DPO Services & Consultancy in Manchester

Being a public authority settles the question of whether you need a DPO: you do, whatever your size. That includes organisations that don't think of themselves as public bodies, such as GP practices providing NHS services.

We provide named, outsourced DPOs for public and private organisations across the city region, working remotely and on a fixed monthly fee.

GP practices and shared DPOs

GP practices are public authorities for these purposes, so each needs a DPO — but very few could justify a full-time appointment. UK GDPR allows public authorities to share a single DPO, taking account of their structure and size, and many practices do exactly that across a primary care network or federation.

A shared arrangement still has to work in practice: the DPO must be reachable by each practice's staff and patients, and have the time to monitor each practice's compliance rather than just its paperwork.

Universities and research data

Universities are public authorities and must have a DPO. Their processing is unusually varied — student records, staff HR, alumni fundraising and research involving health or other special category data. Research is where DPIA advice from the DPO matters most, and where ethics approval and data protection compliance need to line up rather than run separately.

Our guide on when a DPIA is mandatory sets out the triggers most research projects meet.

Private employers in the region

Outside the public sector, a DPO is only mandatory where core activities involve large-scale monitoring or large-scale special category data. Many of Greater Manchester's media, digital and professional services firms fall outside those triggers — but still benefit from outsourced DPO-level advice without making a formal appointment.

Sectors we support in Greater Manchester

How our outsourced DPO service works

1. A free 30-minute consultation to understand your organisation, your processing and whether a DPO is mandatory for you.
2. A clear proposal with a single fixed monthly fee, based on your size and complexity. No hidden costs.
3. Your named DPO in place within 48 hours, with the ICO notified of their contact details.
4. Ongoing support: monthly reporting, policy oversight, breach readiness and direct access to your DPO.

Every engagement runs on rolling monthly terms, with no long-term contract.

DPO consultancy without an appointment

Not every organisation needs a formal DPO. If the mandatory triggers don't apply to you, our DPO consultancy gives you the same expertise on the specific areas you need — a compliance gap analysis, DPIAs for new projects, policy reviews, breach response support or staff training — without the statutory obligations that come with appointing a DPO.

Across Greater Manchester we're most often asked for research DPIAs, reviews of student-data processes, and advice to media and digital firms that fall outside the mandatory triggers.

Frequently asked questions

Does a GP practice need a DPO?

Yes. GP practices providing NHS services are public authorities for data protection purposes, so each must have a DPO. Practices commonly share one DPO across a network.

Can several public bodies share one DPO?

Yes, UK GDPR allows it, taking account of their organisational structure and size — as long as the DPO is genuinely accessible and resourced to cover each body.

Do private companies in Manchester need a DPO?

Only if their core activities involve large-scale regular and systematic monitoring, or large-scale processing of special category or criminal offence data. Otherwise it's voluntary.