Youth Service Programme Privacy Notice
This privacy notice explains how Cheshire West and Chester Council uses personal information when delivering its Youth Service. The Youth Service supports young people to stay safe, build positive relationships, develop skills and confidence, and engage with opportunities within their communities. The service aims to promote wellbeing, participation, and positive outcomes for young people, particularly where they may be experiencing additional vulnerabilities or risks.
The Council’s Youth Service sits within the Early Support and Family Help service and delivers youth work in line with statutory guidance for local authority youth provision. Services are provided to young people aged 11 to 19, and up to the age of 25 where a young person has Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
Our Youth Work Strategy vision is that every young person in Cheshire West and Chester will have the opportunity to thrive, supported by an inclusive, accessible, and inspiring youth sector that is co-designed with them, responsive to their needs, and rooted in strong partnerships across our communities. The Youth Service provides a range of support, including:
The Youth Service provides a range of support, including:
- Targeted and universal youth provision, including centre‑based youth activities and detached youth work in community settings. Some of our provision work is delivered in collaboration with the Holiday Activities and Food Programme.
- One‑to‑one support for young people who may be vulnerable or at risk, including support linked to safeguarding concerns
- Support for young people in care, those returning home after being missing, and those needing help with stability or transitions
- Participation and youth voice programmes, including Youth Voice activities, Youth Senate, and involvement in local and national youth representation initiatives
- Delivery of youth provision in partnership with commissioned organisations and other agencies where this supports young people’s needs
This privacy notice explains what personal information we collect, how it is used, who it may be shared with, how long it is kept, and the legal basis for this processing. It applies to all Youth Service activity delivered by or on behalf of Cheshire West and Chester Council.
What information we collect, use, and why
When you engage with the Youth Service, we collect personal information that is necessary to provide safe, appropriate and effective support. This information helps us understand your circumstances, plan and deliver support, safeguard your welfare, and meet our statutory responsibilities.
We only collect information that is relevant, proportionate, and required for the delivery of youth work services.
Personal data
We may collect the following personal data:
To identify you, communicate with you, and keep in touch about activities, support or appointments.
To confirm your age, eligibility for Youth Service activities, and ensure services are age‑appropriate.
Where relevant, to understand your circumstances, support transitions, and coordinate with education, employment or training providers.
To record participation in youth activities, one‑to‑one support, or programmes, and to ensure continuity of support.
To understand your support arrangements, involve parents or carers appropriately, and plan safe and effective interventions.
To maintain an accurate record of contact, support provided, decisions taken and actions agreed.
Special category data
We may collect special category data where it is necessary to provide appropriate support or meet safeguarding and statutory duties. This includes:
Where relevant to your wellbeing, safety, accessibility needs, or to ensure appropriate support or reasonable adjustments.
To ensure services are accessible, inclusive and appropriately tailored.
For equality monitoring and to help ensure fair access to services.
Where relevant to ensure activities and support are delivered in a respectful and appropriate way.
Where necessary to coordinate support, safeguard welfare, or work jointly with other services.
Criminal and safeguarding‑related information
The Youth Service does not routinely collect or manage criminal conviction data. In some circumstances, information relating to alleged offences, safeguarding concerns, or involvement with the police or youth justice services may be shared with the Youth Service by other agencies.
This information is only processed where it is necessary to:
- safeguard the young person or others
- assess and manage risk
- determine how services can be provided safely and appropriately
Such information is handled carefully, recorded only where required, and accessed only by authorised staff.
Images, video and feedback
From time to time, we may take photographs or videos of activities, or collect feedback quotes to evidence services, celebrate achievements, or support promotional or reporting purposes.
Where images, videos or quotes are used for these optional purposes, we will always seek agreement from the young person and, where appropriate, their parent or carer. This agreement relates only to these specific uses and does not affect the Council’s lawful basis for delivering Youth Service activities.
Sources of information
We primarily collect information directly from young people when they engage with the Youth Service. This includes information shared during youth activities, one‑to‑one support, referrals, registrations, and routine contact with youth workers.
Where necessary and appropriate, we may also receive information from other sources to ensure support is safe, coordinated and effective. This includes:
Where a young person is under 18, or where it is appropriate to support engagement, safeguarding or planning, we may receive information from parents, carers or family members.
Schools, colleges or training providers may share relevant information to help us understand a young person’s circumstances, attendance, or support needs, particularly where joint working is required.
We may share and receive information with other council teams, such as Children’s Social Care, Early Help, SEND services or safeguarding teams, where this is necessary to coordinate support or protect a young person’s welfare.
Where relevant and lawful, health professionals or services may share limited information to support a young person’s wellbeing, safety or accessibility needs.
In safeguarding situations, we may receive information from the police or other safeguarding partners where there are concerns about a young person’s safety or risk of harm. This information is shared only where necessary and handled in accordance with safeguarding procedures.
