Youth Voices - Privacy notice
About the project
The national campaign No Knives, Better Lives are asking young people in Scotland aged 11-25 to help them understand how to reduce violence in Scotland today.
Youthlink has funded the Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen) to carrying out this research to better understand how to reduce violence in Scotland today and make young people feel safer. ScotCen is part of the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen).
The research will involve taking part in a survey.
About this privacy notice
This privacy notice explains how your personal data (e.g., any information that could identify you such as your name, date of birth or postcode) collected for the purposes of this research are used and handled.
Youthlink is the “data controller” which means that they decide what personal data is collected from you as part of this research.
The Scottish Centre for Social Research (ScotCen) is the “data processor” for this research, which means that ScotCen will be responsible for collecting information from you through the survey questionnaire, securely storing it and using it to produce data tables which Youthlink will use to write a report that will be published on their website in Spring 2026.
The legal basis for collecting this information is ‘legitimate interest’.
What happens to the information you provide?
We will use the information collected from the survey to produce data tables which Youthlink will use to write a report. No data will be published that could reveal your identity. Any personal data will be stored securely.
ScotCen will not pass your personal details to anybody without your permission. No information that could make a person identifiable will be passed on to Youthlink Scotland. Only the research team at ScotCen will have access to your personal data.
The information you provide will be used for research purposes only and is dealt with in accordance with data protection legislation; the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
How long will your information be stored for?
The data collected from the survey will be stored securely and confidentially by ScotCen under the terms of data protection legislation. Any data shared with Youthlink Scotland will be anonymised. No one from Youthlink Scotland will know if you have decided to take part or not. Any personal data will be stored for 12 months after the end of the project and then securely destroyed by ScotCen.
Your rights
Taking part in the survey is voluntary. You are free to withdraw at any time without consequence, and you do not have to answer any questions you do not want to. Data protection legislation gives rights to individuals in respect of the personal data that organisations hold about them (see contact details below).
How to contact us
If you have any questions, please contact us at:
Email: helena.wilson@natcen.ac.uk
Phone number: 0131 240 0210
Complaints
If you have concerns about how your personal data are being collected or processed, or if you believe we have not complied with your data protection rights, you can contact the data controller Youthlink Scotland at info@youthlink.scot.
If you are not satisfied with the DPO’s response you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The ICO are the supervisory authority responsible for data protection in the UK. You can contact the Information Commissioner at:
The Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 08456 30 60 60
More information is available at make a complaint on the Information Commissioner's site.