Data Protection

The Data Protection Act gives you the legal right to see information we hold about you.

It says that we must:

  • make sure any personal information we keep is accurate, and that we remove it when we no longer need it
  • deal with requests for information and queries promptly
  • advise and assist you with making requests for information
  • help you understand any information we provide

We receive information about you in two main ways:

  1. you give us most of the information we hold when you fill in forms before you become a tenant and during your tenancy
  2. other agencies that work with you, such as Manchester City Council and perhaps the police, sometimes pass on personal information to us

How do we use this information?

If you apply for a home we use information you give us about your rehousing needs to decide what kind of home you need and how quickly you need to move there. When you become a tenant we use your personal information to help us manage your home and the surrounding neighbourhood, such as the kind of support and services you need.

How do we share the information?

We share your information with other agencies like the Council, or the police, but only when we need to - for example to prevent crime or provide extra support. We ask them to keep the information safe and remove it from their files when they no longer need it. They are not allowed to pass the information on to anyone else.

How can you see the information we keep about you?

You have the right to see any of the information we hold about you. To ask for the information, print out this request form, fill it in and return it to:

Head of Business Effectiveness & Communications
Northwards Housing
Freepost
NORTHWARDS HOUSING HQ
Manchester, M9 8GQ

If you need, you can ask someone else to fill in the form for you. We will acknowledge your request and send what you have asked for within 40 working days (eight weeks). The law says we must do this under the 'Data Protection Act'.

What if you're unhappy with the how we keep your information?

If you feel that the way we use or keep your information is causing you damage or distress you can write and ask us to stop using the information (see address above). We do not have to do that if:

  • you have said we can use the information (such as for your housing application)
  • we are using it to perform a service to for you (such as maintaining your home)
  • we must use the information by law (such as in anti-social behaviour cases or criminal activities

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