Knowsley Council – Short Break Survey
This privacy notice explains what information we will collect about you through participation in the Short Break survey, how we store this information, who we share this information with and how we keep it safe and confidential.
We want you to be confident that your information is kept safe, secure and for you to understand how and why we use it. It sets out how Knowsley Council will use data collected from residents engaging with surveys or speaking with Council Officers.
You can decide whether to complete the survey and you can decide how much or how little you wish to complete. Please be aware that, because we do not ask for information that would directly identify you, it is unlikely you would be able to withdraw your answers after you have returned the survey.
Who will own my data once I submit it?
Knowsley Council
What type of information will you be processing?
When completing the survey, we may process parts of your personal data. The survey may appear to be anonymous as we will not be asking for any specific personal details that would directly identify you, for example, your name, date of birth, address. However, we may be able to identify you through the collective answers you choose to provide on the survey, and we are required to make you aware of this.
Your participation in the survey is entirely optional; by participating you are consenting to the information provided being used for the purposes below.
Why do you need my information?
We will use the information you choose to provide to inform the development of the Councils Short Break Offer, particularly our commissioned services that provides short breaks for the benefit of children with disabilities and their families. This helps us to:
- Ensure we are designing services around the needs of our communities
- Work towards the goal of achieving the Knowsley Council Plan objectives:
- Effective support for those in need
- Encourage growth that benefits everyone
- Deliver targeted support to encourage fairness and opportunity
The Short Breaks Offer survey enables the Council and its partners to ensure it is meeting its legislative and statutory duties to provide short breaks (respite care) for families of disabled children under the Children Act 1989, as clarified by the Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations 2011.
Under Schedule 2, Paragraph 6(1)(c) of the Children Act 1989 (as amended), local authorities must provide services that:
- Support carers of disabled children, particularly those who would be unable to continue caring without a break.
- Are designed to assist carers in continuing to provide care or to do so more effectively.
The 2011 Regulations Require Local Authorities to:
Provide a range of short break services, which may include:
- Daytime care in the home or elsewhere
- Overnight care
- Educational or leisure activities for the child outside the home
- Services available during evenings, weekends, and school holidays
Have regard to:
- The needs of carers who would be unable to continue without breaks
- The need to offer a variety of services to meet different needs
- The importance of regular and reliable support
Publish a Short Breaks Statement that includes:
- The range of services available
- Eligibility criteria
How to access the services
Knowsley Council will collect and analyse the findings from completed surveys to understand the view and experience of children, young people, parents and carers in the borough. The anonymous and aggregated summary data from this survey may also be used to support headline pieces within local publications such as Knowsley News and others.
Questions are not mandatory, you may choose to complete all, part of some of the survey.
What allows you to use my information?
- Completing the survey is a voluntary act on your part to help us inform our work for children and families across Knowsley.
- By completing the survey, you are giving your consent for the data you give to be used.
The legal bases which allow the Council to lawfully process your data fall under the UK General Data Protection Regulation.
Article 6 (1) (a) Consent. “the individual has given clear consent for you to process their personal data for a specific purpose”.
By choosing to complete the survey, you give Knowsley Council consent to process the data you provide. As previously mentioned, this data will in the main be anonymised data and due to this reason, it is unlikely you would be able to retract your contribution once entered.
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 vested in the controller””.
In order for us to process special category data we rely on:
Article 9 (2) (f) “processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest, on the basis of Union or Member State law which shall be proportionate to the aim pursued, respect the essence of the right to data protection and provide for suitable and specific measures to safeguard the fundamental rights and the interests of the data subject”;
The relevant legislation that supports Knowsley Council in processing this information under the lawful basis of public task is Children and Families Act 2014.
Who will my information be shared with?
Aggregated and anonymous data gathered from this survey will be used by internal services within Knowsley Council and shared with the SEND Partnership Board which includes representatives from Health, Education, Children and Adults services, Community and Voluntary Services. The Council will not share the data with any other third party.
Do I have to provide this information and what will happen if I don’t?
No, participation is entirely voluntary and not a legal requirement. You can decide whether to participate or not, and you can decide how much or how little you wish to participate. There is a ‘prefer not to say’ option on each question.
How long will you keep this data for and why?
The anonymous data will be held by Knowsley Council for a period of up to 5 years following the end of the engagement and consultation period. Your responses will be stored for a period of up to 1 year following the end of the engagement and consultation period and will be confidentially destroyed.
How will my information be stored?
Anonymised electronic survey data held by Knowsley Council will be stored on a secure electronic system and will only be accessible to authorised and staff. Paper (hard) copies will be scanned and uploaded to the secure system and copies will be destroyed through confidential waste.
Will this information be used to take automated decisions about me?
No
Will my data be transferred abroad and why?
No
What rights do I have when it comes to my data?
Under the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 / UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), you have the following rights with regards to your personal data: -
- The right to subject access - You have the right to see a copy of the personal data that the council holds about you and find out what it is used for.
- The right to rectification - You have the right to ask the council to correct or remove any inaccurate data that we hold about you.
- The right to erasure (right to be forgotten) - You have the right to ask the council to remove data that we hold about you.
- The right to restriction - You have the right to ask for your information to be restricted (locked down) on council systems.
- The right to data portability - You have the right to ask for your data to be transferred back to you or to a new provider at your request.
- The right to object - You have the right to ask the council to stop using your personal data or to stop sending you marketing information or complain about how your data is used.
- The right to prevent automated decision making - You have the right to ask the council to stop using your data to make automated decisions about you or to stop profiling your behaviour (where applicable).
To find out more about your rights under the DPA 2018/UK GDPR, please visit the Information Commissioner’s website here.
To request a copy of your data or ask questions about how it is used, please download a copy of our form and send it to: -
Data Protection Officer
Knowsley Council
Westmorland Road
Huyton
L36 9GL
Or email: Inforights@knowsley.gov.uk
Who can I complain to if I am unhappy about how my data is used?
You can complain directly to the Council’s Data Protection Team by writing to: -
Data Protection Officer
Knowsley Council
Municipal Building
Archway Road
Huyton
Liverpool
L36 9YU
Or email: data.protection.officer@knowsley.gov.uk
You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office using the following details:-
The Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45
Website: www.ico.org.uk
Changes to our privacy notice
We will update this privacy notice from time to time to reflect any changes to our ways of working. Please contact our Data Protection Officer if you would like more information.
Date Privacy notice last updated May 2025