Dear Sir or Madam,

I would like to know the average proportion of time the elected
representatives of your authority spend as part of their duties for
2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 on their main activities. The
activities that form their duties (employment) as an elected
representative are:

1 directly resolving complaints against the executive (Council
Staff) of the Council by residents; 2 sitting on committee's; 3
acting for the political parties that they represent and/or
ceremonial duties (i.e. all time not spent on sitting on a
Committee or resolving a complaint against the executive);

The total time spent by an elected representative for a Council on
these three activities should be 100 per cent of the time they
spend 'working for a Council' as an elected representative.

I would additionally like to know how much in total was paid to
local councillors to meet all their duties (including expenses) for
2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 by your authority, and how many
elected representatives are (and were) represented on your
authority for these years.

I would also like to know how many Complaints in total were
submitted to your Council in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 for
each year. I would further like to know how many of these
complaints were formally considered by an elected representative
for each of these years.

I would further like to know how many complaints against the
Executive (Council staff) led to the elected representatives
formally identifying that the Executive had acted wrongly for the
years 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008, and how many of these
formal determinations by the elected representatives identify that
there was no wrong-doing by the Executive. How many staff employed
by your authority in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 ceased to
be employed by your authority as a direct result of a complaint
against the Executive, and the Councillors identifying this to be
the case.

I would further like to know how much money the Council has paid to
a complainant (i.e. victim of a Council's wrongdoing) through its
own complaints system (i.e. excluding any intervention by the Local
Government Ombudsman, Valuation Tribunal or similar body) in
2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008.

I would like to know how much money either in the form of local
settlement or additional formal finding of maladministration
causing injustice the Local Government Ombudsman has recommended
that your Council pay in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 (for
each year) and if the Local Government Ombudsman's recommendations
have been met in full (including any non-financial recommendations
for each year)). Please detail any recommendation that has not been
met in full and provide a copy of the Elected representatives
decision. Please additionally identify if these costs were met
directly by Council Tax Payers or the Council's insurers (excluding
self insurance by a Council)

Finally, please provide details of the financial cost of
administering all your complaints systems (including FoI and DP) by
the Executive for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 and the number
of staff employed in administering complaints and resolving these
(Full time equivalent staffing levels). Please also provide details
of your total administrative costs for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and
2007/2008 and the total number of staff employed by your authority,
as well as any pay increase (including increments) made to the
Council's Chief Executive (Head of Paid Service) in pounds sterling
for each of these years. Please additionally identify if the Chief
Executives wages included performance related payments.

If you do not have this reasonably basic management information
related to complaints and/or identify that the costs of accessing
the information requested will be more than £450 please state this
and identify that your Authority does not have either a functioning
or accountable complaints system, and does not maintain any basic
management information related to this issue.

If you have a complaints system not fit for purpose please identify
which political party currently controls your Council, and if this
political party has appointed the current Electoral Registration
and Returning Officer through its control of the Council (with date
of their formal appointment). Please name the current Electoral
Registration and Returning Officer, and identify if they are also
Head of Paid Service, and Clerk to your Authority. Please
additionally provide any documentation maintained by your Local
Authorities Head of Paid Service identifying that they personally
do not believe it to be appropriate for your Council to have a
complaints system that is fit for purpose. This documentation
should be in existence due to the provisions of s4 of the Local
Government Act 1989.

Yours faithfully

Stuart HARDWICKE CARRUTHERS

Thank you for your email received on the 23 August 2008 requesting amongst other things information in relation to "the average proportion of time the elected representatives of the Council spend as part of their duties for 2005/06 2006/07 and 2007/08 on their main activities".

We are considering your request under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and, if this is the case, either myself or a colleague will let you know the likely charges before proceeding.

If you have any queries about this email, please contact me. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Yours faithfully

Chris Tanriverdi
Paralegal
Democratic & Legal Services
Chief Executives's Department
5th Floor South Side, Taberner House
Park Lane, Croydon CR9 3JS
Tel : 020 8726 6000 Ext: 63833
Fax: 020 8407 1322
Faxination:020 8633 9664
Email: [email address]

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Carruthers

Thank you for your email received on the 23 August 2008 requesting amongst other things information relating to "the average proportion of time the elected representatives of the Council spend as part of their duties for 2005/06 2006/07 and 2007/08 on their main activities" and the Council's complaint process. We have considered your request under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The Council does not record the time Members of the Council spend as part of their duties as elected representatives of the Council. We are therefore unable to provide information which relates to this part of your request.

