Student Support Services information privacy notice

Information you need to know

Student Support Services form part of the University of Leicester. Which is the Data Controller for your personal information.

The University’s Data Protection Officer is: Parmjit Singh Gill, who can be contacted by emailing: dpo@leicester.ac.uk.

Student Support Services are comprised of

• AccessAbility Service,
• Student Welfare Service,
• Student Wellbeing Service,
• Standing Together Team.

This privacy notice explains how Student Support Services collect, use and share your personal data, and outlines your rights under data protection law.

This notice supplements the University’s main Student Privacy Notice, which can be found on our website.

What is ‘personal information’?

‘Personal information’ means any information which relates to or identifies you as an individual.

What information are we collecting?

In addition to verifying your identity (e.g., name, student number, email) we may collect information related to your personal circumstances, including:

• the nature of your disability,
• visa or immigration information,
• details of the issue on which you need our support, advice or guidance.

How will we use this information?

Student Support Services will use your personal data to provide support, deliver services and meet legal obligations. This includes:

Support Services

• academic, physical, mental, emotional, and/or financial wellbeing support,
• responding where there is identified risk to yourself or others,
• providing reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 (including exams, assessments and academic interactions),
• administering financial help, such as hardship funds, monitoring equality of opportunity, and ensuring safety and security.

Administrative purposes

• maintaining and updating your student record (including disability information),
• statistical analysis and reporting,
• compliance audits,
• promoting relevant services,
• handling information request from enforcement agencies (such as the police),
• processing grievances, complaints, disciplinary matters, and enquiries.

Viewing and maintaining personal data

Current students can vie and manage their personal data using the MyStudentRecord service.

If you need help accessing or updating your information, please contact the Information Hub in the Library, or your School/Department.

What is the legal basis for processing the data?

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Performance of a contract (providing services that form part of your student relationship with the University),
• Vital Interests (where processing is necessary to protect life or serious harm),
• Legitimate interests (of the University or third parties).

When processing special category data, we rely on one of the following:

• your explicit consent,
• protection of your vital interests,
• processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

If you are sharing my data with others, who are you sharing it with?

Within the University

Employees, partners, agents and contractors with a legitimate need (e.g. academic departments, University accommodations, software providers, auditors).

External organisations

• Student Loan Company,
• Office of the Adjudicator for Higher Education,
• research councils,
• police or enforcement agencies,
• regulatory authorities,
• suppliers and service providers contracted by us (such as IT support).

Professional and Safeguarding Contexts

• governing bodies for professional courses (information shared only, when necessary; consent will be sought when possible),
• Cause for Concern (case review group),
• government departments or agencies,
• the NHS (e.g. through agreed data-sharing, or when necessary such as liaising with hospital teams).

Parents, Guardians, Next of Kin

Shared only where there is a valid reason, such as serious concerns for safety or wellbeing. Please see our Student Emergency Contact Protocol for more information on how and when we use this sharing.

How long will you retain my data?

Personal data is retained in accordance with the University’s Retention Schedule, which sets out how long different categories of information are stored before being securely destroyed.

What rights do I have regarding my data?

You have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data, to object to or restrict how it is used, to request its transfer to another organisation, and to avoid decisions made solely by automated processes.

Some of the above rights are not absolute. If you want to exercise any of the rights described above, please contact the University’s Information Assurance Team.

We will do our best to respond quickly and within the timeframes set out by data protection law. To help us handle your request and improve our services, we may keep a record of our communications with you.

Complaints to the University

If you are dissatisfied with the way the University have used your information, you should complain to the University’s Information Assurance Team.

Complaints to the ICO

If you are not satisfied with the way the University has handled your complaint, you also have the right to raise your concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO is an independent authority which oversees how personal data is used. Guidance on how to contact the ICO can be found at www.ico.org.uk.

Changes to this privacy notice

This privacy notice was published in November 2025. If you have any questions about this privacy notice or if you would like to access any of your rights, please contact Information Assurance Services: ias@leicester.ac.uk.