What does your role involve?
My role involves being the first point of call with Subject Access Requests, managing Data Breaches, keeping up to date with any policy changes from the ICO, and making sure that any new software passes its GDPR checks.
Are you based at Sawtry, or do you work across different sites within the Trust?
I am based at HQ in Sawtry, but I like to travel to all schools and do site visits to make sure that all of us are practising excellent GDPR compliance.
Can you tell us a bit about your career background? How did you get into this field?
I was extremely lucky in that after sixth form, I got a job at a law firm in Lincoln where I stayed for six years working in their litigation department. I then packed up and moved to London in 2014 where I worked as a Data and Impact Manager for a children’s educational charity until Covid hit, and I joined a chain of private schools as Data Manager.
After ten years in London, my fiancée and I both wanted to move back closer to our families, so we moved back North and I joined the Meridian Trust in March 2024.
What are the main things you focus on as Data Protection Officer at Meridian Trust?
The knowledge of having the right to access your own data is becoming more common, so we are seeing so many more Subject Access Requests than in previous years.
We have 28 days from when the request is made to get this back to the requester, so to ensure the turnaround, it is often my main focus.
What are some of the biggest challenges you face when it comes to keeping people’s information safe in a school/Trust environment?
We need to remember that data protection is everyone’s responsibility, not just mine.
Most of our data breaches are sadly down to human error and sending emails to the incorrect recipient, so we need to make sure that we check our emails and attachments before sending.
As soon as the email goes external, it becomes out of our control, and we then rely on trust. If staff can report the breach to me immediately, we have a better chance of managing it.
How do you help make sure everyone at Meridian Trust understands the importance of protecting personal information?
Data Protection is everyone’s responsibility. If you’ve ever been the victim of a breach, that first wave of concern you feel is exactly why we all need to stay vigilant. By keeping that perspective (i.e. how it feels to be on the receiving end) – I believe we’ll see fewer breaches over time.
What is it like being part of the Meridian Trust family?
I really enjoy working for the Trust. I am surrounded by staff who really know what they are talking about and are focused on doing a job that will help get better outcomes for staff and students. Working in Data Protection, emails that I receive are often not good news, so their support and camaraderie is really appreciated.
What do you enjoy most about your job and working for Meridian Trust?
Having spent all my career either dealing with educational data or reading case law, working in data protection for an Academy Trust is perfect for me as it really combines two subjects that I enjoy and am passionate about.
What interests or hobbies do you have?
Outside of work, you’ll either find me doing one of three things: walking Arnold, my Golden Retriever puppy; watching my local football team (Royston Town FC); or (unsuccessfully) trying to lower my golf handicap!