Information about how much money is paid to Members of the Council is available on the Council's website at http://www.croydon.gov.uk/democracy/elec.... Under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act we are not obliged to provide information which is reasonably accessible to you.

Below is other information you have requested which we hold.

Monies, either in the form of local settlement or additional formal finding of maladministration causing injustice the LGO has recommended that LBC pay in:

2005/2006 £12,625

2006/2007 £11,274

2007/2008 £11,513

Please detail any recommendation that has not been met in full and provide a copy of the elected representatives decision. Please additionally identify if these costs were met directly by Council Tax Payers or the Council's insurers (excluding self insurance by a Council)

All recommendations have been met.

Finally, please provide details of the financial cost of administering all your complaints systems (including FoI and DP) by the Executive for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 and the number of staff employed in administering complaints and resolving these(Full time equivalent staffing levels).

There is currently 1 full time employed officer acting as the Corporate Complaints Officer. There are also departmental complaint officers. Corporate complaints team will be set up in December 2008 which will consist of 1 manager, 3 complaints co-ordinators and 1 support officer. The Council has a FOI Solicitor with a legal assistance.

Please see departmental information regarding how many complaints were submitted to LBC for the years 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008.

Currently departments are responsible for capturing information regarding the number of complaints received hence the breakdown of information below. December 2008 will see the launch of the council's new corporate complaints procedure which includes the introduction of a corporate database. This system will be used to log, track and update the complaint status. We therefore are unable to provide the information as we do not record it collectively

Complaints in total to be submitted to LBC in 2005/2006, 2006/2007, 2007/2008 for each year.

How much money the council has paid to a complainant through its own complaints system.

Customer services

Dec 05 - Dec 06 = 48

Jan 07 - Jan 08 = 27

Jan 08 to date = 31

No compensation through corporate complaints system

Planning & transportation

2005/06

2006/07

2007/08

Stage 1

58

55

33

Stage 2

8

8

15

Ombudsman

8

10

10

No compensation through corporate complaints system

Revenues

total received £compensation ex. ombudsman cases

2005/2006 792 150

2006/2007 1222 135

2007/2008 916 478.90

Finance & resources

2005/6 2006/7 2007/8

Complaints received 440 640 716

Compensation paid £4273.50 £1675.38 £2664.22

(non-Ombudsman)

Corporate services

2005/6

2006/7

2007/8

Total

Complaints received

21

14

5

40

No of complaints involving comp payment

2

4

0

6

Total value of Compensation

£30.50p

£362

0

£392.50p

Education

2005/2006 40

2006/2007 29

2007/2008 16

£100 compensation was paid out during 2006/07 as a gesture of goodwill (personal items returned through post were not safely received by the complainant)

Adult & childrens social care

Corporate Complaints - Children

Stage 1

Stage 2

2005/06

17

0

2006/07

9

1

2007/08

8

2

Corporate - Adults

Stage 1

Stage 2

2005/06

26

1

2006/07

11

2

2007/08

23

5

Statutory Complaints - Children

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

2005/06

21

1

1

2006/07

41

8

4

2007/08

50

4

1

Statutory Complaints - Adults

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

2005/06

40

1

0

2006/07

49

12

2

2007/08

60

15

4

No compensation through corporate complaints system

Environmental, cultural and sports services

05/06 - 461

06/07 - 620

07/08 - 513

No compensation through corporate complaints system

Housing

Stage 1 complaints

05/06 212

06/07 188

07/08 231

Stage 2 complaints

05/06 33

06/07 25

07/08 28

If you are unhappy with the way the department has handled your request under the Freedom of Information Act, you may ask for an internal review. You can do this by outlining the details of your complaint and either

* e-mailing us at [Croydon Borough Council request email]
* faxing us on 0208 760 5679
* writing to FOI Complaints, London Borough of Croydon, Democratic and Legal Services, Croydon, CR9 3JS

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

* Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely

James Derby

Corporate Solicitor

Legal & Democratic Services

London Borough of Croydon

Taberner House

Park Lane

CR9 3JS

Tel: 020 8760 5768 Ext. 61359

Fax: 020 8760 5679

Please use this web site address to view the Council's E-Mail disclaimer -
http://www.croydon.gov.uk/disclaimer/ema...