Privacy Notice: Greater Manchester Victim Support Research

Last updated: December 2025

Who we are

This research is being conducted by Equality Collabs Ltd, an independent social impact consultancy registered in England and Wales (Company Number: 15389608). Our registered address is 20 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7GU.

For questions about your data, contact us at research@equalitycollabs.com.

What this research is for

Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has commissioned this independent research to understand victims' experiences and improve support services. Your responses will help inform how funding is allocated for victim support across Greater Manchester.

What information we collect

Survey responses: We collect your answers to our survey questions, which may include information about your experiences, your views on support services, and demographic details. The survey is anonymous — we do not ask for your name or collect information that would directly identify you.

Prize draw and interview opt-in: If you choose to enter the prize draw or express interest in an interview, we will ask for contact details (name and email or phone number). These are stored separately from your survey responses and cannot be linked back to your answers.

How we use your information

We analyse survey responses to identify themes and insights about what victims need from support services. We share these findings with GMCA in anonymised, aggregated form — meaning no individual can be identified from our reports. We may include quotes from open-text responses, but only where these cannot be traced back to an individual.

Prize draw contact details are used solely to contact winners and are deleted after the draw. Interview contact details are used only to arrange interviews and are deleted once the research concludes.

Our legal basis for processing your data

For survey responses: We process your data on the basis of legitimate interests (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f)). Our legitimate interest is conducting research in the public interest to improve victim support services. We have assessed that this does not override your rights, given that participation is voluntary, the survey is anonymous, and findings are reported in aggregate.

For sensitive information: Some questions ask about experiences that may constitute special category data under UK GDPR (such as information relating to health, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or experiences of violence). We process this data on the basis of your explicit consent (UK GDPR Article 9(2)(a)), which you provide by choosing to answer these questions and submit the survey. You can skip any question you prefer not to answer.

For contact details: Where you provide contact details for the prize draw or interview, we process these on the basis of your consent (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(a)).

Who sees your information

Your survey responses are accessible only to the Equality Collabs research team. We share anonymised findings — not individual responses — with GMCA to inform their commissioning decisions.

We do not share your information with the police, local councils, or any other organisation in a way that could identify you.

How we keep your information safe

All data is stored securely within the UK using encrypted systems with access restricted to the research team. We follow data protection protocols in line with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

How long we keep your information

We retain survey data only for as long as needed to complete the research and produce our report. Once analysis is complete, any data that could potentially identify individuals is securely deleted. Contact details for the prize draw are deleted after winners are contacted. All personal data will be securely deleted by 15th May 2026.

Your rights

Under data protection law, you have the right to access any personal data we hold about you, request correction of inaccurate information, request deletion of your data, withdraw your consent at any time, and lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk).

Because the survey is anonymous, we cannot identify or retrieve your individual responses once submitted. If you provide contact details separately, you can ask us to delete these at any time by emailing research@equalitycollabs.com.

Consent

By completing and submitting this survey, you confirm that you have read this privacy notice, you understand how your data will be used, and you consent to the processing of any sensitive information you choose to share.