Privacy Notice – Manchester City Council

This privacy notice explains what personal information we collect, what it is used for and who it is provided to. The notice also describes why we require your data, and the legal basis on which it does this.

This notice relates to the Talk English programme, which provides support to people learning English to help them improve their language skills, access services and get more involved in the community.  It is funded through the ESOL for Integration Fund by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC).  The programme is delivered by Manchester City Council in partnership with a range of local organisations.

It provides additional information that specifically relates to this particular programme, and should be read together with Manchester City Council’s general privacy notice, which provides more detail on the questions below. 

What personal information does this service use?
In order to provide you with English classes, activities or other services which are relevant to your needs and determine your suitability, we are required to collect and hold information about you.  This includes your:

  • full name
  • address and postcode
  • telephone number
  • e-mail address
  • age
  • proof of ID

We will also collect information for reporting purposes to DLUHC.  All information shared with the DLUHC is pseudonymised and aggregated. You can choose not to disclose this information.  This information includes your:

  • gender
  • first language
  • length of time in the UK
  • disabilities or additional support needs
  • ethnicity 
  • religion

During your study, we will also collect other information about you to provide you with your learning. This includes:

  • number of children under 18 for childcare support needs
  • information about your skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing English at the start and end of your course
  • your responses to a survey about integration at the start and end of your course
  • attendance information
  • the digital devices you have and your access to internet to determine if you need additional digital support

What is your personal information used for?
The Council uses your personal data for the following reasons:

  • It is a contractual requirement that the service submits provision the service delivers is funded by those agencies.
  • The Council also uses the data provided to promote our services, undertake research, derive data which informs decisions such as future provision.
  • The data is also used to assess the performance of the programme and to set targets.

What is the lawful basis we are relying on?
We collect and use this information under Articles 6 and 9 of the General Data Protection Regulation.
Article 6 basis:

  • it is necessary to perform our public tasks (Art 6(1)(e))

Article 9 basis:

  • you, or your legal representative, have given explicit consent to this particular information being used (Art 9(2)(a))
  • it is necessary for archiving, research, or statistical purposes (Art 9(2)(j)) 

Where has your personal information come from?
The Information is provided directly to us by you.

Who will we share your personal information with?
Your personal data is shared securely with the following organisations where it is both necessary and appropriate to do so:

  • Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) – the funders of this programme
  • DLUHC’s appointed research partners
  • Our delivery partners
  • Organisations we appoint to carry out surveys and research to monitor performance, improve quality, plan future provision about courses and learning opportunities.

We may share your information with local agencies to fulfil our legal requirements under law.

We also work with a range of other support services who may be able to help you further. With your agreement we may share your data to further support you.

Why we share this information

  • We share the data with DLUHC who are funding this programme as per our obligations to deliver the programme.  This  enables DLUHC to produce statistics, assess our performance, evaluate government funded programmes, and ensure the best use of public funding. The data shared will not include identifiable personal information.
  • The DLUHC may also conduct follow up research with participants up to three years after the programme has finished, therefore the Council may be required to share your personal details so that the DLUHC or its appointed research partner may contact you by telephone or other means for future research. You will have a choice to opt in to take part.
  • We will share your information with our delivery partners where you are accessing the programme, in order to ensure that you receive the right level of support and to comply with health and safety policies and procedures.

We do not share personal information about you with anyone else without consent unless the law and our policies allow us to do so.

How long will we keep your information?

We will hold the information about you securely, and for no longer than reasonably necessary.

We will hold it for 6 years from the end of the financial year in which the project ends. This is in order to comply with financial regulations.  Our retention schedule sets out how long we keep personal information for.

Your personal information and your rights
You can find out more about your rights regarding the personal information used for this service. Your rights apply to the information held by the Council as a data controller, and the information we hold on behalf of the other data controllers.

Further information

If you have any worries or questions about how your personal data is handled, please contact If you have any questions or concerns about how we use your personal information, contact our Information Governance team informationcompliance@manchester.gov.uk.