Blue Badge Service Provision
Case reference FOI2024/00811
Published 22 May 2024
Request
Does the council rely on externally commissioned services or employ in-house assessors for blue badge Independent Mobility Assessments?
If you use an externally commissioned service, could you provide the name of this service provider?
If the council internally employs in-house assessors, please specify the number of clinically trained assessors and administrative staff who work on blue badge applications.
Do you collaborate with local GP services or NHS trusts to conduct blue badge assessments?
How many of your applications are received through the .gov blue badge digital portal?
How many applications are received direct to the council outside of the .gov blue badge digital portal process?
Do members of the blue badge administration team fill out an application on either the .gov blue badge digital portal, or an internal form on behalf of an applicant that feels they are unable to do it themselves?
Do you use an internal digital case management system for blue badge applications? If so, what is the name of this system.
What is your current cost per assessment? (i.e. triage, telephone assessment & Independent Mobility Assessment)
Response
Does the council rely on externally commissioned services or employ in-house assessors for blue badge Independent Mobility Assessments?
An external provider is used to conduct mobility assessments.
If you use an externally commissioned service, could you provide the name of this service provider?
Able 2 operated via NRS Healthcare
If the council internally employs in-house assessors, please specify the number of clinically trained assessors and administrative staff who work on blue badge applications.
N / A
Do you collaborate with local GP services or NHS trusts to conduct blue badge assessments?
No
How many of your applications are received through the .gov blue badge digital portal?
None
How many applications are received direct to the council outside of the .gov blue badge digital portal process?
All applications are received outside of the .gov portal
Do members of the blue badge administration team fill out an application on either the .gov blue badge digital portal, or an internal form on behalf of an applicant that feels they are unable to do it themselves?
Yes, appointments are offered to assist customers with completion of their application as required.
Do you use an internal digital case management system for blue badge applications? If so, what is the name of this system?
Yes, Granicus is used for all blue badge applications.
What is your current cost per assessment? (i.e. triage, telephone assessment & Independent Mobility Assessment)
Details of the current costs per assessment have been withheld under Section 43 (1) and / or (2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because disclosure would, or would be likely, to prejudice the commercial interests of Able 2, the external provider used by the council to conduct mobility assessments.
In reaching this decision I have taken into account relevant guidance provided by the Information Commissioner's Office including whether the information in question is commercial or industrial.
Herefordshire Council is satisfied that the information to which the exemption has been applied contains information which could constitute a business secret i.e. a pricing model as well as commercial interests.
Disclosure of the withheld information would adversely affect Able 2. The withheld information contains details of their pricing model per assessment e.g. pricing for desk based assessments, clinical assessments, etc., from which it would be possible to estimate the company's underlying costs. This information is unique to that company, proprietary in nature and provides a detailed overview of the way that the company approaches such contracts. The company has stated that disclosure of this information would be of advantage to their direct competitors, thereby negating their ability to develop a commercial advantage when tendering for this contract in the future with Herefordshire Council, or for similar contracts elsewhere.
The council accepts the legitimate economic interests of the company would be likely to be prejudiced by disclosure of the information.
In coming to this decision, I have weighed up the public interest for disclosure against the public interest in not disclosing the information and the commercial interests of Able 2 as follows:
The public interest in disclosure:
Openness and transparency regarding Blue Badge applications and related mobility assessments.
The public have a right to scrutinise the spending of public monies.
The public interest in not disclosing the information and the commercial interests of Able 2
Revealing Able 2's pricing model for conducting mobility assessments would undermine their competitive interests, particularly their competitive position and ability to make a profit. If the withheld information were released competitors would gain an unfair advantage in knowing the pricing this company charges for different elements of assessment, from which it would be possible to estimate their underlying costs. Able 2 would not have the benefit of holding similar information on their competitors, and their competitors could therefore use this information in future tenders of a similar nature either with Herefordshire Council in the future or elsewhere, to undercut Able 2 and beat them to the business being offered. This would damage the fairness of the tender process in the short and longer term. It would also result in Able 2 losing future contracts and they would be commercially, and financially, disadvantaged as a result.
Taking the above into consideration, I have found the public interest in disclosing the information in this case is outweighed by the public interest in not disclosing the information. Please therefore take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act for this part of your request.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.