Education Workforce Council privacy information

Tel: 029 2046 0099 | Email: information@ewc.wales | Twitter: @ewc_cga

Professional Learning Passport (PLP)

On behalf of the Welsh Government the EWC is responsible for the development and hosting of the Professional Learning Passport (PLP). In order to develop the PLP we have partnered with Pebblepad Learning Ltd.

The PLP is a cloud based storage facility which provides our registrants with the space to plan, record and reflect upon their professional development. Users of the PLP will have access to any information added to the system for the duration of their registration with EWC. If registration with EWC lapses users are able to extract their data from their PLP, further information on the PLP retention schedule is available here.

The PLP is used to host the online Induction Profile which is completed by all Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs). It is also used to support professional learning programmes delivered by key stakeholders including the ALN programme, National Masters in Education and regional education consortia professional learning pathway programmes. Use of the PLP has also been extended to those who in Wales who are currently studying for a PGCE, PCET or Youth Work qualification.

Where we obtain your information

Access to the PLP is via our existing Eservices facility. It is the responsibility of the individual to create their Eservices online account in order to access their PLP and it is a requirement that the user is either:

  • Registered with EWC in one or more registrant category
  • Trainee practitioner, studying for a either a PGCE, PCET or Youth Work qualification in Wales

When creating an online account users are asked to enter the following information: email address, teacher reference number (TRN) or National Insurance (NI) number. This ensures only those who are eligible to access our Eservices and the PLP are able to do so.

The PLP is used to support a number of professional learning programmes and it is a requirement that the participant has a PLP account to access the relevant workbook. The organiser of the programme may provide us with the details of those participating so we can create the Eservices account on behalf of the user. We will use the information provided to check the Register of Education Practitioners to ensure the participant is eligible to access the PLP. Once the necessary checks have been undertaken, if required we will then create the Eservices account. The account username will be set as either the TRN, or NI number, the account holder will be responsible for creating a password for their account via the usual account set up process.

If PLP access is required for those who are not eligible to register with us e.g. University Tutors who are providing mentoring support to those studying for a qualification the users details will be provided to us by the Institution for an online account to be created.

What personal information we collect

The data we hold about you to provide access to the PLP will depend upon if the user is a EWC registrant, or student accessing the PLP

EWC registrant, the following data is held on the register:

  • Full name
  • Teacher Reference Number
  • National Insurance number
  • Date of Birth
  • Contact details including home address, email address and telephone number
  • Employment details, including current and historical data
  • Qualification details
  • Details regarding EWC registration status, including current and historical data

Trainee Practitioner:

  • Full name
  • Teacher Reference Number
  • National Insurance number
  • Date of Birth
  • Contact details including home address, email address and telephone number
  • Qualification details, including details of institution where studying, and course being undertaken
  • Details of any other EWC registration categories held, if applicable


How we use your information

The information provided for the creation of Eservices accounts will be held on the Register of Education Practitioners which is provided by MillerTech Ltd. Data relating to account passwords is held on MillerTech servers. For further information on MillerTechs privacy policy click here.

Information entered into your PLP cannot be accessed by others unless you decide to share it. When sharing information from your PLP you have the rights to control how the recipient can use the information you have shared. All information which you enter into your PLP is held securely on Pebblepads servers. For further information on how Pebblepad use your data click here.

If you are a NQT undertaking statutory induction, we will provide your Induction Mentor, and or External Verifier with access to your Induction Profile in your PLP so they can provide you with mentoring support for the duration of your induction period.

If you are using a workbook in your PLP whilst participating in a professional learning programme we may provide access to your workbook to either a University Tutor, or a colleague in your organisation who is providing you with mentoring support. Access will only be provided to the relevant workbook in your PLP and will only be for the duration of the professional learning programme you are participating in.

We are required to provide Welsh Government and other key stakeholders with statistical data on PLP usage. When producing and sharing data we ensure that individuals cannot be identified and any data is shared securely according to our Data Sharing Policy.

Account retention and deletion policy

Introduction

One of the services the Education Workforce Council (EWC) provides all its registrants (and some other groups including ITE students) is access to their Professional Learning Passport (PLP) which includes accounts with both Pebblepad and EBSCO.

The purpose of this document is to set out how the EWC will process the retention of user accounts for individuals:

1. registered with the EWC and not actively using their PLP
2. subject to the de-registration process then become de-registered with EWC
3. who do not register with the EWC having been ITE students in Wales

Group 1 - Registered with the EWC and not actively using the PLP

In line with the contract between EWC and Pebblepad, the EWC pays for a definitive number of user licences annually, which it can scale up or down in line with demand. Only active users of the PLP are allocated a user licence, Pebblepad defines an active user as someone who has:

  • logged in to PebblePad three or more times; or
  • creates three or more assets; or
  • has shared one or more assets.

