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

Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers,

Please find attached regarding your FoI request.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Turner
Information and Data Compliance Officer
020 8825 6034

Information & Data Compliance
Business Services Group
Ealing Council
3rd Floor SE Perceval House
14-16 Uxbridge Road
London
W5 2HL

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Dear foirequests foirequests,

Your paraphrase of q1 is correct.. my understanding (according to
Audit Commission) is that Cllrs only have the three functions
identified..

In relation to your point aka Q7.. obviously staff costs are
included in adminstering a complaints system.. this would however
not include the costs associated with an elected representative.

administrative costs = total staffing costs for the LBE

I would be quite happy to know number of staff whose job title
includes complaints.. would that include the Council lawyers ?.. as
am also able to understand that all staff are probably expected not
to cause complaint.. and resolve this if possible.. However..
sometimes there is a need for third party intervention.

Estimates would be quite satisfactory..

Yours sincerely,

Stuart HARDWICKE CARRUTHERS

Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers,

Please find attached response to your FoI request.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Turner
Information and Data Compliance Officer

Information & Data Compliance
Business Services Group
Ealing Council
3rd Floor SE Perceval House
14-16 Uxbridge Road
London
W5 2HL

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Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST

I replied to your FoI request on 24 September, answering all questions except one. This was:

How much money has LBE paid to a complainant (i.e. a victim of the Council’s wrongdoing) through its own complaints system (i.e. excluding any intervention by the Local Government Ombudsman, Valuation Tribunal or similar body) in each of 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08?

The only figures that have proved obtainable within the cost limit are for Adults Services, which are as follows:

2006/07 - £1,512
2007/08 - £3,500

The figure was not recorded for 2005/06. For the rest of the Council, the relevant figures are either not recorded or would be retrievable only with considerable work. Since figures are not kept centrally or at high departmental level, the process would involve at least 72 managers searching individually for awards made to complainants within their department. This exercise would cost more than the £450 cost limit specified under the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, on the basis of the assumed flat rate of £25 per hour. The information is therefore exempt under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, please follow the Freedom of Information complaints process: http://www.ealing.gov.uk/services/counci...

Your request for an internal review should be submitted to us within 40 working days of your receipt of this response. Any such request received after this time will only be considered at our discretion.

If you are not satisfied with the results of the internal appeal you can then complain to the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Turner
Information & Data Compliance Officer

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Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers,

Further to my email below, the following figures answer your question for Children's Services:

2006-07: £200
2007-08: £5,000

Regards,

Jonathan Turner
Information and Data Compliance Officer

Information & Data Compliance
Business Services Group
Ealing Council
3rd Floor SE Perceval House
14-16 Uxbridge Road
London
W5 2HL

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Dear Mr Hardwicke Carruthers,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - INFORMATION REQUEST

I replied to your FoI request on 24 September, answering all questions except one. This was:

How much money has LBE paid to a complainant (i.e. a victim of the Council’s wrongdoing) through its own complaints system (i.e. excluding any intervention by the Local Government Ombudsman, Valuation Tribunal or similar body) in each of 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08?

The only figures that have proved obtainable within the cost limit are for Adults Services, which are as follows:

2006/07 - £1,512
2007/08 - £3,500

The figure was not recorded for 2005/06. For the rest of the Council, the relevant figures are either not recorded or would be retrievable only with considerable work. Since figures are not kept centrally or at high departmental level, the process would involve at least 72 managers searching individually for awards made to complainants within their department. This exercise would cost more than the £450 cost limit specified under the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, on the basis of the assumed flat rate of £25 per hour. The information is therefore exempt under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, please follow the Freedom of Information complaints process: http://www.ealing.gov.uk/services/counci...

Your request for an internal review should be submitted to us within 40 working days of your receipt of this response. Any such request received after this time will only be considered at our discretion.

If you are not satisfied with the results of the internal appeal you can then complain to the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 700
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan Turner
Information & Data Compliance Officer

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