Latest News- The Future of the Study
We recently sent out a letter to all Next Steps members who took part in an interview this year, asking whether you would be happy for us to keep hold of your contact details so that we can contact you for the purposes of future research. Please click on the link below to see a copy of this letter.
See a copy of recent letter from DfE - Click Here
Further information about how we intend to use your data is given in the FAQs below.
Why do you want to keep hold of my contact details?
Your contact details will be kept securely and will only be used if researchers want to invite you to take part in legitimate future research as part of the Next Steps study.
If, during your last interview for Next Steps, you provided permission for your survey data to be linked to other administrative data held by Government Departments (i.e. higher education data held by the Higher Education Statistics Agency and/or tax and benefit records held by the Department for Work and Pensions and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) your contact details will also be used to enable the linking to be done unless you tell us otherwise.
Future research may involve interviews or having your survey data linked into other data sources so that your progress can be tracked without bothering you with interviews. However, we would still tell you about this research and you will always be given the opportunity to refuse to take part.
Your contact details would only be used for research purposes and never sold for commercial or marketing purposes.
Why are you stopping the study now?
The study is currently being reviewed, it hasn’t stopped altogether. There are many researchers across Government and beyond who are very interested in your activities no matter what you are doing. Your information is still extremely valuable to us.
As you will be aware, public spending is under extreme pressure at the moment. We are now reviewing the study, along with the Economic and Social Research Council (who are the UK’s leading agency for research funding and training in economic and social sciences, see www.esrc.ac.uk/ for more information) and other Government Departments to see how best the study can continue within our new budgets.
How/where is my data being kept?
Your contact details will be kept securely in accordance with the Data Protection Act by the authorised research organisation working on behalf of the Department for Education (DfE). The DfE ensures that the research organisations it works with operate high standards of security to keep your data as safe as possible.
Who will be able to access my data?
Your contact details will be kept secure and will remain the responsibility of the Department for Education. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Work and Pensions are also involved in the Next Steps study and will use your contact details to conduct any data linking if you have provided permission for them to do so. They may also wish to contact you in the future for further research or to re-confirm that you are happy for them to link your survey responses to their administrative datasets.
If, during your last interview for Next Steps, you provided permission for your survey responses to be linked to administrative data held by Government Departments (i.e. education data held by the Higher Education Statistics Agency and/or tax and benefit records held by the Department for Work and Pensions and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) they will also be given access so that these linkages can be made. Once this link has been made they will remove your personal contact details from your survey and administrative data so that the data can only be used for research purposes.
If researchers, including other Government Departments or Agencies funded by Government Departments wish to conduct further studies linked to the Next Steps Study, the Next Steps research team will contact you on their behalf to invite you to take part in the study. You will never be obliged to take part in any research, it will always be voluntary.
Who is responsible for my data?
The Department for Education, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Work and Pensions are what as known as ‘data controllers’ in this study. They are responsible keeping your contact details secure.
What happens if you lose my data?
Government Departments takes security of the data it holds very seriously. The Department for Education, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Work and Pensions ensure that the research organisations holding data on their behalf adhere to the highest standards. However, occasionally mistakes can and do happen. In the unlikely event of your data being lost or stolen we would act immediately to ensure that any further losses are minimised and take steps to ensure that it would not happen again. We would also contact you to explain what had happened, how this may have affected you and what steps have been taken to rectify the situation.
How can I found out how my data has been used so far?
The DfE are making good use of the data you have provided over the years and you can find many findings from our work on this website (include link) from the work completed to date. All research that the DfE produce is published and can be found on their website (www.education.gov.uk). Please note that the Next Steps study is also known as the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE), so if you find a report or piece of research which uses LSYPE data, it’s your information that has helped to produce it.
Can I access my data?
You may have access to the contact details that are held for you. Please note that this may attract a small fee.
You will not be given access to your survey data. This is because it is only used for research purposes and where findings from the research are published; they are done so in such a way as not to identify individuals.
Can I remove my data?
You may withdraw your consent to the Department for Education, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and/or the Department for Work and Pensions holding your contact details at any time. If you wish to do this, please contact the Next Steps Research Team in writing, using the contact details below. Please ensure you quote your reference number in your contact with the team.
You may also withdraw your consent for the Department for Education, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and/or the Department for Work and Pensions to link your survey data with administrative data they hold about you (where you have previously provided consent). If you wish to do this, please contact the Next Steps Research Team in writing, using the contact details below. Please ensure you quote your reference number in your contact with the team.
However, your survey data including any administrative data which has already been linked to your survey data will be kept and used for research purposes. Your survey data is not linked to your contact details and only used for research purposes and where findings from the research are published, they are done so in such a way as not to identify individuals.
For how long will you keep my data?
Your contact details and any linking which you have provided consent for will be kept for a period of five years (until 31st December 2015) or until you contact us to request that they are removed. Following this time, we may contact you again to check if we can keep hold of them or destroy them.
Will my data be sold?
No, your contact details will never be sold to be used for commercial or marketing purposes. Your contact details will only ever be used to contact you for research purposes or to track you via administrative data.
Do I have to be involved in future research if you keep hold of my data?
No, research that we may contact you about in the future is entirely voluntary and you do not have to take part. Refusing to take part in the research would not affect your dealings with any of the Government Departments and Agencies involved. You will be contacted separately for each different research project that is undertaken to ensure that you are happy to participate; however, you will not be bombarded with lots of requests.
Will I be paid for my involvement in future research?
It depends on the research as some studies provide incentive payments (like the vouchers you received in Next Steps) whereas other do not.
Who will contact me about future research?
The Next Steps Research Team will contact you on behalf of any research organisation who wishes to carry out research with you. Their contact details can be found below.
Will my personal information be shared outside of the UK?
No, your contact details will remain in the UK where they are subject to the regulations in the Data Protection Act. Your survey data and any administrative data may be used outside of the UK but only if it is anonymised so that individuals cannot be ifentified.
What if my details are wrong - can I change them/they be changed?
Yes, you can update your contact details at any time by getting in touch with the Next Steps Research Team, contact details can be found below.
Where can I find out more information?
For further information which cannot be found on this website please contact the Next Steps Research Team via:
| Write: | Next Steps |
Next Steps (Helen Wood) |
| Email: | ||
| Tel: | 0800 0154492 | 0114 2742438 |
Who should I contact if I want to complain?
If you are unhappy about the way your personal data is being stored and used, please contact the Next Steps Research Team in the first instance. Alternatively you can contact the Information Commissioners Office at:
First Contact Team
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
SK9 5AF
