you give us, will be based on article 9(2)(a), which means we need your consent.

We will create a record of your adjustment requirements. These will give your name, contact details and type of adjustment required, along with a brief description of why it is required. Relevant staff can access this to make sure they are communicating with you in the required way.

Please contact education.transport@bracknell-forest.gov.uk should you require service adjustments.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at dpo@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data by:

  • visiting the ICO website
  • phoning the ICO helpline on 0303 123 1113
  • writing to:
    • Information Commissioner’s Office
      Wycliffe House
      Water Lane
      Wilmslow
      Cheshire
      SK9 5AF