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Why have we contacted you?

If you’ve received a call, text, email or letter saying it is from Skills Development Scotland, it’s sensible to check that it’s genuine. This page explains why SDS may contact you, what we may contact you about, and what you can do if you’re unsure. 

Our commitment to you 

SDS is Scotland’s national skills agency. We support people at all stages of their career journey, from school onwards. 

From time to time, we may contact you to make sure you have the support you need for your next steps in learning, training or work. This is part of our commitment to helping you make informed choices and access the right support at the right time. 

How to check if the contact is genuine 

  • SDS staff should always explain who they are and why they are contacting you. 

  • You should not feel pressured to respond immediately if you are unsure. 

  • If you are concerned, contact us directly using a phone number or contact route on our website. 

  • Do not use a phone number or link from a message if you are unsure whether the message is genuine. 

  • Never share personal information unless you are confident who you are speaking to.   

  • We will never ask you for financial information or passwords, and there is never a charge to use our services. 

Why SDS may contact you 

There are several reasons why SDS may get in touch. These can include offering support, following up after previous contact, confirming information, arranging appointments or asking for feedback.   

We will contact you using the contact details we hold for you. These details may have been provided by you during a previous contact with SDS or shared with us by one of our partner organisations, such as a school or local authority, through a data sharing agreement. 

In some cases, the only contact details we hold may be for a parent or carer. Our advisers try to update these details when speaking with pupils in school, but this is not always possible. 

How SDS might contact you 

Depending on the reason for contact, SDS may get in touch by: 

  • phone 

  • text message 

  • email 

  • letter  

The type of contact we use may depend on the service you have used, the contact details we hold, and the reason we are getting in touch.

What SDS might contact you about 

We may contact you at different points in the year, depending on the reason for getting in touch. 

As Scotland’s national skills agency, we may contact you to understand your current education, employment or training status, and to learn about your experience of using our services. This helps us offer appropriate support to you and improve our services for people across Scotland.

If we contacted you about a family member 

Sometimes the information we receive from schools includes contact details for a parent or guardian rather than the pupil. We try to update this when we speak with pupils in school, but this is not always possible. 

If we contact you instead of your young person, they can call us back, or you can share their number with their permission. We can then update their record and remove your number. 

Your privacy 

We take your privacy seriously. Your information is used only to provide support and meet reporting requirements. 

 

Need help or have questions? 

If you would like to know more about SDS or the services we provide, you can: 

 

Remember, if you are unsure about a call, text, email or letter claiming to be from SDS: 

  • do not click on links or use contact details in the message until you are confident it is genuine 

  • do not share personal information if you feel unsure 

  • you can contact SDS directly using details from our official website