Young People’s Privacy Policy: last updated December 12, 2006

The Do U Care? website is run by the South Tyneside Early Intervention and Safeguarding Department. It is aimed at looked after young people, those with experience of Social Care and Health services and any other young person who may find it of use. We want to respect the privacy of young people who use the site, and this policy explains how we do this. We may update the policy from time to time so please read it each time you visit the site.

If you want to get in touch with us or have any questions, then please click here.

Your parents or carers

The Do U Care? site has lots of information about being looked after and other Social Care and Health information. Parents and carers might not like you using our message boards, or posting real life experiences.

You must ask your parent(s), or carer(s) for permission before using the Do U Care? site if -

· you are under 12 years old or

· you don’t understand something we say here or

· you think they might not like you using this website for any reason

Please also check with the same person/people

· if you are under 16 years old and want to enter a competition where concert tickets are being given as prizes or other travel arrangements need to be made.

We can give you an alternative prize if you win and your parent(s) or carer(s) don’t want you to go to the concert or other venues.

· before using the message board or Real Life experiences

The Internet can be a dangerous place for young people and we want you to be safe. So please see our Do U Care Webwise Rules first.

Have fun, and read on!

How we collect information from you …

· If you email us – so we can reply

· If you register for our competitions – so we can give you a prize if you win

· If you use a message board or the Real Life Experience area (but other people won’t be able to identify you, if you stick to Do U Care? webwise rules)

· Through “cookies” – little computer files the website puts on your computer – but just to make it easier for you to use the site, and not in a way that identifies you

· Through “traffic data” – information like which website you visited before ours which is collected automatically by the site - but again, not in a way that identifies you

How we keep your information confidential and secure …

· We won’t tell anyone anything you say to us which you don’t want others to know, except in extreme circumstances. Those circumstances might be that you had told us about a crime, or we thought that you were in serious danger, or that we were obliged or professionally advised to do so.

· We will keep any information you give us secure by using appropriate methods.
Who we give your information to …

· We don’t give personal information about you to anyone, except in the extreme circumstances we told you about in the last section, where we would tell the appropriate agency or authority.

· We will publish statistical data (from answers to quizzes or surveys) and share it with local and national agencies and other public sector and voluntary organisations. You can’t be identified from those statistics.

When we will use your email address to send you further information …

· In response to an email that you have sent to us either asking a question or if you wish to post a Real Life Experience.

· Please ask your parent(s) or carer(s) before agreeing to receive information from us by email.

· You can ask us at any time to stop sending you this information – we will always explain how to do that at the end of any email we send you.

Show it to your parent(s) or carer(s) if you don’t understand the instructions.

These are your rights …

· You have a right to see a copy of the personal information we hold about you - it costs £10 for the copy.

· You also have a right to correct any errors in that personal information.

Overseas transfers of information …

· We will not transfer your information outside the UK, except if it is an identifiable photograph of you which we put on our website and then only with the written permission of your parent(s) or carer(s).

More information …

· If you want more information about anything in this privacy policy please contact us or ask your parent(s) or carer(s) or social worker or a teacher you trust.