Travel information

chris Ogden made this Freedom of Information request to Lambeth Borough Council

The request was partially successful.

From: chris Ogden

13 March 2010

Dear Lambeth Borough Council,

To whom it may concern,

ref: Freedom of Information Act 2000 request

Please respond under the freedom of information to my question
below.

Question:

All London Councils other than Lambeth & Southwark consider
applications for freedom travel passes for residents who are listed
below in 2010.

Why does Lambeth Coucil not follow suit & is this act predujuiced
against residents with severe mental illnesses in the Borough only
of Lambeth in London.

What proceedures is put into place for 2010 with Lambeth Council /
SLAM so that residents who have been asked regularly to attend SLAM
CPN appointments on a enhanced CPA care plan can be reinbursed for
travel for the appointments ?

All the other London Council other that Lambeth & Southwark have an
extra clause on their freedom Travel websites see below:

Applicants who do not meet any of the above criteria may still be
eligible for a DPFP even though they do not automatically qualify.

Those applicants applying because of a 'severe, enduring and long
term mental health disability' must be in receipt of a current
Enhanced Level of the Care Programme Approach (CPA).

Chris Ogden
57 Brassey Road,
Kilburn.
London.
NW6 2BD
02073281585

Yours faithfully,

Christopher Ogden

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From: Gardner1,Richard
Lambeth Borough Council

15 March 2010

Dear Chris Ogden

FOI Acknowledgement

Thank you for your FOI Request, as below. Please quote our ref 127049 in
any further correspondence about this request.

We anticipate responding within the statutory period of 20 working days
following the date of receipt, in this case by 14/04/10.

Thank you for your interest in Lambeth Council.

Meanwhile, I would advise you that information about travel concession
options is also published by London Councils and there are both both
national and discretionary (London only) disabled schemes.

[1]http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/freedom...

Please note that Southwark is a different London Borough (not part of
Lambeth) and if you also wish to ask them separately I suggest that you
email them at [2][email address]

Richard Gardner

Information Compliance Adviser

London Borough of Lambeth

ICT Services

Finance & Resources

tel: 020 79267741

www.lambeth.gov.uk

3rd Floor, Ivor House, 1 Acre Lane, London, SW2 5BF

Lambeth - Making a difference

show quoted sections

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From: chris Ogden

15 April 2010

Dear Gardner1,Richard,

You should have responded to my request my law by the 14th April.

I understand the travel policies set out by the London Council but
I have requested an explanation why Lambeth Council has a different
policy for discretionary freedom passes than all the other councils
across London except for Southwark.

Lambeth SLAM has the largest mental health users in London & it
appears the decision to not grant discrepancy passes to this client
group now in 2010 is based on cost savings.

How does Lambeth Council ensure that Mental Health Users on
enhanced CPA care packages are funded to go to the regular medical
appointments with SLAM now ?often weekly or monthly.

I request a full explanation & response to my original question &
not just links with other websites. The question relates to the
2010 Lambeth Council travel policy only for freedom travel.

Yours sincerely,

chris Ogden

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From: Gardner1,Richard
Lambeth Borough Council

15 April 2010

Dear Mr Ogden

A draft response to your request has been prepared by my colleagues in
Adult and Community Services is currently awaiting approval by their
management and will be with you shortly.

This is not an internal review, only a chaser for a delayed response. An
internal review is where you challenge our answer after you have received
it.

Richard Gardner

Information Compliance Adviser

London Borough of Lambeth

Legal Services

Finance & Resources

tel: 020 79267741

www.lambeth.gov.uk

Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1RW

Lambeth - Making a difference

show quoted sections

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From: ACS-Customer-Relations
Lambeth Borough Council

6 May 2010

Attachment Chris Ogden FOI 25032010.pdf
474K Download View as HTML

Attachment getting around with discounts january 20101.pdf
572K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Ogden

Thank you for submitting a Freedom of Information request to the London
Borough of Lambeth and apologies for the delay in getting back to you
with the information.

