Privacy Policy

Clowns Nursery is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Clowns Nursery Care Limited is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).  Our registration number is Z7395021, and this is renewed annually in April.

We take our responsibility as a data controller very seriously and we have appointed an independent Data Protection Officer (DPO) to ensure that we are compliant with the GDPR, Data Protection Act 2018, and all other applicable data protection legislation and regulations.  Our DPO attends termly meetings at Clowns to undertake a data audit and inspection in order to identify any changes in our practice or other developments and to ensure continued compliance

Privacy Notices have been published and can be accessed at the Clowns reception upon request or on our website.  These explain why we collect and use personal data and provide details for the DPO who can be contacted with any queries regarding the processing of personal data at Clowns.

Clowns also collects the personal data of visitors to the nursery via our entry system Visipoint.

Clowns’ Data Retention Policy (Appendix 5) outlines how long we keep personal data before deleting it and can be accessed in Reception upon request or on our website.

CCTV cameras are mounted on the exterior of the nursery building as a security precaution.  The data from the cameras is stored on site for 30 days before it is recorded over and thereby deleted.

All hard copy personal information is locked away in either cupboards or drawers secured by padlocks and when no longer needed it is shredded.  No confidential material or personal data is ever removed from the nursery unless it is password encrypted and specifically the Head, the Deputy Head, Head of Pastoral and the Operations Manager.

Any consent given by a parent, guardian or employee in relation to the processing of their own personal data or (in the case of a parent or guardian) that of their child can be varied at any time in writing by completing a new form at the office.  Where there is a change of consent by a parent, a member of the administration team will notify all relevant staff in the nursery and make a note on our database to record the date and details of the change.

Clowns sends out termly reminders to current families and employees to ensure that personal data held by Clowns is accurate and up to date.

Clowns understands the risk of data breaches. Breaches can include unauthorised access by a third party, sending personal data to an incorrect recipient, or computing devices containing personal data being lost or stolen.  Staff are briefed annually on appropriate steps to minimise these risks through an annual presentation by our Data Protection Officer.

In the event of a data breach, the staff member who detected the breach will inform the Operations Manager as soon as possible (and in any event, within 2 hours).  The Operations Manager will inform the DPO immediately (and in any event, within 2 hours) and the DPO will investigate in order to determine whether it is necessary to report the breach to the ICO.  If it is determined to be a notifiable breach either the Operations Manager or the DPO will report the breach to the ICO within 72 hours of the breach having occurred.  Steps will be taken internally to address the reason for the breach and changes will be made to prevent any further breaches wherever possible.

Upon receipt of a Subject Access Request (“SAR”) by staff or parent, which may be in writing or oral, the Operations Manager shall inform the DPO that a SAR has been made, the details relating to the request, and the time and date of the request.  The Operations Manager will be responsible for ensuring compliance with the request with the guidance of the DPO and the provision of the information requested will be made within one calendar month.

Further information and guidance

The Operations Manager is the person responsible at Clowns for managing how we look after personal information and deciding how it is shared.

Please contact the Operations Manager if:
• You would like us to update the information we hold about your child; or
• You have any questions.

Clowns Nursery also has an independent Data Protection Officer whom you can contact with queries or concerns at DPO@clownsnursery.co.uk.

If you consider that we have not acted properly when using your personal information you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office: ico.org.uk

Cookie Information

Our website uses cookies which allow us to monitor the use of our website. This is for general purposes only and the information we gather cannot be used to identify you as an individual.

We only use Google Analytics cookies on our website. We do not use any other third party cookies. By using this website you consent to the processing of data by Google Analytics cookies.

If you do not consent to the use of Google Analytics cookies, contact us at info@clownsnursery.co.uk – We will provide you with advice on how to reject the Google Analytics cookies via your browser. Please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website.

For more information about cookies and the type of cookies our website uses, see the frequently asked questions we have prepared below.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small text file which is generated by a website and stored in a folder on your computer. The cookie stored is unique to your computer.

Why are cookies needed?

Cookies are needed to make websites work better. For example when you add an item to your shopping cart on the Amazon website the contents of the shopping cart are stored in the cookie. Another example would be when you log into a webmail service such as Hotmail or Gmail a cookie is generated that confirms you are logged in. When you log off the cookie is deleted. This means if someone goes back to your webmail address they will not be able to read your emails.

What cookies does Clowns Nursery use?

Clowns Nursery uses Google Analytics cookies to record visits to the website. This helps us to identify which parts of the website are popular and which are less so.

Why do Google need to know about my computer?

The information generated by Google Analytics cookies will be used to evaluate the use of this website. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf.

Google Analytics cookies DO

Identify a computer to a website
Store information generated by a website

Google Analytics Cookies DO NOT

Identify a computer’s owner to a website
Gather information from a computer

I still don’t want cookies on my PC – what can I do?

All major browsers have options that will restrict the use of cookies. However, in many cases this will limit the features you can use on a website. For details on how to block all cookies click here

Reviewed June 2023