Freedom of information (FOI) releases from Herefordshire Council

This is a disclosure log of Herefordshire Council's responses to freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) requests that might be of wider public interest.

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3,285 disclosures

  1. Households accommodated under section 17 of the Children Act 1989.

    Freedom of Information request: Households accommodated under section 17 of the Children Act 1989. We would like to understand how many families are being provided with accommodation under section 17 of the Children Act 1989.

    These could be households provided with accommodation under section 17 for a range of reasons, including: because they did not qualify for accommodation under the 1985 and 1996 Housing Acts because they were not eligible for assistance because they were eligible for assistance but were found to be intentionally homeless.

    We would only like to collect information on the number of families that are currently in housing provided under section 17 of the Children Act. Please note we are not asking for information on households housed in Temporary Accommodation under housing or homelessness legislation. It is our understanding that this information will be held at the county/unitary authority level, as that is how social services departments are configured. We would be very grateful for your help.

    THE REQUEST: I would like to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

    1. The number of households living in accommodation provided by the local authority under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 on 30th June 2024 (or most recent data available)

    2. (if available) The total number of adults living in these households on 30th June 2024 (or most recent data available)

    3. (if available) The total number of children living in these households on 30th June 2024 (or most recent data available) We understand that many authorities will hold some but not all the information requested. Where this is the case, we would appreciate it if you could provide the information that you do hold and to mark others as ‘Not available’.

    For ease, please place the requested figures into the table below: Total number of households living in accommodation provided by the local authority under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 at the end of June 2024:

    x Total number of adults in these households:

    x Total number of children in these households:

    x

    EXEMPTIONS: Section 12: I understand that one exemption that may apply to this request is that described at Section 12(1) - 12(4) of the Freedom of Information Act, where “the authority estimates that the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit”. If the Council does refuse the request by relying on Section 12, I would respectfully ask that it comply with the Information Commissioner’s advice and confirm whether or not the information is held by the Council. I respectfully ask that you advise us of any parts of the request that it would be possible to complete within the appropriate limit, and provide that information.  

    Section 16: Further, I am available to help and assist the Council, and would be happy to refine the request, in order to reduce the time needed to provide the information requested. I would respectfully ask that the Council consider its duty “to provide advice and assistance” as set out at Section 16 of the Act. The Information Commissioner states in advice that the “a public authority should consider in these circumstances...how it can provide advice and assistance to help an applicant narrow, reform or refocus their request…”

    Section 21: If this information described in Questions 1, 2 and 3 of this request is already publicly available and therefore exempt under Section 21 of the Act, I respectfully request that the Council inform me of where specifically it can be found. Public Interest: I do not believe that any of the Freedom of Information Act exemptions should apply to the information requested. However, in the case that the Council argues otherwise I now present some arguments as to why it would be in the public interest - and indeed in the interests of the Council and the people it serves - to release the information I have requested. There is a bias toward disclosure in the Freedom of Information Act itself, as there is a general public interest in transparency in public affairs. There is a clear public interest in the efficient administration of public money and resources. There is a legitimate aim in greater transparency in the inner workings and process of the management of help for households in need of housing assistance. The publication of the information requested serves the interest of homeless households themselves in achieving greater transparency about their own housing situation. Publication will enable charities in this sector to target resources at areas where people are in need, and where councils are having to provide assistance to many households.

    Published: 20 September 2024

  2. Direct payments for Care Act services

    1) How many of your authority's customers are in receipt of a direct payment for Care Act services, please?

    2) What was the combined value of all Care Act budgets (Adult & Children) delivered through direct payments made in 2023 and 2022, please?

    3) What is the median amount of a gross direct payment made on behalf of your organisation?

    4) How frequently are direct payments made (i.e., weekly, fortnightly, 28 days or calendar month). Please provide a breakdown, thank you.

    5) How many of your direct payment clients receive their payment into a prepaid card or managed account? Please provide a breakdown of the numbers, thank you.

    6) What is the applicable contract length with these providers and when do these arrangements come up for renewal?

    7) Does your authority use prepaid cards to disburse funds to other people (i.e., asylum seekers, refugees, homeless). If so, please can you provide a breakdown of the median amount, recipient category, frequency of funds disbursed and the total value of funds made in 2023 and 2022, please?

    Published: 19 September 2024

  3. Potholes reported between 01/05/2024 and 13/08/2024

    Please can you provide a list of all potholes (together with job number, reports from the public, location data and any other details or description of each pothole) reported between 1 May 2024 and 13 August 2024 on:

    - the B4214 from its junction with the B4220 (Cottons Corner) to its junction with the A4103 (Hop Pocket); and

    - the A4103 from its junction with the B4214 (Hop Pocket) to its junction with the A465 (Aylestone Hill); and

    - the A465 from its junction with the B4349 (Dunan) to its junction with Dean Pool, Kingstone, HR2 9ES.

    Please also provide the date of each report and the date on which each pothole was repaired.

    Published: 18 September 2024

  4. VAT on Adult or Children care

    Please can you confirm if your authority has paid fees to any of your suppliers of Adult or Children care plus standard rated VAT (at 20%) at any time within the last six months?

     

    If yes, can you confirm:

     

    A)   The names of the care provider organisations (adult and/or children services) who you are paying plus VAT at standard rate (20%).

