Customer Services - Your personal information
We want to help you do your council business as quickly, conveniently and easily as possible. In line with our drive for better customer services the Council is introducing a central system holding details of all our residents that can be used by all services and departments across the Council and, over time, provide a single point of contact for all your enquiries.
This means that in future you only need to tell us once when for example, you change your address or contact preferences. The central record will automatically update your details in other Council information systems providing services to you.
Why does the Council need a centralised customer system?
There are many advantages both for you and the Council, including:
- You will only ever have to tell us once if you make any changes to your personal details
- You can be sure we have up-to-date details for all your council business
- You won't have to repeat all the details of a previous enquiry - so each time you get in touch we'll be picking up from where you left off
- We have less chance of making mistakes as we are only updating one record
- We will have a better understanding of the how our services are used so we can plan and target our resources where they are most needed
Why do you need my personal information'?
Depending on why you get in touch there are a variety of reasons for verifying your details.
As well as confirming you are who you say you are, perhaps we'll need to contact you, deliver a service to your home, make a record of your request or double check your details against existing information. We may also be obliged to record your details for statutory or regulatory reasons.
With your agreement we might also contact you with news on Council services or to ask for your feedback on a service you've received from us or contact you to take part in surveys to enable the Council to monitor performance, improve quality and plan for future services,
With your agreement we may also contact you about other services provided by or for the Council or by our partner organisations which we think may interest you.
Who will be able to see my details?
Your information is only shared across the Council and with other providers of Council services on a need to know basis in order to provide a good, timely service for you.
Your information will not be further shared internally or beyond the Council unless it is necessary to meet legal or statutory requirements.
In no circumstances will your personal details be shared with external third parties for marketing or other commercial purposes.
Will my personal information be secure?
We respect your rights under the Data Protection Act 1998 and we promise to ensure that your personal information is held securely and used across the Council in accordance with the preferences you have expressed.
Only authorised system administrators and designated users will have access to the system.
What information does the Council collect?
Whenever you get in touch with us either in person, by phone or online, we'll usually need your basic contact details: name, address, telephone number and where necessary, verification details, together with enough information about your enquiry to be able to help you quickly and effectively.
We'll also sometimes ask for more personal details about you for our equalities monitoring purposes. It's always optional for you to provide this information. But it's very useful for us to make sure we're reaching and responding to all sectors of the community, inclusive of ethnicity, age and disability. In some cases, it is important for us to know, for example, if you have a disability or language issue as this may influence the way our services need to be delivered to meet your needs.
With the implementation of this record system we will hold your contact details centrally and won't have to ask for this each time you get in touch or we need to contact you.
When will the new customer system be fully operational?
Some services will be accessible from June 2010 and the remainder will be added on a phased basis.
How do I access personal information about me?
The Data Protection Act 1998 gives you the right to access your own personal information limited only by certain conditions and exemptions.
To obtain details of the information that we hold about you, contact the Corporate Information Governance Manager, Democratic Services, Chief Executives Department, Albert Square, Town Hall, Manchester M60 2LA.
Email: informationcompliance@manchester.gov.uk
You can access more information about your data protection rights from the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF or website at www.ico.org.uk