Terms of Service

1. About My Little Ears Ltd

My Little Ears Ltd is a UK-based organisation providing preventative glue ear screening services for children, with the aim of identifying signs consistent with otitis media with effusion (glue ear) at an early stage to support children’s health, speech, language, and educational development.

2. Description of the Programme

2.1 The Programme provides:

☑ Non-invasive glue ear screening for children attending participating nurseries and schools.

☑ Screening conducted on school premises by trained personnel.

☑ Secure digital communication of screening outcomes to parents or legal guardians.

2.2 The Programme is:

☑ Free at the point of service to the School.

☑ Preventative in nature.

☑ Designed to identify indicators consistent with glue ear, not to provide a diagnosis.

2.3 The Programme does not:

☑ Constitute a hearing test, hearing screening programme, or diagnostic audiology service.

☑ Replace NHS audiology, ENT, or GP services.

☑ Provide medical diagnosis, treatment, or clinical decision-making.

☑ Guarantee detection of all cases of glue ear or related conditions.

Screening outcomes indicate whether further assessment may be appropriate, not whether a child definitively has or does not have glue ear.

3. Roles and Responsibilities

3.1 My Little Ears Ltd Responsibilities

We will:

☑ Deliver the glue ear screening Programme using trained staff and appropriate equipment.

☑ Exercise reasonable care and skill in the delivery of screening activities.

☑ Provide parents or guardians with clear, plain-language explanations of screening outcomes.

☑ Maintain appropriate safeguarding, clinical governance, and data protection standards.

3.2 School Responsibilities

The School agrees to:

☑ Facilitate access to pupils on agreed screening dates.

☑ Share Programme information and registration links with parents or guardians.

☑ Ensure children are supervised by school staff at all times during screening.

☑ Ensure that no child is screened without appropriate parental or guardian consent.

☑ Provide accurate information regarding classes, year groups, and attendance logistics.

The School is not required to interpret screening results or provide medical advice to parents.

4. Consent and Participation

4.1 No child will participate in the Programme without explicit consent from a parent or legal guardian.

4.2 Consent is collected digitally through the My Little Ears platform and covers:

☑ Participation in glue ear screening.

☑ Collection and processing of personal data and health-related screening data.

☑ Communication of screening outcomes and related information to parents or guardians.

4.3 The School is not responsible for collecting medical or health consent forms unless expressly agreed in writing.

5. Data Protection and GDPR Compliance

5.1 Data Controller

For the purposes of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018:

☑ My Little Ears Ltd acts as a Data Controller for data processed as part of the Programme.

☑ Schools may act as independent or joint controllers in respect of pupil data they already hold and share, depending on the circumstances.

5.2 Types of Data Collected

The Programme may collect and process:

☑ Child personal data (e.g. name, date of birth, school, class).

☑ Parent or guardian contact details.

☑ Health-related data arising from glue ear screening, including screening observations and outcomes (special category data).

☑ Consent records and communication logs.

5.3 Lawful Basis for Processing

Data is processed under:

☑ Article 6(1)(a) – Consent.

☑ Article 9(2)(a) – Explicit consent for special category (health) data.

5.4 Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures, including:

☑ Secure cloud-based systems.

☑ Role-based access controls.

☑ Encryption of data in transit and at rest.

☑ Audit logging and access monitoring.

5.5 Data Retention

☑ Screening-related records are retained in accordance with applicable healthcare, safeguarding, and regulatory guidance.

☑ Identifiable data is retained only for as long as necessary to deliver the Programme and support follow-up.

☑ Fully anonymised or aggregated data may be retained indefinitely for research, reporting, and service improvement purposes.

5.6 Data Subject Rights

Parents or guardians have the right to:

☑ Access their child’s personal data.

☑ Request correction of inaccurate data.

☑ Withdraw consent (which will prevent future screenings).

☑ Request erasure where legally permissible.

☑ Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

6. Safeguarding

6.1 My Little Ears Ltd maintains safeguarding policies appropriate for working with children.

6.2 All staff involved in screening visits:

☑ Hold appropriate DBS checks.

☑ Receive safeguarding training.

6.3 The School remains responsible for the supervision of children throughout screening sessions.

7. Communication with Parents and Schools

7.1 We may communicate with parents or guardians via:

☑ Email

☑ SMS

☑ In-app notifications

7.2 Communications may include:

☑ Consent requests and reminders.

☑ Glue ear screening outcomes and guidance.

☑ Follow-up information and educational material.

☑ Programme updates.

7.3 Schools may receive aggregated and anonymised reports relating to:

☑ Screening uptake.

☑ Overall outcomes at school or year-group level.

8. Use of Aggregated and Anonymised Data

8.1 My Little Ears Ltd may use anonymised and aggregated data for:

☑ Programme evaluation and quality improvement.

☑ Research and public health insights.

☑ Reporting to partners, commissioners, or funders.

8.2 No identifiable child, parent, or school data will be shared without explicit consent or legal obligation.

9. Liability and Disclaimer

9.1 The Programme is provided on a best endeavours basis.

9.2 To the fullest extent permitted by law:

☑ My Little Ears Ltd does not accept liability for indirect or consequential losses.

☑ We are not responsible for outcomes resulting from a failure to seek further medical assessment following a screening outcome.

9.3 Nothing in these Terms limits liability for:

☑ Death or personal injury caused by negligence.

☑ Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

☑ Any liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law.

10. Termination

10.1 Either party may withdraw from participation in the Programme at any time by providing written notice.

10.2 Upon termination:

☑ No further glue ear screening will take place at the School.

☑ Data already collected will continue to be processed in accordance with these Terms and applicable law.

11. Changes to These Terms

11.1 We may update these Terms from time to time.

11.2 Schools will be notified of material changes. Continued participation constitutes acceptance of updated Terms.

12. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

13. Contact Details

For queries regarding these Terms or the Programme, please contact:

My Little Ears Ltd
Email: hear@mylittleears.co.uk
Website: www.mylittleears.co.uk

By participating in the Glue Ear Screening Programme, the School confirms that it has read, understood, and agrees to these Terms of Service.