When GDPR became law in May 2018, I never imagined that by April 2019 I would have become the director of my own company so I could continue providing support to schools with data protection.
My journey to working in data protection has been a varied and interesting one through the world of nursing in London; teaching science and maths in secondary schools; teaching physiology to nurses; managing GP practices; onto leading services for governors and governing boards.
As the Head of Governor Services for Buckinghamshire County Council I was transferred to a newly-formed education charity, the Buckinghamshire Learning Trust (BLT) in the summer of 2013.
My life in data protection started in 2018 in response to schools looking for support with a cost-effective Data Protection Officer Service. After intensive training and passing the necessary exams, I was successfully accredited by IBITG as a GDPR Practitioner. School customers quickly followed and I soon realised that data protection was an area where I could really make a difference for schools, which I have always been passionate about.
In April this year I decided to set up my own independent service and SchoolsDPO was born.
In a strange way it feels as though my experience of working with schools and governors across the years has been leading to this point! One where I can use that experience to interpret data protection law and apply it to the context of schools in a realistic and practical way.
With the new academic year underway, my focus will be on reviewing GDPR compliance action plans and recommending any next steps in a timeframe that is manageable for each school’s context. Many schools are doing more than they think, they just need help to pull the evidence of their GDPR compliance together and identify any gaps.
I love working with schools and have a wide range of customers from multi-academy trusts to very small rural schools and everything in between!
So, if you are interested in knowing more about how I can support you and your school, please get in touch. I am happy to answer any questions, as I know how important it is that you get the support that is right for your school.