Privacy notice

Manage family support services and accounts is provided by the Department for Education (DfE).

The Department for Education is joint data controller with various local authorities for data collected within this service. The local authority that your account is associated with shares data controller responsibility for your account with DfE.

A data controller determines how and why personal data is processed. For more information, read the Department for Education’s entry in the Data Protection Public Register.

Authentication with GOV.UK One Login

We use GOV.UK One Login to sign you in to Manage family support services and accounts. GOV.UK One Login is provided by the Cabinet Office, who is an independent data controller. For more information about what data they collect and why, read the GOV.UK One Login privacy notice.

What data we collect

The personal data we collect from you is:

  • your name
  • your email address

If you are a local authority administrator, we also collect:

  • your phone number
  • the name of your local authority

If you are a voluntary and community sector organisation administrator, we also collect:

  • your organisation
  • the name of your local authority

We use cookies to collect information on how you use the site.

Where you provide your consent, we use Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity cookies. They process information about:

  • your Internet Protocol (IP) address
  • your device and location
  • the pages you visit in Manage family support services and accounts
  • how you use Manage family support services and accounts
  • how long you spend on each page and what you click on
  • how you got to the service

We will not combine analytics information with other data sets in a way that would directly identify you.

Why we collect this data

We collect personal data to:

  • verify your identity
  • set up your account
  • send you email updates
  • analyse, monitor and improve the service

How long we keep this data

We retain your personal data while you are an active user, and then for one year after the last time you use your account.

Who we share this data with

As part of delivering the DfE services, we share your personal data with the local authority where you work, or where the service you are associated with operates.

We will not:

  • sell or rent your data to third parties
  • share your data with third parties for marketing purposes

We will only share your personal data with other organisations if we are required to do so by law – for example, by court order, or to prevent fraud or other crime.

Where this data is processed and stored

We design, build and run our systems to make sure that data is as safe as possible at any stage, both while it’s processed and when it’s stored.

Your personal data is stored on our IT infrastructure and shared with our data processors, so it may be transferred and stored securely outside the United Kingdom. Where that’s the case it will be subject to equivalent legal protection through the use of International Data Transfer Agreements or Adequacy Decisions.

​The data we collect with Google Analytics cookies is transferred and stored with Google, where we analyse it with Google Analytics software (GA4). We do not allow Google to use or share this data for their own purposes.

How we protect this data and keep it secure

We are committed to keeping your data secure. We have procedures in place to secure your data and prevent unauthorised access or disclosure. For example, we protect data using varying levels of encryption. We also make sure that any third parties that we deal with keep all personal data they process on our behalf secure.

Personal data rights

You have the right to:

  • request that we remove your personal data from the system
  • request a copy of your personal data - this will be provided in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format

Find out more about your personal data rights.

Questions and complaints

Contact your local authority

Contact your local council to access, update or correct the information they hold on you.

Contact the DfE

You can contact us by using our secure contact form if you:

Read about how the DfE handles personal information in the personal information charter.

Contact the Data Protection Officer

You can also write to the Data Protection Officer, who provides independent advice and monitoring of DfE’s use of personal information:

Emma Wharram, Data Protection Officer
Department for Education (B2.28)
7 and 8 Wellington Place
Leeds
LS1 4AW

If you consider that your personal data has been misused or mishandled, you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner, who is an independent regulator:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Email: icocasework@ico.org.uk

Complaints to the Information Commissioner are without prejudice to your right to seek redress through the courts.

Changes to this notice

This notice was last updated on 12 July 2024. It will be reviewed on 12 July 2025.

We may change this privacy notice before its review date. When we make changes, we will add a change note at the bottom of this page. Any changes to this privacy notice will apply to you and your data immediately. If these changes affect how your personal data is processed, DfE will take reasonable steps to make sure you know.

Our legal basis for processing your data

The legal basis for processing your data is public task article 6(1)(e) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).