To ensure we are not paying for licences which are no longer required EWC monitors and maintains user numbers and active licences, undertaking regular data cleaning to delete obsolete accounts. In undertaking this work we will:

  • identify users who are registered with EWC who have logged in three or more times but have not created or shared any assets from their PLP, and have also not logged in during the previous twelve months
  • contact these users via email to encourage use of their PLP
  • if there is no activity on the account five months after the correspondence has been sent these accounts will be deleted - this will have no impact on the user as at any point in the future, subject to being registered with the EWC, the user will be able to activate a new account

    Or

  • identify users who have created three or more assets, or have shared one or more assets but have not logged in during the previous twelve months
  • contact these users to encourage further use of their PLP and identify any barriers to active use of their PLP for which EWC could assist.
  • These accounts will be retained. Should the individual’s registration with the EWC lapse then we will refer to Group 2

Group 2 - De-registration/de-registered

Prior to the de-registration process

The registration year runs from 1st April to 31st March. Registrants who do not renew their registration with EWC are de-registered, the process typically takes place during the second week of May.

In the lead up to de-registration and as a result of several communications with registrants, EWC’s Registration team maintains a list of registrants who do not wish to renew their registration. At the end of April each year the Professional development and funding team will review this list and, where a registrant has created their PLP and has either:

(i) saved an information in their PLP; or
(ii) created a response to a standard or bespoke template in their PLP

We will take the following steps:

  • Confirm in writing that when they become de-registered they will no longer be able to access their PLP and that 5 months from the date of de-registration their PLP and its content will be deleted (certain exceptions outlined in the section below)
  • Outline the steps required to extract all assets from their PLP prior to de-registration
  • Advise should they wish to continue using the PLP they can either re-register with EWC, or purchase their own individual account directly with Pebblepad and outline the steps required to do that including linking the content created within the EWC account to a personal account
  • Delete the account after 5 months from the date of de-registration

Following the de-registration process

Following the de-registration process, dependent upon the categories below the EWC will apply a slightly different approach as outlined below.

Category 1 - not completed statutory induction in Wales

A practitioner is able to commence, pause and re-engage with their statutory induction period at any point during their career. As such, when a practitioner becomes de-registered with EWC and has begun their statutory induction year EWC will:

  • Confirm in writing they are not registered with EWC.
  • Outline the steps required to extract all assets, including their induction profile, from the PLP In addition:
    • if the user has completed induction outside of Wales we will confirm that their PLP and its content will be deleted 5 months from a date specified in the correspondence
    • If the user is not continuing induction outside of Wales we will confirm that we will maintain the user’s induction profile for 7 years from the date of QTS, in line with the requirement to complete induction within five years of the award of QTS (which includes the opportunity to extend for 2 years)
  • Advise should they wish to continue using the PLP they can either re-register with EWC, or purchase their own individual account directly with Pebblepad and outline the steps required to do that including linking the content created within the EWC account to a personal account
  •  Delete the account after the specified period of time

Category 2 - completed / exempt from statutory induction

Where a practitioner has either completed their statutory induction period, or is not required to complete a statutory induction period and their registration in all employment categories has lapsed EWC will:

  • Confirm in writing (email and letter) that as they are no longer registered the EWC will close their PLP account after 5 months from a date specified in the correspondence
  • Outline to steps required to extract all assets from their PLP (EWC to provide access)
  • Advise should they wish to continue using the PLP they can either register with EWC, or purchase their own individual account directly with Pebblepad and outline the steps required to do that including linking the content created within the EWC account to a personal account
  • Delete the account after 5 months from the date specified in the correspondence

Group 3 - students in ITE

Students, working towards Qualified Teacher Status (“QTS”) as part of an accredited programme of initial teacher education in Wales, access the PLP. On completion of the programme, if they do not go on to register with the EWC we will take the following steps:

  • Confirm in writing that as they are not registered the EWC will close their PLP account after 5 months from the date of our correspondence
  • Outline to steps required to extract all assets from their PLP, this will include any workbooks completed during their studies and their Career Entry Profile
  • Advise should they wish to continue using the PLP they can either register with EWC, or purchase their own individual account directly with Pebblepad and outline the steps required to do that including linking the content created within the EWC account to a personal account
  • Delete the account after 5 months from the date of our correspondence

Group 4-EWC registration removed as a result of a Fitness to Practise hearing

Where a practitioners registration with EWC has been removed for one year or more, as a result of a disciplinary order we will take the following steps:

  • Confirm in writing (email and letter) that as they are no longer registered the EWC will close their PLP account after 5 months from a date specified in the correspondence
  • Outline to steps required to extract all assets from their PLP (EWC to provide access)
  • Advise should they wish to continue using the PLP they can either register with EWC, or purchase their own individual account directly with Pebblepad and outline the steps required to do that including linking the content created within the EWC account to a personal account
  • Delete the account after 5 months from the date specified in the correspondence

Why our use of your personal data is lawful

The main legal basis we rely on to process personal data is article 6(1)(e) of the UK GDPR, which allows us to process personal data when this is necessary to perform our public tasks as a regulator.