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Review of Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in Wales 2023/2024: Interviews and Focus Groups with current and previous EMA recipients

The Welsh Government has commissioned OB3 Research (OB3) to undertake a review of Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in Wales. The aim is to deliver an independent review focused on the impact of the EMA in Wales, and the current eligibility criteria and value of the award, following the recommendations of the Children and Young People Committee (CYPE) in the Senedd Cymru. The research is also expected to provide recommendations for the eligibility criteria and the programme to inform future policy thinking, including examples of best practice, and lessons learnt which will help form the evidence that will feed into decisions relating to future investment in the scheme.

As part of this review OB3 will be gathering information through interviews and focus groups with current and previous EMA recipients.

The Welsh Government is the data controller for the research. However, OB3 will delete any personal data provided through the interviews, focus groups and workshops, and anonymise the raw data, before it is shared with the Welsh Government.

The information collected during the project will be included in a report published on the Welsh Government website [and possibly in other publications by OB3 and Welsh Government].

Your Participation in this research is completely voluntary. However your views and experiences are important in order to help inform Welsh Government policies.

The contact for this research at OB3 is Nia Bryer

E-mail address: Nia.Bryer@ob3research.co.uk

PRIVACY NOTICE

What personal details do we hold and where did we get your details?

Personal data is defined under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) as ‘any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified by reference to an identifier’.

Your name, email address and phone number were provided to OB3 by the Welsh Government. The Welsh Government received your information from the Student Loans Company who are a non-profit making government-owned organisation that administers loans and grants to students in colleges and universities in the UK. OB3 will only use this information for the purpose of this review.

Your participation in interviews or focus groups is voluntary and if you do not wish to take part or be sent reminders then please reply to the invitation email and your details will be removed.

This research does not require the collection of additional personal data from you except for your image if you agree to the interview or focus group being video recorded.

We may need to video or audio record focus groups and interviews for operational reasons. If this is this is the case, we will make this clear to you before the interview or focus group begins, and you will have the opportunity to tell us if you are not happy for the discussion to be recorded. A focus group will only be recorded if all members of the group are happy for this to happen. If focus groups or interviews are recorded, personal data will be removed during the process of transcribing. Recordings will be deleted as soon as this process is completed. If discussions are not recorded, personal data will not be included in written notes prepared during or following the focus group or interviews.

If you raise a query or complaint and provide personal data requesting a response, the researcher will forward the request only to the relevant official and subsequently delete it from the research data.

What is the lawful basis for using your data?

The lawful basis for processing information in this data collection exercise is our public task; that is, exercising our official authority to undertake the core role and functions of the Welsh Government.

Participation is completely voluntary. Research studies such as this are important for the Welsh Government to collect information and actionable evidence about its ability to deliver government priorities. The information collected in this research, for example, might be used to:

  • Understand the impact of the EMA on learners’ decision to engage in further study

  • Understand the impact of the EMA on learners' engagement with their studies once they have enrolled

  • Understand the impact of the EMA on learners' ability to cope with financial pressures more generally, specifically in light of the cost-of-living crisis.

  • Understand how important EMA is to learners.

  • Understand learners’ views on whether the EMA model is the most effective and efficient model to support learners in the future.

How secure is your personal data?

Personal information provided to OB3 is always stored on a secure server. The data can only be accessed by a limited number of researchers working on this project. OB3 will only use this data for research purposes. OB3 has cyber essentials certification.

OB3 has procedures to deal with any suspected data security breaches. If a suspected breach occurs, OB3 will report this to the Welsh Government who will notify you and any applicable regulator where we are legally required to do so.

OB3 will use the information gathered to produce a report that will be published on the Welsh Government website. This report will not include any information that could be used to identify individual participants.

How long do we keep your personal data?

OB3 will hold personal data during the contract period, and any personal data not already removed will be deleted by OB3 within three months of the end of the contract. This includes your contact details.

Individual rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to the personal information you provide as part of this review, specifically you have the right:

  • To access a copy of your own data;

  • For us to rectify inaccuracies in that data;

  • To object to or restrict processing (in certain circumstances);

  • For your data to be ‘erased’ (in certain circumstances); and

  • To lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who is our independent regulator for data protection.

The contact details for the Information Commissioner’s Office are: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. Phone: 0303 123 1113. Website: www.ico.gov.uk

Further Information

If you have any further questions about how the data provided as part of this study will be used by the Welsh Government or wish to exercise your rights using the UK General Data Protection Regulation, please contact:

Name: Emma Hall

E-mail address: emma.hall001@gov.wales

Telephone number: 03000258673

The Welsh Government’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted at:

Welsh Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ, Email: DataProtectionOfficer@gov.wales.