Information we hold about you

If you have consented to take part in the research, then your data will be collected at three intervals in the course of the research project. 

If you have provided consent to be part of the study, you will form part of a sample of young people and your files will be accessed for the purposes of the study. Your details will include name and characteristics including DOB and ethnicity. 

Data held for the purposes of research will be pseudonymised and held in a secure location.

This means that the researcher cannot know your identity unless you have given consent to this. You will be subsequently invited by the Researcher directly to continue as a participant in the of the research study.

All data collected for the purposes of the study will be deleted at the end of the research study.

The aggregate data (non-person identifiable data) will be analysed for the purpose of this study independently.

If you have also given consent the Researcher will contact you directly to invite you to the continued stage of the study and attend in person for semi-structured interviews with the researchers.

Why we need your information and how we use it?

The purposes of the processing. Explain why you use people’s personal data. Be clear about each different purpose.

There are many different reasons for using personal data, you will know best the particular reasons why you use data. Typical purposes could include marketing, order processing and staff administration.

Only if you have provided consent will you be invited to take part in the study.

The purpose of using personal data is to conduct research into race and disproportionality in relation to diversion from the Youth Justice System. The study aims to identify the extent and nature of disproportionality for different minority groups at the gateway to the YJS system and illuminate factors that explain it. Conducting person interviews will ensure the voice of the young person and workers providing the service are included in the research. 


The study aims to identify the factors that influence decision-making at this entry-point, and what barriers hinder the increase of diversion for minority ethnic children.

On the basis of the data collected, the study will produce recommendations for policy and practice to reduce ethnic disproportionality by highlighting how decision-making in respect of diversion would need to change to do so.
 

The research will utilise both quantitative and qualitative methods and a steering group composed of professionals and ‘service users’ will inform the development of research instruments and the eventual analysis of the data generated. 

This research is funded by Nuffield Foundation and the results will have relevance for professionals working in Childcare, Child Protection and Youth Justice throughout the United Kingdom. Ethical approval, including data management procedures, has been granted by the University of Bedfordshire’s Institute of Applied Social Research Ethics Panel.

The Lawful basis for the processing

In the context of data collection for semi-structured interviews of young people, the lawful basis is consent under Article 6(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This means that the individuals involved have provided clear consent for the processing of their personal data for specific purposes related to the interviews. Consent is a lawful basis when individuals willingly agree to the processing of their data, and it must be obtained freely, specifically, and unambiguously.
 

Participants will be informed of their rights to: Know how the University uses their personal information. Ask for copies of the information that is held by the university about them.  Ask the university to correct any mistakes if the information they hold is about the wrong person. Complain about how the university uses personal information. Ask for some of the information the University has to be deleted, or ask the university to stop using it (if this happens before our research is shared with the public). All young people will have an option to opt out of the research at any point either prior to, during or after the start. 

For the data collection of case file categories of personal information, the lawful basis is public task, as outlined in GDPR Article 6 and GDPR Article 9(2)(j). According to Article 6, processing is lawful if it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority. Additionally, GDPR Article 9(2)(j) specifies that processing personal data is lawful if it is necessary for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes, or statistical purposes. This lawful basis allows for the collection and use of personal data for purposes that serve the broader public interest, such as research or statistical analysis.

Who your information will be shared with (if applicable)

Personal data will be shared across the research team using secure mechanism of transfer.  The research team includes members of staff from the University of Bedfordshire and Manchester Metropolitan University. 
 

Case studies will form part of the research but will not identify the individuals who took part.

How long we will keep your information

The university will retain all anonymized data for up to six months after the completion of the study. This is to support the creation of dissemination outputs, for example, peer reviewed and academic journal publications.  The estimated date of deletion of personal all is February 2025. 

If you change your mind at any time and wish to withdraw from the study, you can do so by contacting the University’s Data Protection Officer (DPO)

Telephone: 01582 489041

Email: DPO@beds.ac.uk