GMACS Privacy Policy

Your data and rights when using GMACS

This privacy policy explains how the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) deals with the personal information and data that we collect about you, or that you provide to us. GMCA provide this website, the Greater Manchester Apprenticeship and Careers Service (GMACS).

It explains how you can exercise your rights under the data protection laws (UK General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018) and any other governing legislation.

What is the Greater Manchester Apprenticeship and Careers service (GMACS?)

GMACS is a website which helps young people explore and design their next steps before leaving school. You can learn more about opportunities open to you and explore courses and jobs in Greater Manchester.

The website is part of a careers programme which supports schools, colleges and students across Greater Manchester.

Who provides the Greater Manchester Apprenticeship and Careers Service (GMACS)?

The website is provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).

Data controller

GMCA is the data controller for the data collected by this website. If you have any questions about how your data or information is stored, please contact the GMCA Data Protection Officer: OfficeofDPO@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk

Data we collect

We collect different data depending on whether you just visit the website or choose to submit data to us for display on GMACS.

Data collected as you use the website

When you visit the GMACS website, we collect data about your browsing activity. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • The resolution of your screen
  • The browser you use
  • Which pages you look at
  • The time you spend on site
  • If you clicked a link to GMACS, or if you click a link to exit GMACS

This data is anonymised, so it cannot be linked directly to you.

This anonymised data can only be viewed by authorised people at GMCA, and is sometimes shared with partner agencies, councils or our suppliers. This is so we can continue to improve the performance of our website and make sure it meets your needs.

How we collect data through your use of the website

We use several tools to perform the above actions.

WordPress

We use WordPress to build the website and store content. It doesn’t collect any data about your use of the website other than what is required for you to access it. WordPress doesn’t log or store any of this data.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to analyse how our site is used and to make sure the site is meeting the needs of those using it. Google Analytics does not store your IP address, and your use of the site is anonymised, so we can’t identify you.

For further details about how Google safeguards your data, please see the ‘Safeguarding your data’ section of Google’s support site.

Hotjar

We use Hotjar to analyse how our site is used and to make sure the site is meeting the needs of those using it. Hotjar is a technology service that helps us better understand our users’ experience (e.g. how much time they spend on which pages, which links they choose to click, what users do and don’t like, etc.) and this enables us to build and maintain our service with user feedback. Hotjar uses cookies and other technologies to collect data on our users’ behaviour and their devices. This includes a device’s IP address (processed during your session and stored in a de-identified form), device screen size, device type (unique device identifiers), browser information, geographic location (country only), and the preferred language used to display our website. Hotjar stores this information on our behalf in a pseudonymized user profile. Hotjar is contractually forbidden to sell any of the data collected on our behalf.

For further details, please see the ‘about Hotjar’ section of Hotjar’s support site.

YouTube

We use YouTube to embed videos from YouTube within our website. YouTube is a Google service. Depending on your settings within Google or YouTube, this may mean you see personalised recommendations or other personalised content. We don’t store or log any of the data that YouTube or Google may collect.

Cookies

These services all use cookies to function. Cookies remember bits of information from your visit to the site.

A cookie is a simple text file that’s stored on your computer or mobile device by a website’s server. Only that server can retrieve or read the contents of that cookie. Each cookie is unique to your web browser. So if we put a cookie on your computer, it can’t be read by any other website.

Changing your cookie settings

You can change your device settings at any time to accept all cookies, to tell you when a cookie is issued, or not to receive cookies. How you do this depends on your browser.

Find out more at: AboutCookies.org

Data you send to us

If you choose to send data to us, either because you have a query or request for help or because you’d like to display information on GMACS, we will store and process that data to meet your request. The way we do so depends on the way you send the data to us and what your request is. This may include your personal data, if you choose to share it with us. We may share this data with partners or other organisations, although we’ll only do so to meet your request.

How we collect data you send to us

The way we collect data you send to us will depend on the method you use to send it. We don’t collect more data that we need to help you or display the information you send us on GMACS.

Legal reason for using this data

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the lawful basis we rely on for processing this information is:

How your data will be used

We will use your data so we can:

  • answer your requests for help
  • publish information on GMACS that you ask us to
  • comply with the law
  • investigate complaints
  • maintain our accounts and records
  • promote our services
  • fix technical problems
  • evaluate the service
  • improve and plan future services

We may publish reports using anonymised data. The reports will not identify you or any other individual users.

Where your data is stored

The European Union (EU) will adopt the same Data Protection safeguards as the United Kingdom. It’s by exception that data would be sent outside the EU. You can find out more on the European Commission Justice website (external website)

Most personal information we collect is stored on electronic systems in the UK. However, there are some occasions when your information may leave the UK, when some personal information may be stored on computer services located in the European Economic Area (EEA). For example, if it needs to be transferred to another organisation, which may be based outside of the UK or that uses systems which store information outside of the UK.

Generally, personal information in our control will not be sent outside EEA, unless stored within cloud based computer services. If we transfer your information beyond the EU, we will make sure that it’s protected in the same way as if it was being used in the EU and have appropriate procedures and technologies in place to maintain the security of all personal information processed outside of the EEA.

Information on how Google Analytics complies with data protection laws

Information on how Hotjar complies with data protection laws

Keeping your data safe

Any data we collect as you use the site is stored using services which meet a range of security principles and legal requirements.

Any data you send to us is at your own risk as sending information over the internet is generally not completely secure, and we can’t guarantee the security of your data while it’s in transit. Once we receive your data, we have procedures and security features in place to keep your data secure.

How long will we keep your data?

Any data you send to us may be kept for up to five years, in line with our normal data retention policies. The data collected when you use our website is anonymous.

Your data rights

You have various data rights. You can:

  • ask for copies of your data
  • raise concerns if you think your data is not being used or looked after in the right way
  • make sure your data is accurate and up to date
  • ask for a copy of your data in a digital format, for example as a csv file. You can also ask for your data to be transferred to another organisation.

To make a query or a complaint

If you have any questions or concerns about how we use your personal information, contact our Information and Data Governance team: OfficeofDPO@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk

To find out what information we hold about you, you need to make a Subject Access Request by email or in writing:

Email: OfficeofDPO@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk

Postal: Office of the DPO, Information and Data Governance, GMCA, Tootal Buildings, 56 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6EU

If you wish to exercise any of your other information rights, please email our Data Protection Officer: OfficeofDPO@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk

 

Please say you are asking about the use of your data within the Greater Manchester Apprenticeship and Careers Service.

You can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you think ICO rules or laws have been broken. Visit the Information Commissioner’s Office website (Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)) for more details.

We may track and record communication (internet, email and telephone calls) with us to help sort out complaints. This also helps us to prevent and detect crime.

You can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you think ICO rules or laws have been broken. Visit the Information Commissioner’s Office website for more details.

We may track and record communication (internet, email and telephone calls) with us to help sort out complaints. This also helps us to prevent and detect crime.