Access to information

The Together Trust has cared for tens of thousands of children since 1870 and recognises how important family background and information about the past can be.

We are therefore very happy to provide former residents with any information that we may hold on them. We do not disclose your personal information to anybody who does not have a legitimate reason for access.

How to access your records

If you think that you were a former resident of the Together Trust (formally known as the Manchester and Salford Boys’ and Girls’ Refuges and Homes, 1870 to 1959 and The Boys’ and Girls’ Welfare Society, 1960 to 2005) and would like access to your records please print off and fill out an Access to Records Form and send it to the Records, Archives and Information Officer at the address shown left, along with proof of your identity. The Together Trust would like to offer any person wishing access the chance to arrange to come into the office and go through the file with a qualified social worker who may be able to help with anything you do not understand. You may also attend with a relative or friend. You will have the opportunity to take away a copy of your file. If for whatever reason you cannot travel to the head office, please ring the Together Trust to discuss possible alternatives for access to your records. The Together Trust will supply your information within the 40 day time limit.

Who has access to this information?

At the Together Trust we are committed to openness and understand the importance of family identity. We are very happy to provide former residents with any information that we may hold on them. We do not disclose your personal information to anybody who does not have a legitimate reason for access. Therefore the Together Trust will only disclose your information to those who have a genuine need to see it, for example if it is required by law. If you are a relative of a former resident who is no longer alive we may consider granting access on the condition that we are supplied with proof of relationship and proof of death.

Can I see everything you hold?

We may have to withhold some information in your file from you. This could be any information supplied by other people in confidence, anything that is in your file about other people will not be shared without their consent and if your information is contained in a ‘family file’ we can share information about yourself but not your siblings without their consent. In some limited circumstances we may withhold information if it is deemed that by providing access it may cause harm to you or another person. Each application will be taken on its own merits and circumstances, such as the date of the file and the nature of the information.

What can I do if I am unhappy with the information or service I have received?

If after viewing the information in your files you recognise that there are inaccuracies in factual information such as your Date of Birth, you can ask us to make amendments to your data.

If you disagree with something that is written in your file, if you let us know we will make a note of your thoughts on the file.

If for whatever reason you are not happy with this service, or with how we handle your data, in the first instance contact the Data Protection Officer at the Together Trust.

If you are still unhappy you can make a complaint to the Information Commissioners Office at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF or online at www.ico.gov.uk

Oral history project

Within the past year the Together Trust has begun an oral history project to try and capture the memories and experiences of individuals under our care to try and build a bigger picture of what life was like in one of the Together Trust’s Homes. We hope to also extend this project out to employees of the charity. If you feel able to talk about your time in one of our homes or schools and are comfortable having this recorded for future prosperity and research purposes please get in touch. We aim to provide a comfortable atmosphere to these discussions and hope that they can also be a benefit to the individual.