PRIVACY POLICY FOR PARENTS/CARERS/LEGAL GUARDIANS

Last Updated- January 2024

The WonderWorks Group Ltd is committed to protecting your privacy. This statement explains how we use any information you give to us and the ways in which we protect your privacy. We ask you to read it carefully. We may be required to change it from time to time, so we also ask you to check it occasionally to make sure you are aware of the latest version.

How we comply with the data protection act of 1998 and 2018
We treat any personal information (which means data from which you can be identified, including your name, address, e-mail address, etc.) that you provide us, or that we obtain from you, in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act. Under this Act, we have a legal duty to protect any information we collect from you. Any amendments to this policy will continue to be in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.

How we collect information about you and your child
When you send your children to The WonderWorks, we receive information about you and any children who attend our nurseries and holiday clubs in a number of different ways.

You may give us the information when you:

  • Apply for, or we offer you, a place at The WonderWorks

  • Apply for, or we offer you, a funded place

  • When you sign up to any of our waiting lists

  • When you let us know about a change in your personal circumstances (for example, if you change your name when you get married or move house)

  • We may receive it from another organisation, for example, should we be required to work with the local council

How we use your personal information
We use information that we have about you and your children for the running of The WonderWorks and to comply with our Ofsted requirements. These generally fall into the following areas.

1. Administration – This applies to past, current and potential future children and their parents/carers/legal guardians.

We use this information for the provision of childcare.

The types of personal information we collect and use include:

  • The personal details of your child;

  • The payment of fees due;

  • Details of the child’s family (so we can contact you in case of an emergency)

  • Medical information (so we can cater for any special needs)

  • Ethnic background of your child (this is collected by the local council as part of the process to obtain Nursery Education Funding for your child). This is also used when The WonderWorks applies for grants and funding from Government bodies. 

2. Provision of Education – This applies to past, current and potential future children and their parents/carers/legal guardians.

We use this information to ensure that your child’s development needs are catered for.

The types of information we collect and use include:

  • Education and Training Details (so we can ensure your child’s development needs are catered for).

3. Keeping you informed – This applies to current, past and potential future children and their parents/carers/legal guardians.

We use this information to keep you updated about events at The WonderWorks e.g. to let you know about news, events and changes to schedules.

The types of information we collect and use include:

  • Email address. So we can email you updates and newsletters.

(Note: This is optional, and you can opt out of receiving email updates at any time).

How long we keep your information for
We are required to keep certain personal information including registers, medication records and accident records pertaining to the children for at least 3 years after the child has left The WonderWorks (sometimes much longer). This is in order to comply with ‘Early Years Foundation Stage Welfare Requirements’ (given legal force by Childcare Act 2006) and other legislation (e.g. Limitation Act 1980/The Statute of Limitations (Amendment) Act 1991).

Who we share your information with
Generally, we only use your information within The WonderWorks.  There are some occasions when we need to share personal information about you and / or your child with third parties. These are:

  • If you choose to pay for your child’s care using vouchers (e.g. Childcare vouchers) we will share the minimum amount of your personal information necessary with the voucher scheme operator, so they can identify you and make the appropriate payments to The WonderWorks on your behalf.

  • If your child is entitled to Nursery Education Funding, we are required to share your personal details with the local council authority in order to identify your child and prove entitlement to funding.

  • Every now and again, we receive requests for information from schools, government departments, the police and other enforcement agencies. If there is a proper legal basis for sharing your personal information, we will provide it to the organisation that is asking for it.

  • In case of an emergency, we may need to share with the emergency services details of your child including details of any medical conditions as provided to us by you.

  • To contact you when we want to inform you about events at The WonderWorks

Where we store personal data
We use third party data processors, these are secure online systems and any personal information shared with us is stored securely for necessary use by The WonderWorks.

The following systems are in use and their privacy statements and policies can be found below.

  • Dropbox: An online cloud-based storage system, is used for necessary data storage including personal information when relevant. Dropbox terms of service statement: “When you use our Services, you provide us with things like your files, content, messages, contacts and so on ("Your Stuff"). Your Stuff is yours. These Terms don't give us any rights to Your Stuff except for the limited rights that enable us to offer the Services.” Dropbox privacy policy can be found here.

  • SquareSpace privacy policy can be found here.

  • Survey Monkey privacy policy can be found here.

  • Famly privacy policy can be found here Data Security and Protection at Famly | Famly Support | Famly Help Centre.

Where we process personal information
As we use third party storage systems (detailed above), personal information may be stored in servers outside of the United Kingdom. We will only use your personal information in the United Kingdom.

Our commitment to you
We will process your personal information in line with the Data Protection Act. This means that we will:

  • Only collect and hold information about you which we need for some reason;

  • Keep your personal information up to date and accurate (to help us do this, please let us know if any of your details change);

  • Take appropriate steps to protect your personal information from being used without permission, or illegally, and to safeguard your rights; and

  • Destroy your personal information in a secure way once we no longer need it.

Your rights over your personal information
You have certain rights over your personal information. Most importantly, you have a right to ask for a copy of all the personal information we hold about you but there are some legal exceptions to this, such as information which is confidential to The WonderWorks. If you would like a copy of your personal information, you should contact us on jane@thewonderworks.co.uk.

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