Parental Policies for Enrolment - 2023

Enrolment and consent form for young people and parents/carers

Please read and complete the following enrolment and consent form before the beginning of your programme (or your child’s programme) with ThinkForward. If you are a parent, guardian or carer, please complete the form and provide consent in the applicable places.

Why we need your consent

We collect personal information from young people participating in our programme to help us provide our coaching programme to you. We will only use your personal data for our legitimate interests of providing our innovative and charitable coaching scheme. We need your consent to collect and process certain special categories of your personal data, such as any health related information (including details of any necessary medication taken), and for us to take and use photos and videos which feature you while you participate in our programmes. For more information about how we handle your data, please see our privacy policy at https://www.thinkforward.org.uk/privacy-policy/

Before completing and signing the online consent, please read and keep a copy of the information in this document.

  1. Our policy regarding how your personal data will be used
  2. Details regarding our safeguarding and educational visits policy
  3. Details regarding our photography and video policy

Please complete this form as fully and accurately as possible. Without your consent to our use of your data as defined in this form, we may be unable to offer you the full benefit of our programme.

After reading the policies, please click the link below to complete your child’s enrolment process to join the ThinkForward programme.

Please click here to access the enrolment and consent form

Policy 1: Data Protection Policy

How we collect and store information on young people 

ThinkForward will collect, store and process your personal information in accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

As part of the service you receive from the programme, ThinkForward will gather regular information from your school/education provider, for example about your behaviour and attendance. We will also record details of discussions in one-to-one and group meetings.

This information will be recorded on a secure ThinkForward IT system and only trained employees of ThinkForward, who have undergone a DBS check can access it.

All data will be treated in the strictest of confidence. Your information will only ever be shared on a ‘need-to-know’ basis and only where it is relevant to the ThinkForward programme:

  • ‘Relevant’ situations are when information can be recorded and processed for your support and benefit, and/or for clear reasons of the health and safety of you and the people working with you
  • Any concerns we have about your safety will be discussed with the school/education provider and will be recorded on the IT system

Your data will not be used or sold for commercial purposes, or for any purpose that does not fit the original aims of the ThinkForward programme.  All personal data will be held securely for six years after the end of the programme, after which it will be archived, anonymised or deleted.

ThinkForward may share this information with its funders. ThinkForward and its funders will only use your data for the following research and statistical purposes:

  • To help governments and donors decide how to spend money in future
  • To measure how well the programme is working
  • To help us improve the service we offer to you and other young people

Consent is voluntary. If you wish to withdraw consent at any time, please contact your coach.

You can also ask your coach for a copy of ThinkForward’s privacy policy or view it at https://www.thinkforward.org.uk/privacy-policy/

Policy 2: Safeguarding and Educational Visits Policy

ThinkForward embeds safer recruitment practices for the appointment of all ThinkForward staff and volunteers. All frontline staff are subject to safeguarding training to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all ThinkForward participants. ThinkForward has clear measures in place for the protection of children, young people and young adults through a written safeguarding policy which is reviewed annually.

All staff adhere to a clear code of conduct to ensure professional boundaries are maintained at all times, in all our activities and contact with young people. 

ThinkForward have clear arrangements in place to ensure the safety and participation of young people in activities, ensuring all activities are risk assessed and managed to minimise harm. The organisation has a clear health and safety policy which outlines the responsibilities for undertaking risk assessments and due diligence on service providers.

ThinkForward operates during the core working days and hours of Monday – Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. ThinkForward provision is not limited to term time and will include activities during half term and summer term holiday periods. This is voluntary, however participation and attendance is always encouraged.

When activities take place outside of the core hours we will seek additional parent/carer consent. This will include any activities such as residential trips, activities and workshops which take place at the weekend or in the evening, and any visits which require additional travel outside your town/city.

Policy 3: Photography, Video & Case Study Policy

Why do we need your consent to take photos and videos?

During a young person’s time with ThinkForward, there will be times throughout the duration of the programme when we would like to take their photograph, film them or share their experience on the programme using quotes and case studies. These images and case studies would be used in a range of internal and external communications to allow us to show our supporters and partners what we do and the difference we are making.

Images and case studies are used to help ThinkForward with fundraising and publicity, and to build and maintain relationships with schools and partners who provide activities including mentoring, business insight days and work experience.

Examples of when we might take a young person’s photograph:

  • During activity at school
  • On a ThinkForward visit out of school
  • At an event where a young person is a guest of ThinkForward

Examples of communications where images and case studies could be used include, but are not limited to:

  • ThinkForward social media accounts
  • Bids for funding sent to businesses, trusts and foundations
  • The ThinkForward annual review
  • The ThinkForward website
  • Reports to schools about the impact of ThinkForward
  • ThinkForward newsletters to supporters
  • Internal reports and staff bulletins
  • Media outlets, for example, local newspapers
  • ThinkForward’s business and education partners

Coaches will talk to young people about how photographs and case studies will be used, and young people can always talk to their coach if they do not want their photograph taken in a particular situation. This will always be respected.

We do not allow photographs, video or other images of young people to be taken without the consent of the parents/carers and the child as provided for in this form below.

Images will only be taken on devices owned by ThinkForward. ThinkForward will take all steps to ensure images are used solely for the purposes they are intended. If you become aware that these images are being used inappropriately you should inform your child’s coach immediately.

ThinkForward will store electronic images digitally, with permission restricted on who can access them, and any hard copies will be kept in locked drawers or cupboards. If you have any questions, please talk to your child’s coach.

How we take, use and store photographs and moving images of young people

At ThinkForward we take the safety of young people very seriously. This includes the taking, use and storage of still and moving images. ThinkForward has the following guidelines in place to protect young people:

  • Consent for photography will be obtained from parents/carers and the young person at enrolment on the programme (using the enrolment form above)
  • ThinkForward will only ever use first names/no name to caption photographs
  • Photographs will only be taken on devices owned by ThinkForward, not personal phones or cameras owned by staff
  • Photographs taken by ThinkForward staff will always be taken on password protected phones
  • Electronic images will be stored on the ThinkForward server with user access restricted, and may also be stored on school servers
  • Hard copies of photographs or videos will be kept in locked drawers or cupboards
  • Parents and carers have a named coach who can be contacted about ThinkForward’s photography policy
  • Professional photographers will not be allowed unsupervised access to young people
  • Parents, carers and young people are free to withdraw their consent at any time