Disclosing information with third-parties

Dear Colleagues,

It’s that time of the year when you may start getting calls from parents, guardians and other third parties for various information about students. The information requested may range from any type of personal information such as confirmation of their place, the course a student is studying, course accepted etc. It could simply be a confirmation of their status such as, whether a student is studying at this University. The information requested could seem very general and trivial, but please be aware that any such information is still personal data and therefore must not disclosed to any unauthorised person.

Remember we must not disclose any personal information to any unauthorised third parties; this includes student’s family members or friends, even if they are known to us. All personal data processing must be in line with the University’s Data Protection policy and any noncompliance is deemed as a breach. 

If you receive a request for any such information via phone, you should ask them to send their request in writing to you. Never disclose any information over phone, even if they say it’s urgent! Upon receipt of the email, check with your School / Service Data Protection Champion for advice before you release any data.

No member of staff should disclose information about any student to a third party, other than in accordance with the Data Protection Policy.

Remember, if you are unsure always check before you release any information. For more information about handling third-party requests and finding your Data Protection Champion, please visit the University’s Data Protection hub.

These rules apply all year round.  At this time of year we have the additional issue of the UCAS embargo to consider – which prohibits us from communicating with applicants.  Please remember that we must not inform any applicant about the progress of their application.   As well as information confirming that a place has been secured, this could also be information which gives the applicant the impression that they have met the conditions of their offer, such as information about accommodation or about induction and welcome events. If you have any queries about this please contact the Student Recruitment Team.

Thank you

Data Protection Team