Outsourced Data Protection Officer
Every organisation that processes personal data has data protection obligations. Many in education and the public sector are legally required to appoint a Data Protection Officer. Recruiting and retaining a senior, qualified DPO in-house is costly, competitive, and for most schools, colleges, and mid-size institutions it can be a challenging market.
An outsourced DPO gives you the same accountability, expertise, and availability as an in-house appointment, quickly and without the overhead. Clark & Company acts as your named, senior DPO on an outsourced basis, providing the function your organisation needs at a cost that reflects your size and complexity.
Three tiers are available. Each is designed for a specific organisational profile.
Schools and Small MATs
For schools and multi-academy trusts up to 500 staff
Schools and small MATs process significant volumes of children’s personal data. The regulatory obligations that flow from that, under UK GDPR, the Age Appropriate Design Code, and the Online Safety Act, are substantial and increasingly scrutinised. Most schools do not have the in-house capacity to manage them properly without specialist support.
Clark & Company provides outsourced DPO services to schools and small MATs that need a named, senior practitioner responsible for their data protection function. The service includes ongoing advisory support, policy review, staff guidance, regulatory correspondence management, and direct availability when something urgent arises.
Higher Education and Complex Organisations
For universities, conservatoires, specialist HEIs, and complex public sector bodies
Higher education institutions operate at the most complex end of the data protection landscape. Research data, international transfers, student data at scale, staff data across large and diverse workforces, and relationships with hundreds of third-party suppliers and processors all create obligations that require a DPO with genuine sector depth and the capacity to operate at senior level across the organisation.
Clark & Company provides outsourced DPO services to HEIs and complex organisations that need a named senior practitioner operating at the level of a University Secretary or Registrar’s office. Each engagement at this tier is scoped individually to reflect the institution’s specific complexity, risk profile, and existing governance arrangements.
What is included
Every outsourced DPO engagement with Clark & Company includes the following as standard, regardless of tier.
Named, senior DPO. A qualified, experienced practitioner responsible for your data protection function and named in your records as required under UK GDPR.
Ongoing advisory support. Direct access to your DPO for questions, guidance, and decisions as they arise. Not a ticketing system. Not a call centre.
Policy and procedure review. Assessment and updating of your data protection policies, privacy notices, and supporting documentation on a regular basis.
Development roadmap. At the start of each engagement we will work with you to embed a continuous improvement plan to ensure that your data protection compliance position improves over time.
Regulatory correspondence management. Handling of ICO correspondence and regulatory contacts on your behalf, ensuring responses are accurate, timely, and appropriately evidenced.
Data subject rights management. Handling and oversight of data subject rights requests including access, erasure, rectification, restriction, and portability, ensuring responses are accurate, timely, and compliant.
Information rights management. Management of your organisation’s freedom of information and environmental information obligations, including advice on exemptions, public interest considerations, and disclosure decisions.
Data protection complaints management. Handling of complaints from data subjects, third parties, and regulators relating to your organisation’s data protection practices, including investigation, response, and remediation.
Personal data breach management. Supporting your organisation through a personal data breach from initial identification through to ICO notification decisions, documentation, and post-incident review.
DPIA support. Expert input and oversight on data protection impact assessments for high-risk processing activities, fulfilling your organisation’s obligations under UK GDPR Article 35.
Staff guidance. Practical support for your team on data protection questions that arise in day-to-day operations.
Training. Access to Clark & Company’s structured training programmes for your staff and senior leadership team, delivered online or on-site.
Project advice. Expert input on data protection implications of new projects, systems, or processing activities before they are implemented, not after.
Due diligence support. Assessment of suppliers, processors, and third-party partners against your data protection obligations before you share personal data with them.
Contract reviews. Review of data processing agreements, controller-to-controller contracts, and supplier contracts against UK GDPR requirements.
Annual review. A structured annual review of your data protection framework, identifying changes in your processing activities, regulatory developments, and areas requiring attention.
Where services listed above are also available on a standalone basis, they are included within your outsourced DPO engagement at no additional charge.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a DPO?
Under UK GDPR, public authorities and bodies carrying out certain types of processing are required to appoint a DPO. Most schools, colleges, local authorities, and higher education institutions fall within this requirement. If you are uncertain whether your organisation needs a DPO, a short conversation is the fastest way to get a clear answer.
What happens if something goes wrong?
Clark & Company is available when you need us. If a data breach occurs, if you receive an ICO contact, or if an urgent data protection issue arises, your DPO is reachable directly. We do not operate through intermediaries or support desks.
Can we switch from our current DPO arrangement?
Yes. Transitions from in-house DPO arrangements, other outsourced providers, or no formal DPO provision are straightforward to manage. We will work with you to ensure continuity and a clean handover.
Is there a minimum term?
Engagements are on an annual commitment basis. This reflects the nature of the DPO role. Continuity and institutional knowledge are essential to doing it properly.