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Guidance

Privacy statement: Ofqual subject matter specialists

Updated 2 April 2026

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/privacy-statement-ofqual-subject-matter-specialists/privacy-statement-ofqual-subject-matter-specialists

Ofqual is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses your personal data and to meeting our data protection obligations when engaging and commissioning work from subject matter specialists.

When you apply to join Ofqual’s register of Subject Matter Specialists (SMS) Ofqual has a legitimate interest in processing your personal data in order to consider your application,  to consider your suitability  for and to contract you to carry out assignments, and to keep a record of these processes.

We process your data to:

  • evaluate whether you have shown the skills, knowledge and experience required to be added to our SMS register
  • carry out due diligence, including identity verification checks, legal and financial disclosures
  • consider your suitability for assignments using information you provided to us
  • prepare contract(s) for any work we may wish to commission from you

We may process sensitive information such as data relating to health to make reasonable adjustments.

What personal data we process

When you apply to be an SMS Ofqual collects a range of information about you which we retain and process to consider  your application and, if successful, to consider you for assignments. Most of the information we process will be collected and held in your application, in any requests we make for further information, and any assignment contracts we award to you. This includes:

  • personal identifiers including name, address and contact details
  • professional background including qualifications, employment history and expertise
  • right-to-work and identity information
  • bank details to pay you for work completed if we award assignments
  • details of any reasonable adjustments required to enable you to apply to become an SMS and, if successful to carry out any assignments awarded 

Ofqual collects this information using our online application form and any communication you have with us via the Ofqual system.

As part of the recruitment process, you will be asked to create a GOV.UK One Login account if you do not already have one. This will enable you to access our subject matter specialist system using your GOV.UK One Login account. Each time you sign in, we will receive a unique identifier to inform us that you have successfully signed in. This unique identifier will be retained for a short period of time (30 days) after which it is securely deleted. Please note that we will never have access to your GOV.UK One Login username or password. For more details of how GOV.UK One Login processes your personal information including sharing information with Ofqual, please see the GOV.UK One Login privacy notice.

We will also collect any other information that you expressly permit GOV.UK One Login to share with us. We do not share any of your personal information with GOV.UK One Login unless necessary such as to prevent fraud.

Who we share your personal data with

Your personal data will be shared within Ofqual for the purposes of considering your application to join the Ofqual SMS register, for considering you for assignment opportunities, and with our Procurement, Legal and Finance  teams to prepare and operate contracts where required.

We will collect personal data about you from third parties, such as references supplied by those people you have listed as referees and will identify you in order to do so.

Your information may be used by Ofqual to promote the SMS register, but we will only use your information in this way with your consent and will contact you to seek that agreement.

We may share your personal information with third parties but will only do so when this is fair and lawful: If you are added to the Ofqual SMS register Ofqual will publish your name and selected details about your background or area of specialism. This is described  in the terms and conditions which must be accepted when applying to join the SMS register.

We use data processors who are third parties who provide elements of services for us. We have contracts in place with our data processors which mean that they cannot do anything with your personal information unless we have instructed them to do it. They will not share your personal information with any organisation apart from us. They will hold it securely and retain it only for the period we instruct.

Ofqual may occasionally bring to your attention opportunities to provide subject matter specialist input to other organisations. We will not provide your personal information to third parties without your consent and would typically signpost you to such opportunities.

In some circumstances, we may be required to share your information with other authorities to fulfil our legal obligations. We will not share your information with any third parties for the purposes of direct marketing.

How long we hold your data: retention periods

Applications started but not submitted are deleted 6 months after the last activity by the applicant.

For unsuccessful applications, data is deleted after 24 months. This period allows applicants to re-use and add to data already collected if they wish to re-apply after the minimum 12 month re-application  period has passed.

If your application is successful and you are added to the Ofqual register of SMS, we will retain your data for the period for which you are a member of the register plus:

  • 2 years after you are removed from the register if we did not commission any work from you in that time

  • 6 years after you are removed from the register if we commissioned work from you in that time

If while a member of the SMS register you apply, successfully or unsuccessfully, for additional areas of specialism, the same retention period apply. In such cases the count-back is to the date of your initial acceptance to the SMS register, not to the outcome of an additional specialism application.

If you request to withdraw an application before or after submitting your data will be deleted within 14 days of Ofqual receiving the request. 

Your rights under data protection law

You may:

  • access the personal data we hold about you
  • request correction of inaccuracies
  • ask for deletion or restriction of processing
  • withdraw consent – bearing in mind legal or contractual rights

How we protect your data

Ofqual enforces strict safeguards – technical, procedural, and administrative – to prevent unauthorised access, loss, or damage. Our staff receive training and follow policies aligned with GDPR and the Data Protection act.

Contact and complaints

Data protection requests

Data protection officer, Ofqual
2nd floor, 1 Friargate
Station Square
Coventry
CV1 2GN

For queries about personal data Ofqual holds about you.

If dissatisfied with how we process your data, you can:

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