Data sharing, matching, mining and analysis

Sharing personal data

To ensure that we can provide you with the best possible service we may have to share your personal data between our internal teams or external partners. Our external partners can include the Central Government Departments, Police Forces, the Fire Service, National Health Service, Public Health, other local authorities, district councils, credit reference agencies, service providers or contractor, Birmingham Children’s Trust and partner bodies.

The council will also share your information with third parties, other than those who either process information on our behalf or because of a legal requirement/entitlement, but it will only do so if necessary or where permitted under data protection legislation.

As well as public bodies we may also share information with utility companies, credit reference agencies and service providers/contractors where the disclosure of such information is required to protect the public purse or is otherwise necessary to comply with any other legal obligation.

Data matching, mining and analysis

For data matching and data mining purposes, the council may share your personal data with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, or undertaking a public function to prevent and detect fraud.

Data matching compares computer records held by one organisation against those held by the same or another organisation.

Electronic data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims and payments to be identified as a match and may indicate an inconsistency that requires further investigation. No assumption can be made as to whether there is fraud, error, or other explanation until an investigation is carried out.

The council participates in the statutory National Fraud Initiative. This is a data matching exercise with other public bodies run by the government’s Cabinet Office for the purposes of preventing and detecting fraud.

Page last updated: 1 May 2024