Where Youth Service delivery is provided by commissioned organisations or in partnership with other agencies, relevant information may be shared to support delivery, safeguarding and continuity of support.
We only collect information from these sources where it is relevant, necessary and lawful to deliver Youth Service activities or meet safeguarding and statutory responsibilities.
What your personal information is used for
We use personal information to deliver safe, appropriate and effective Youth Service support, and to meet our safeguarding and statutory responsibilities. Personal information is used only where it is relevant, necessary and lawful.
Your information may be used to:
To plan, deliver and manage youth provision, including group activities, one‑to‑one support, detached youth work and participation programmes.
To identify, assess and respond to safeguarding concerns, manage risks, and ensure appropriate support and protective measures are in place for young people and others.
To work with parents or carers, schools, health services, social care, youth justice services and partner organisations where this is necessary to provide joined‑up and consistent support.
To make reasonable adjustments, remove barriers to participation, and ensure services are accessible and inclusive for young people with additional needs.
To maintain accurate records of engagement, support provided, decisions taken and outcomes achieved, ensuring continuity, accountability and appropriate oversight.
To use anonymised or aggregated information to understand service demand, monitor quality, evaluate outcomes and improve how youth services are delivered.
To fulfil responsibilities under youth provision guidance, safeguarding legislation and other relevant legal duties.
To respond appropriately to questions, feedback or complaints relating to Youth Service involvement.
Personal information is not used for unrelated purposes and is only shared or processed in line with this privacy notice.
Who we share your personal information with
We share personal information only where it is necessary, lawful and proportionate to deliver Youth Service activities, safeguard young people, or meet statutory responsibilities. Information is shared on a need‑to‑know basis and only with organisations involved in supporting or protecting young people.
Your information may be shared with:
Where appropriate, particularly for young people under the age of 18, to support engagement, safeguard welfare, and coordinate support.
Schools, colleges or training providers, where necessary to coordinate support, manage transitions or address safeguarding concerns.
Health professionals or services, where relevant and lawful, to support a young person’s wellbeing, safety or access to appropriate support.
Where there are concerns about safety, risk of harm or criminal exploitation, information may be shared to protect the young person or others and meet safeguarding duties. Information shared is limited to what is necessary for safeguarding purposes.
Where Youth Service activities are delivered by commissioned organisations on behalf of the Council, relevant information may be shared to enable service delivery, safeguarding and continuity of support. All commissioned providers are required to handle information securely and in line with data protection legislation.
Where appropriate, information may be shared with trusted partner organisations to support access to activities, advocacy, or additional support services, and only where this is necessary and proportionate.
We do not share personal information for marketing purposes, and we do not allow partner organisations to use information for their own unrelated purposes.
Data processors and systems
We use data processors and information systems to support the delivery and administration of Youth Service activities. Data processors are organisations that process personal information on behalf of the Council and only in accordance with our instructions.
All data processors are required to:
- keep personal information secure and confidential
- apply appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect data
- ensure that only authorised staff can access information
- process information only for the purposes specified by the Council
- comply with data protection legislation and contractual requirements
The Youth Service uses the following types of systems:
Secure electronic systems are used to record contact with young people, including attendance at youth provision, one‑to‑one support, safeguarding information, decisions taken and outcomes. Access to these systems is strictly limited to authorised members of staff who require access to carry out their role.
Online systems are used to manage registrations and attendance for youth activities and programmes. These systems hold basic personal information and, where necessary, limited information relating to accessibility, medical or dietary needs so that activities can be delivered safely and appropriately.
Information from Youth Service activity may be analysed to support service monitoring, improvement and reporting. Wherever possible, information used for reporting is anonymised or aggregated so that individuals are not identifiable.
The Council uses approved IT infrastructure and cloud‑based services to store, manage and protect personal information in line with corporate security policies and standards.
Cheshire West and Chester Council remains the Data Controller for all personal information processed as part of Youth Service activity and is responsible for determining how and why that information is used.
Data Controller
Cheshire West and Chester Council are the Data Controllers for this processing.
Lawful basis for processing
Cheshire West and Chester Council processes personal information to deliver Youth Service activities, safeguard young people, and meet statutory responsibilities. We do not rely on consent as the primary lawful basis for processing personal data under UK GDPR.
Personal data
We process personal data under:
UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e) – Public Task
Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority. This includes the Council’s duties relating to youth provision, safeguarding, early support and the promotion of wellbeing and positive outcomes for children and young people.
Special category data
Where special category data is processed, we rely on:
UK GDPR Article 9(2)(g) – Substantial Public Interest
This processing is supported by the Data Protection Act 2018, Schedule 1, Part 2, including conditions relating to:
- safeguarding of children and individuals at risk
- support for individuals with a particular disability or medical condition
- equality of opportunity or treatment
UK GDPR Article 9(2)(h) – Health and Social Care
Where necessary to provide appropriate support, protect wellbeing, or coordinate care and youth support services.
