This Privacy Notice explains how Manchester City Council uses your personal data. There is more information in our detailed Early Help Privacy Notice. Children might need help from an adult to understand this.
What is personal data?
Personal data is information about you and your life. This could be things like your name, date of birth and where you live. We also keep more complicated information like things that have happened to you at home or school, or problems we need to help you and your family with.
There are some types of data we must be extra careful with. This is called special category personal data and includes information about your health or disabilities, and your ethnic origin or religion. Sometimes we need to keep information about crimes, including when other people say you have done something wrong.
Why do you need to keep my personal data?
The law says that we must work to make sure children in Manchester are safe and doing well. We need your personal data to work out how best to help you and your family, and to show that we are doing our work properly.
Where do you get it from and who is allowed to see it?
We get a lot of your personal data from you and other members of your family. Sometimes we get information from other people involved in your life such as:
- Your teachers and other people at school
- Your doctor or hospitals where you’ve had treatment
- Community organisations that help children and families
- Other councils if you lived somewhere else before you came to Manchester
- The police
Sometimes we have to share your information with those people too. This is because we must all work together to help you and your family. We always make sure we only give them the information they need to do their job.
We give information about how we have helped you and your family to an organisation that does research about Early Help. Before we do that we take out any information that would identify you.
How long do you keep my personal data?
We don’t keep your information for longer than we need to. Usually we keep Early Help information until children have reached the age of 25.
How do I know what personal data you have about me?
You can ask for a copy of your personal data. This is called a subject access request. Just ask the person who is working with you.
You can also ask us to correct or delete information you think is wrong. Sometimes we can’t do this but we will always explain why.
What if I think you’re not following the rules about my personal data?
You can tell our Data Protection Officer, Michael Seal. The best way to get in touch with Michael is to send an email to dpo@manchester.gov.uk
You can also get advice or complain to the Information Commissioner's Office through their website - Advice services for members of the public | ICO