Children's Data
The Article 29 Working Party, a committee of European countries' data protection officials, has said when a child becomes mature enough to make their own decisions anyone processing their sensitive data must ensure they have the child's permission and not just that of the child's representative.
Report can be found here.
Introduction
The National Pupil Database contains detailed personal data on each child. This data is collected through the School Census. Each child is allocated with a Unique Pupil Number (UPN). This converts at age 16 to entry on the National Identity Register. The National Identity Register was originally intended to be a single computer system, but this was scrapped in favour of using the existing National Insurance system at the Dept. of Work and Pensions. I'm not clear what happened to the requirement for an individual to be allocated an Identity Registration Number (Identity Cards Act 2006).
The prime source of data on children is the School Management Information System (MIS) software which allocates a Unique Pupil Number (UPN) to a child according to a specific format. The School Census returns school level data and pupil level data to the Local Authority. Both are used for policy and statistics, but the school level data provides the pupil numbers required for allocation of funding through a formula that is now directly linked to school pupil rolls. Pupil Level Data is collected and added to the National Pupil Database held in England by the The Dept. for Children Families and Schools (DCFS).
DCFS holds the National Pupil Database which is populated with data on all statutory school age children up to age 16. (Beyond 16, children move to the National Identity Register). This information is usually collected through Local Authority termly returns (3 times each year, so in areas with 6 term years this is every other term) of the School Census.
DCFS works collaboratively with OFSTED. This is used to populate RAISEOnline. RAISEOnline provides interactive analysis of school and pupil performance data. It replaces the Ofsted Performance and Assessment (PANDA) reports and DCFS Pupil Achievement Tracker (PAT).
In addition DCFS are responsible for developing the Every Child Matters (ECM) Agenda. One of the deliverables of the ECM agenda is an Information Sharing system called ContactPoint (previously the Information Sharing Index / Childrens Index / Children's Database). This aims to provide a single point for professionals to share information with the aim of preventing abuse and neglect. There is clearly a logical link between this and the Unique Pupil Number (UPN). ContactPoint is intended to be a national system.
Also part of the linking of children, families and education is the Integrated Children's System (ICS). This is a framework supported by an Electronic Social Care Record (ESCR) database.
Dept. for Innovation Universities & Skills (DIUS) is a new Department responsible for amongst other things Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE). The Learning and Skills Council funds FE and is currently within the new DIUS, but the funding for 14-19 is shifting to Local Authorities, and with it much of the FE remit, further confusing the chain of command.
DIUS manages 'Managing Information Across Partners' which aims to provide a Unique Learner Number for every learner over 14 years of age, and this will link to an e-portfolio and e-assessment system (MINERVA) in collaboration with the Qualification & Curriculum Authority and its subsidiary agency the National Assessment Agency.
Issues and concerns
Serious dangers exist from the growth of government databases on children, a report has said. The full report from the 'Foundation for Information Policy Research' mentioned in the BBC news story can be found here: PDF - Children's Databases - Safety & Privacy
The following give data collection responsibilities for each Dept.
Dept for Children, Schools & Families DCFS
Dept. Innovation, Universities & Skills DIUS
Other
Connexions Customer Information System (CCIS)
- Holistic service for 13-19s
- Identifying barriers to learning
- Statutory and discretionary data items.
- Young person allocated a personal advisor
- Personal advisor carries out APIR assessment (Assessment Planning Implementation Review).
Youth Inclusion and Support Panels Management Information System (YISPMIS)
RYOGENS - Reducing Youth Offending Generic National Solution
- Web-based resource
- Supplies list of ‘predictive’ criteria
- Practitioner selects a ‘concern’
- LA decides how many ‘concerns’ trigger ‘alert’
- List of statutes used to override lack of consent
UK Federated Access Management
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