Who we are
Next Steps South West (NSSW) (referred to as “we”, “us” or “our” in this privacy policy) is part of the Uni Connect programme. We help young people learn more about higher education by offering information, advice, and support. This includes activities like workshops, talks, and surveys to help you explore your options after age 18.
Who is responsible for your data?
We are based at the University of Plymouth, which is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (registration number Z7546246). We are responsible for how your personal data is used.
You may give us your information directly, or we may receive it from:
- Your school or college
- External partners who have your permission to share your data
This policy explains how we use your personal data, your rights, and how the law protects you.
What personal data do we collect?
When you take part in our activities, we collect some personal information to:
- Show our funders that you attended
- Monitor and evaluate our work
We may collect:
- Your first and last name
- Date of birth
- Home postcode
- School or college name
- Year group
- Free school meal status
- Predicted or actual grades
- Gender
- Contact email address
We also record your participation in our secure Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT) database. This includes:
- Details of the activities you attend
- Whether you go on to higher education
You can read more about HEAT’s privacy policy here: https://heat.ac.uk/privacy-notice/
We may also ask you to complete surveys or take part in focus groups. These are hosted on JISC Online Surveys, which is based in the UK and follows UK data protection laws. Your responses are anonymised and not linked to your other data.
How do we use your data?
We use your data to:
- Confirm your attendance at our activities
- Monitor how our activities affect your learning and confidence
- Make sure we are working with the right students, as required by the Uni Connect programme
- Contact you by email (only if you’ve given us permission)
- Report to our funders, the Office for Students
- Meet our legal responsibilities under the Uni Connect programme
What is the legal basis for using your data?
We use your data under the legal basis of ‘Public Task’. This means we are carrying out work that is funded and required by the Office for Students as part of the Uni Connect programme.
Who do we share your data with?
Only staff at NSSW who need to use your data will have access to it.
We may also share your data with other organisations to help us track your progress over time. These include:
- Office for Students
- HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency)
- UCAS (including the STROBE service)
- HEAT (Higher Education Access Tracker)
- NSSW university partners
- NPD (National Pupil Database)
- CFE Research
- Behavioural Insights Team
- Education and Skills Funding Agency
- Department for Education
- University of Plymouth
- External examiners
We always have contracts in place before sharing your data with other data controllers or contractors.
Some of these organisations may store data outside the European Economic Area (EEA), such as on cloud systems. In these cases, we make sure your data is protected with appropriate safeguards.
We do not:
- Share your data for marketing
- Sell your data to anyone
How long do we keep your data?
We keep your data securely until the Uni Connect programme ends.
If you gave permission for long-term tracking and:
- You attended an activity in the last 15 years
- You gave your full name, postcode, and date of birth
- You haven’t withdrawn your permission
Then your data will be kept for 15 years from the year you could enter higher education. After that, it will be permanently deleted.
If you didn’t give tracking permission or your data doesn’t meet the criteria, it will be deleted within 7 years.
If you didn’t take part in any activities, your data will be deleted 1 year after finishing Year 13 or FE Level 3 Year 2.
After the retention period, your data will be fully anonymised so you can no longer be identified.
Your rights and how to contact us
If your personal information is wrong or you no longer want to be part of the project, please contact us:
Mailing address: Next Steps South West, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA
Email: nextstepssw@plymouth.ac.uk
Phone: 01752 587505
Please note: If your data has already been used in research publications, it cannot be removed.
For questions about your data rights or to make a complaint, contact the University’s Data Protection Officer at dpo@plymouth.ac.uk.
You also have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/
This policy is effective from 16 October 2025 and is reviewed and updated when necessary.