GDP...Argh or Ahhh?

The backdrop of GDPR has seen various groups seeking to “cash in” and there has been no short supply of talks geared at GDPR at conferences and other public forums. This had the unfortunate result of many people becoming annoyed or frustrated with yet another GDPR piece. At Muckle LLP we take data protection very seriously and instead of scaremongering we encourage people to be prepared. The comfort of being prepared means that you can breathe a sigh of relief.

Data protection toolkit for schools

Towards the end of April this year, the DfE published the beta version of its Data protection: a Toolkit for schools. The document aims to support schools to better manage data protection, to take into account the GDPR and also prepare for the Data Protection Bill (the Bill) which will replace the current Data Protection Act 1998. We speculate that a final version of this document will be published in the next school year when the Bill becomes law.

The DfE has produced a document that is very easy to read and pragmatic in its advice. To aid the readers of the document, we have reviewed all the resources, which the toolkit highlights. We have assembled some of our favourites, below, in the hope that you would become more comfortable with data protection under the GDPR:

1. The DfE Teaching Blog has bite-sized amounts of information and news regarding the GDPR we hope that it will feature more up to date content in the future.
2. The National Cyber Security Centre website hosts free and sound guidance for schools such as promoting staff awareness and training.
3. The Information and Records Management Society (IRMS) has some free content for non-members like its own toolkit for schools that considers strategies on data retention.
4. The Guidelines on Data Protection Officers (‘DPOs’) produced by the Working Party of the European commission is worth the read to understand the role of a DPO.
5. These model privacy notices from the DfE are a good starting point before you consider the nuances and bespoke needs of your organisation.
6. An overview from the ICO setting out what to do in the event of personal data breaches.
7. This video from the ICO expressing how GDPR is an issue for the boardroom.

Still not sure if your school is ready for the deadline 25 May 2018?

Take a look at one of our earlier articles GDPR is coming, now it’s time to act  and feel free to contact our Data Protection Team.

For more information on how we can help your organisation, please call Tony McPhillips on 0191 211 7908 or email [email protected].