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Privacy notice – Early Years Quality and Sufficiency

Information about how and when the Early Years Quality and Sufficiency Service processes personal information about you.​

What we do

Lewisham as a local authority has a number of statutory duties around Early Education and Childcare. These relate to section 2 of the Childcare Act 2016 and sections 6, 7, 7A, 9A, 12 and 13 of the Childcare Act 2006.

Key statutory duties are:

  • eligibility
  • flexibility
  • quality
  • funding early education places
  • securing sufficient childcare
  • information to parents
  • information to childcare providers.

In order to discharge this duty we collect a range of information.

  • We collect information regarding early entitlement funding of childcare places.
  • This information will only be shared with the EYFS provider you access a place with.
  • We collect information about the Ofsted inspection outcomes to help us ensure that all early years provision is of the highest quality.
  • We may also use and share this data with other public bodies to prevent or detect fraud and other crime.
  • We provide information advice and guidance to parents and childcare providers to support the take up of early entitlement funding. This includes promotional activities such a short videos explaining the benefits of early education. Promotional material may be used on the council and other appropriate websites, such as childcare providers or schools where it is most accessible to parents who may require childcare. It may also be displayed in libraries or GP surgeries if it benefits the local community.
  • Childcare providers are required by law to pass funding information to the local authority (LA), and the Department for Education (DfE). We collect this information using the Synergy online Family Information Service (FIS) Provider Portal FIS and FISO modules. This is used by child care providers to apply for 2, 3 and 4 year old Early Years funding.
    The Portal links directly into the Synergy system, where the Early Entitlement Team will process claims and make payments to early years providers.

For more information on how the Council processes personal data please see our privacy statement.

What information we collect

The information we collect may include:

  • name of owner/manager

  • address of business

  • company registration information

  • insurance information

  • financial information

  • contact details

  • referral/assessment information

  • relevant history and case information.

Agencies we might share the information with

We might share the information with:

  • internal

  • children's social care departments (city/district/borough councils)

  • police

  • health agencies

  • education providers

  • housing

  • Ofsted

  • Lewisham Safeguarding Children Board

  • Department for Education (DfE)

  • Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

  • children’s centres

  • voluntary organisations. 

Why we process your information

We process information for:

  • service planning

  • service delivery

  • service improvement

  • safeguarding

  • prevention/detection of crime/fraud.

Published on: 21/03/2023