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.

If you can't find the information you're looking for, you can make a new FOI request.

1,821 disclosures

1. Data Protection

   I would like to make a formal request under the freedom of information act 2000 .

   To clarify this matter will you kindly provide me with all the information the council holds, amongst all its guidance and procedures dealing with the duty of client/ customer confidentiality, that state that their overriding duty as to confidentiality maybe disregarded if such information is 'already in the public domain'.

   Will you also provide full details of any guidance as to what factors should be considered before taking the presumably serious step of disregarding the overriding duty of confidentiality.

   Does any such guidance include advice about, for example, whether the confidential information disclosure is, in the council's interest or in the interest of the general public, whether the information is prominent in the public domain or tucked away in far flung depths never likely to be visited by the general public.

   Published: 9 March 2023

2. Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards contract or framework agreement

   1. Does the council have an existing contract or framework agreement in place for suppliers to undertake MHA assessments or BIA assessments on behalf of the council?

   2. Please provide the name(s) of the organisations providing these services under these existing contracts or framework agreements?

   3. Please confirm the start and finish date for any such contract or framework agreement.

   4. Please provide the monetary value applied to any such contract or framework agreement.

   5. Please provide the spot purchase price the council pays directly to Mental Health Doctors and Best Interest Assessors to undertake assessments for DoLS?

   Published: 9 March 2023

3. Armed Forces Veterans - Workforce data

   I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following information about Armed Forces Veterans directly employed by your organisation.

   Please provide me with the following information (responses to be entered in the column for the relevant Financial Year):

   QUESTION FY 2019/20 FY 2020/21 FY 2021/22

   1. Number of Armed Forces Veterans who were newly appointed by your organisation (i.e. not internal transfers)

   2. Percentage of Veterans who commenced employment between 1 April and 30 September of the relevant Financial Year, who were still in your employment as at 31 March of that same Financial Year (i.e. commenced employment on 1 June 2021 and were still employed as at 31 March 2022)

   3. Employee turnover for Veterans only

   4. Employee turnover for all other employees (excluding Veterans)

   5. Number of Veterans who were issued with written warnings or final written warnings under your HR policies and procedures.

   6. Number of Veterans who were dismissed under your HR policies and procedures (excluding terminations due to failed probationary period and redundancy).

   7.Number of Veterans whose employment was terminated due to failing their probationary period.

   8. Number of Veterans who were made redundant.

   9. Sickness absence rate amongst Veterans

   10. Sickness absence rate for all other employees (excluding Veterans)

   11. Percentage of Veterans' sickness absence periods where the absence reason was mental health (including depression, stress, anxiety and PTSD)

   Calculations to be used:

   Sickness absence rate = Total absence (hours or days) in the period x 100

   Possible total (hours or days) in the period

   Employee turnover = Total number of leavers over Financial Year x 100

   Average total number employed over Financial Year

   Published: 8 March 2023

4. coronavirus specific positions

   How many Herefordshire Borough Council employees were in coronavirus specific positions on the 31st of December 2021?

   How many Herefordshire Borough Council employees are in coronavirus specific positions now?

   Published: 8 March 2023

5. Storage of paper records/on-site scanning records

   I would like the following information to be provided to me as an electronic copy. If any of this information is already in the public domain, please can you direct me to it, with page references and URLs if necessary.

   1. Does the Council have a dedicated on-site scanning team for paper records?

   a. If so, how many FTE are within the team?

   b. What volumes are the team scanning on a daily / weekly / monthly / annual basis?

   c. Are the team scanning legacy records or day forward, or both?

   d. What hardware & software is used by the team?

   e. Is the hardware leased, rented or was it purchased outright?

   f. Who is responsible within the organisation for the procurement of hardware and software? Please supply contact details.

   2. If the Council does not have a dedicated on-site scanning team, is there a contract for outsourced document scanning provisions?

   a. If so, who is this contract with?

   b. What is the value of the contract?

   c. When is the contract due for renewal?

   3. Does the Council have on-site facilities to store paper records?

   4. Does the Council have contract(s) for off-site storage?

   a. If so, who is the contract with?

   b. Does the contract include scan on demand or digitising services?

   c. If so, what volumes of pages / images are scanned daily/weekly/monthly/annually?

   d. What is the annual cost for outsourced scanning - either on-demand or scheduled?

   5. Are there departments within the Council that scan their own documents locally?

   a. If so, what hardware and software is used to manage this?

   b. Are volumes captured? If so, what are they?

   c. What types of documents are scanned?

   6. Who is responsible for records / document management programmes/systems? Please provide contact details.

   7. Who manages the contract(s) relationships with hardware providers and outsourced storage or scanning providers? Please provide contact details.

   Published: 7 March 2023

6. Council Tax

   I would like to request proof of where Resident's Council Tax Payments are being spent.

   1. I would like to see the previous 3 years of receipts for where the council tax funding is being spent. I do not want to see percentages but proof in pounds (£s) as to where the annual council tax is being spent.

   2. I would like to know if my council tax funds West Mercia Police Service, West Midlands Ambulance Service, Herefordshire Waste collection and Schools. If so i would like to know as to what percentage it is distributed.

   3. Which law, not legislation, states that council tax must be paid.

   4. Which law states that it is a criminal offence to not pay council tax?

   5. Please attach a copy of contract in where i agreed to pay for council tax.

   Published: 7 March 2023

7. Number of people currently awaiting asylum in Herefordshire

   1: How many people, currently (Feb 2023) awaiting asylum, are being housed in contingency accommodation in your district?

   2: How many people awaiting asylum were housed in contingency accommodation in your district in March 2020?

   Published: 6 March 2023

8. Elections - Voter Authority Certificates, polling stations staff training

   1. How many Voter Authority Certificates (VACs) has the council issued, how many applications has it rejected, and what is the demographic profile of those applications, both accepted and rejected?

   2. Can you confirm that the Chief Executive, acting in their role as the Returning Officer, and/or the Elections Department of your council, has received guidance from the Electoral Commission and/or the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities about implementing the new voter ID legislation for the May 4th elections?

   3. Can you confirm a) all polling station staff have been trained on implementing the new processes and if so, b) what that training has entailed.

   4. Can you confirm whether the Chief Executive, in their role as Returning Officer, has presented a report on preparedness for the Voter ID requirements to the full council or any other appropriate committee of the council? Has this included a risk assessment and mitigation plan? (If yes, please can you supply a copy of that report?)

   5. Can you confirm whether an audit has been undertaken of all proposed polling stations to identify a private room for those people who, for whatever reason, cover their face in public? What was the outcome of this audit if it has happened? (For example, have any polling stations been found to be unsuitable, and if so, how many?)

   6. Has the council undertaken a public information campaign to inform voters about the new Voter ID requirements?

   Published: 6 March 2023

9. Cost of maintaining SEALED and UNSEALED Roads.

   Can you please provide the cost of maintaining all Unclassified Sealed (ie ordinary tarmac roads) per mile (or km).

   And the comparative cost of maintaining Unsealed Unclassified roads per mile.

   The total cost of claims made whether or not successful (or paid out if you only have that figure), for ordinary unclassified roads?

   The comparative total cost for claims on Unsealed roads. (Unsealed roads are those often shown as ORPAs on OS maps, or Other Roads with Public Access)

   Published: 3 March 2023

10. Anaccompanied asylum seeking children determined to be adults

    In 2022 (the calendar year), how many individuals claiming to be children (aged under 18) were referred to your children's services department having been assessed to be an adult by the Home Office and placed in adult asylum accommodation or detention?

    Of those referred, how many were subsequently assessed by your children's services department to be under 18?

    Published: 3 March 2023