     

    B)   When did the council start paying these providers VAT.

     

    Published: 17 September 2024

  5. Food Business contact details

    Planet Buffet, 47 Commercial Rd, Hereford HR1 2BJ We have been requested to supply food and dinks to the above business. Part of our due diligence process, we have to check if they have registered their food business with the Council and the name of the person/company who is registered. May I request the name of the person/company who has registered with the Council for the Food Business please?

    Published: 17 September 2024

  6. Highways Maintenance Request

    Please could you respond to the following questions, regarding highways delivery.

     

    -       Do you use contractors or self-deliver highways maintenance for your local authority?

    -       If a contractor is used for a PFI contract, when did this contract commence and when does it end?

    -      Have you considered using innovated materials to fix road defects?

     

    -       Which highways maintenance contractors and sub contractors do you (or your wider main contractor) use and what activity are they responsible for?

     

    -       What plant machinery is used in your highways maintenance, both yours and your contractors / rental partners?

    -       What measurement criteria is used to assess the contractor’s performance?

    How have they performed over a 12 month period?

    -       What is the spending and workforce associated to each of the following – planned highways maintenance, reactive highways maintenance, capital schemes?

    -       Who is the individual(s) that assess the assets and machinery used in your highway maintenance?

    -      Do you provide your own PPE?

    -       What measurement do you use to identify the longevity of the highways maintenance fix?

    -       What innovation have you trailed for highway maintenance?

     

    Published: 17 September 2024

  7. Access control maintenance contract information

    Access Control System Overview:

    1. Current System(s):

        * What electronic access control system(s) do you currently have in place? Please include manufacturer of control unit & model (e.g. SALTO, PAXTON, ASSA)

    2. Access-Controlled Doors:

        * How many doors across all of your sites have access control systems installed? How many per each site?

    3. Access Control Types:

        * Please provide a detailed breakdown of the different types of access control hardware in place (e.g., magnetic lock doors, paxton p50 door readers, electric strike doors, battery-operated electronic handle sets, battery-operated electronic cylinders, etc.).

    4. System Age:

        * When was your current access control system installed? Which company installed it?

    5. System Integration:

        * Is your access control system integrated with your ID card production or other systems (e.g., time and attendance, building management, CCTV and/or fire/security alarm systems)? If so, which system(s) is it integrated with?

     

    6. Supplier Information:

        * What are the names of the suppliers of your existing access control system?

        * Who is your current supplier for access cards and fobs, and do you purchase these directly or through your access control installers/maintenance contractors? If not, where do you purchase these from?

     

    7. Manufacturer and Models:

        * What manufacturer and model of hardware, cards and fobs do you use for your access control system? Please provide specific details of each of the exact manufacturer/model of  equipment; card(s)/fob(s) that you use at each site (e.g. Paxton 692-052 Net2 Proximity ISO Cards Pack of 500 SKU: AC-PAX-692-052) together with the ongoing cost for fobs/cards (including VAT) each month/year.

    8. Management Software:

        * What software is used to manage the door controllers and readers in your access control system? (e.g. Paxton Net2 Pro)

    Usage and Distribution Details:

     

    9. Consumable Usage:

        * Please provide data on the monthly and annual usage/purchases of access control cards and fobs. This should include how many are issued, lost/replaced, and returned faulty/damaged each month/annum.

     

    10. User Information:

        * How many individual users require access control cards/fobs across all sites? If possible, please provide a breakdown by site or building.


    11. Management and Contact Information:

        * Who manages your site’s access control system? Please provide a name, direct email address and direct telephone number / extension for this contact.

    12. Support/Maintenance Contracts:

        * Do you have a current support/maintenance contract for your access control system? If so, when does this contract expire?

     

    13. Future Plans/Planned Changes:

     

                  * What are the organisations plans related to the installation, upgrade, or support/maintenance of access control systems over the next three to five years?

     

     

    Published: 16 September 2024

  8. Noise complaints over the past 3 years in Hereford City, between 01/07/21-31/06/22

    How many total noise complaints have been reported for Hereford city only (not the rural areas) for the following periods:

    1st of July’21 - 31st of June’22

    1st of July’22 - 31st of June’23

    1st of July’23 - 31st of June’24?

    Please provide a breakdown of what the noise complaints were categorised as and broken down into.

    Published: 16 September 2024

  9. Elective Home Education 2023-2024

    As a freedom of information request, please provide the following data on Elective Home Education (EHE):

    1. The number of school pupils who were newly registered as EHE in the academic year of 2023-24

    2. If time allows, please could you also provide the total number of school pupils who were registered for EHE in the academic year of 2023-24

    3. If time allows, please could you provide the number of pupils who have moved from elective home education back into school in the academic year of 2023-24

    Published: 16 September 2024

  10. Consultation with disabled over adequacy of disabled parking spaces

    How many disabled people or disabled advocacy groups were consulted over the provision of parking spaces for the disabled (designated 'adequate' by your parking services personnel) in the following Herefordshire towns

    Ross on Wye

    Hereford

    Leominster

    Kington

    Ledbury

    Please also supply details of any consultation with residents over disabled parking facilities that you have held in the past 10 years.

    Published: 12 September 2024