Privacy notice for Professional Mentoring programme

When Mentees and Mentors register/participate in the mentoring programme the following information is provided to BCU: name, phone and/or mobile number, date of birth, home address, email address, student number and engagement with the mentoring scheme.

Special category data such as gender, sexual orientation and disability may also be collected; however, the provision of such information is entirely voluntary for both Mentees and Mentors.

BCU is relying on mentors’ and mentees’ consent to process their personal data. This is because the software we use has a registration process with the collection of consent hard-coded into it which currently cannot be changed. When it is possible to change this in the future we will do so, as data protection law does not require us to rely on your consent. If it does become technologically possible to move to rely on a different lawful basis we will first contact you to ensure you are fully informed and have the option of removing your personal data, should you not wish it to be processed under the new lawful basis.

The condition of processing for the special category data for EDI purposes is Substantial Public Interests 8. Equality of opportunity and treatment. The condition of processing mentor special category data for mentee-mentor matching purposes is explicit consent. Mentees do not provide special category data for the purpose of mentee-mentor matching.

Where necessary BCU will also rely on relevant lawful bases, to prevent the loss of life or to defend legal claims.

N.B. the lawful basis we hope to rely on in the future is for processing standard personal data of mentors and mentees is ‘public task’ (which means we are either carrying out a task in the exercise of official authority or in the public interest).

BCU will use the personal information to contact participants regarding the outcome of their match. The personal data will also be used to support the matching of Mentees and Mentors, based on location and age. Mentors and BCU will use the personal information provided by mentees to support their career development and, where relevant, their student journey.

Special category data voluntarily provided by both Mentees and Mentors will be collected for the purposes of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) monitoring and evaluation. In addition, special category data disclosed by Mentors will be used exclusively to enable relevant matches where Mentees would like a Mentor who shares a particular characteristic (e.g. ethnicity, disabled, sexuality etc.). Special category data provided by Mentees will not be used for matching purposes and is collected solely to support EDI monitoring and evaluating.

The details inputted on this platform will be used by BCU for the Mentoring programme. The details inputted will only be used in relation to this programme (registration for online messaging system provided by MentorNet, mentoring event invitations and confirmation of matches). Completion of this online form is an agreement from the Mentor/Mentee for the above.

Personal data will be held on the MentorNet platform for a maximum period of two years. When this time has been reached, the personal information is securely destroyed.

Within BCU, the personal data will only be accessible to relevant BCU staff involved in the Professional Mentoring Programme including evaluating and matching matching and supporting Mentees and Mentors. All communication between Mentees and Mentors is conducted via the MentorNet chat function, unless both parties decide to exchange personal contact information at their own discretion. Mentors / Mentees are responsible for what they choose to disclose about themselves via the MentorNet chat function. Whilst participating in the Professional Mentoring Programme, we appreciate that mentoring relationships can be a space for mentees to share personal matters. Mentors will use their professional judgement to share limited, relevant information about mentees with relevant BCU staff. Neither mentees nor mentors should not ask for information to be kept confidential. MentorNet is provided by a Third Party called SFG Software LTD who are data processors acting on behalf of BCU.

We do not share the personal data you have provided for these purposes with any other organisations outside of Birmingham City University unless we believe someone’s life is in danger or we believe we are compelled to by law.

If there are hard copies of personal information, they are kept in a secure location, and personal data stored electronically is on secure systems within the UK or EU.

You have the right to correct or update your personal data at any time. Please get in touch with your main contact at the University to update your details. If you are a student your main contact for this is the Student Support Centre. If you cannot contact them, please email informationmanagement@bcu.ac.uk to update your personal data. You may have the right to have your data deleted, the right to restrict processing, the right to object and / or the right to data portability and you have the right to know about and challenge automated decision making and profiling. Follow the links to find out whether those rights apply in these circumstances. To do any of those things or if you have followed the links but would like clarification, please email informationmanagement@bcu.ac.uk.

You have the right to request to see the personal data we hold about you. You can submit a Subject Access Request (SAR) in accordance with the Subject Access Requests (SAR) Procedure.

If you have read this privacy notice and would like further information, you’re welcome to contact our Data Protection Officer by emailing informationmanagement@bcu.ac.uk or by post to: Data Protection Officer, Information Management Team, Legal Services, Birmingham City University, Floor 1, Joseph Priestley Building, 6 Cardigan Street, Birmingham, B4 7BD, or by phoning 0121 202 4597.

If you are not content with how we handle your information, please follow our Data Protection Complaints Procedure. If you have used that procedure and are unsatisfied with the response you have received, you then have the right to complain directly to the Information Commission (IC). You can find out more about this on the IC’s complaints website.

• Birmingham City University’s Data Protection Policy and Appropriate Policy Document
• Birmingham City University’s Privacy Notices
• The Information Commission (IC) information for members of the public