Special category data is processed only where necessary and proportionate, with appropriate safeguards in place.
Criminal and safeguarding‑related information
The Youth Service does not routinely process criminal conviction data. In safeguarding contexts, information relating to alleged offences or involvement with the police or youth justice services may be processed where necessary to protect a young person or others.
This processing is carried out under:
- UK GDPR Article 6(1)(e) – Public Task
- UK GDPR Article 9(2)(g) – Substantial Public Interest, supported by the Data Protection Act 2018 safeguarding conditions
Optional consent‑based activity
In limited circumstances, we may ask for agreement to specific optional activities, such as:
- the use of photographs, videos or quotes for feedback, reporting or promotional purposes
Where agreement is sought, it relates only to these optional activities and does not affect the Council’s lawful basis for delivering Youth Service activities or safeguarding young people. Any agreement given for these optional uses can be withdrawn.
Legislation and statutory duties
The Youth Service processes personal information to meet its statutory duties and responsibilities for supporting, safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of children and young people.
The legislation and statutory guidance that support this processing include, but are not limited to:
Provides the legal framework for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, including supporting children in need and protecting them from harm.
Places duties on local authorities and partner agencies to cooperate to improve the wellbeing of children and young people and to safeguard their welfare.
Places a duty on local authorities to provide, so far as reasonably practicable, sufficient educational and recreational leisure‑time activities, and facilities for such activities, for young people in their area.
Provides the framework for multi‑agency safeguarding arrangements and information sharing where there are concerns about a child or young person’s welfare.
Requires the Council to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and make reasonable adjustments to ensure services are accessible and inclusive.
Personal information is processed only where it is necessary to meet these duties and is handled in line with data protection legislation and Council policies.
International data transfers
The Youth Service primarily stores and processes personal information within the United Kingdom.
In limited circumstances, personal information may be transferred outside the UK where this is necessary to support a young person or to meet safeguarding or statutory responsibilities. This could include situations where:
- a young person or their family has recently arrived from another country and relevant information is required from overseas organisations, or
- a young person moves outside the UK and information is shared to support continuity of support or safeguarding.
Where personal information is transferred outside the UK, the Council ensures that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect the information and uphold individuals’ rights. These safeguards may include:
- UK adequacy decisions
- legally approved data transfer agreements or contractual safeguards
- additional technical and organisational security measures, where required
Personal information is only transferred internationally where it is lawful, necessary and proportionate, and where appropriate safeguards are in place.
Retention period
We only keep personal information for as long as it is necessary to deliver Youth Service activities, meet safeguarding and statutory responsibilities, and comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
Retention periods are set in line with Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Corporate Retention Schedule and Records Management Policy. These retention periods apply regardless of the system or format in which the information is held.
In general:
Youth Service case records and support information
Records relating to youth work activity, including attendance at provision, one‑to‑one support, and general youth service engagement, are normally retained for up to 7 years after the young person is no longer engaged with the service, unless a longer retention period applies.
Safeguarding and child‑related records
Where records form part of a safeguarding process or relate to children in need, children at risk, youth justice, or other statutory children’s services activity, retention will follow the relevant children’s services retention periods set out in the Corporate Retention Schedule.
This may include retention until the young person’s 25th birthday, or longer where required, for example in cases involving safeguarding or care‑experienced children.
Serious safeguarding, legal or statutory records
In some circumstances, records must be retained for extended periods to meet statutory guidance, inquiry requirements, or safeguarding obligations. This can include retention into adulthood or, for certain records, significantly longer periods.
Images, video and promotional material
Where photographs, videos or feedback quotes are used for optional promotional or engagement purposes, these are retained only for as long as necessary for the stated purpose, or until consent is withdrawn.
Anonymised information
Information that has been anonymised and can no longer be linked to an identifiable individual may be retained for service monitoring, reporting or research purposes.
Records may be retained for longer than the standard periods where:
- there is an ongoing safeguarding concern,
- the information is required for legal action, complaint, investigation or inquiry, or
- we are required to preserve records in line with statutory or regulatory obligations.
When records reach the end of their retention period, they are reviewed and securely disposed of in line with the Council’s records management arrangements.
Your Rights
The UK GDPR provides you with a several rights to control what personal information is used by us and how it is used by us.
Further guidance about these rights can be accessed from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website
If you are not happy about the way your personal data is being used, or you require further information about how we process your personal data, you can contact Council’s Data Protection Team:-
- Online: Contact the DPO
- By post: Data Protection Officer, The Portal, Wellington Road, Ellesmere Port, CH65 0BA
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office using the following details:
- Website: Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
- Instant Message: Live Chat
- By post: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
- Telephone: 0303 123 1113