The information you requested has been responded to in the attached letter
from David Bello, Head of Service Physical Disability and Accessible
Transport. A hard copy of the attached letter has also been sent to you
in the post.

Please do not hesitate to contact ACS-Customer-Relations if you have any
further queries.

Yours sincerely

Raquel Dixon

Customer and Community Relations

Lambeth Adults and Community Services

3rd Floor Phoenix House

10 Wandsworth Road

London SW8 2LL

Tel: 020 7926 4701

[mobile number]

Fax: 020 7926 5159

E-mail: [1][email address]

Website : [2]www.lambeth.gov.uk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Gardner1,Richard
Sent: 15 March 2010 10:12
To: 'chris Ogden'
Subject: RE: Freedom of Information request 127049 - Travel information

Dear Chris Ogden

FOI Acknowledgement

Thank you for your FOI Request, as below. Please quote our ref 127049 in
any further correspondence about this request.

We anticipate responding within the statutory period of 20 working days
following the date of receipt, in this case by 14/04/10.

Thank you for your interest in Lambeth Council.

Meanwhile, I would advise you that information about travel concession
options is also published by London Councils and there are both both
national and discretionary (London only) disabled schemes.

[3]http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/freedom...

Please note that Southwark is a different London Borough (not part of
Lambeth) and if you also wish to ask them separately I suggest that you
email them at [4][email address]

Richard Gardner

Information Compliance Adviser

London Borough of Lambeth

ICT Services

Finance & Resources

tel: 020 79267741

www.lambeth.gov.uk

3rd Floor, Ivor House, 1 Acre Lane, London, SW2 5BF

Lambeth - Making a difference

show quoted sections

Link to this

From: chris Ogden

7 May 2010

Dear Lambeth Borough Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Lambeth Borough
Council's handling of my FOI request 'Travel information'.

In Oct 2009 I had email correspondence from Patrick Gillespie,
Director of SLAM NHS-Adult Mental Health Services Lambeth, local MP
Lambeth Labour,London Council Travel Department, Mind Lambeth
Charity & DARL Lambeth Director : that they had not been informed
by Lambeth Council that 'discrepancy freedom travel permits' had
been stopped being issued to mental health users on 'enhanced CPA
care packages' in Lambeth for 2009.

Why did Lambeth Council not inform these important mental health
organisations of the stoppage of issuing discrepancy travel permits
& they were not consulted on this important issue in 2009 either in
writing or verbally consulted on the policy changes. This decision
seemed to have been made behind closed doors at the Council.

What date was the policy changed to 'not consider discrepancy
freedom travel cards' to mental health users on CPA care packages
under the care of Lambeth SLAM in 2009.

You have stated the policy is going to be reversed in 2010 &
discrepancy passes be reconsidered for mental health users in
Lambeth. I am pleased; as Lambeth has the biggest mental health
users in London, with no home CPN health visits & clients expected
to attend SLAM CPN offices often regularly some with forensic
backgrounds. Plus all other Councils in London offer discrepancy
passes to mental health users as is it important their clients can
attend regular medical meetings with CPNs.

Will the clients who were 'refused freedom travel' on enhanced CPA
SLAM packages in 2009 be written to asking them to reapply?

Or will these mentally vulnerable clients not be told by Lambeth
SLAM CPN's or Lambeth Freedom Travel Unit that the policy has been
reversed again in 2010.

When do you expect the public information on your freedom travel
section on the website to be updated. Which month in 2010 ?

What future public Lambeth council meeting will this issue be
discussed & date ? What Mental health organisations in Lambeth will
be involved in this future organisation of the travel policy as you
stated will happen?

As when the policy was stopped for discrepancy passes in 2009 SLAM
NHS Community Services, Mind Lambeth or DARL were not informed by
Lambeth Council..

Mental health users on enhanced CPA packages who were previously
refused freedom travel in 2009; how is Lambeth Council going to
make sure they are aware of any future criteria /application
changes & when is the time frame for this?

Was the brief change in policy in 'discreptancy freedom travel' for
people of Lambeth; based on saving money for the borough council
only in 2009 / 2010.

I was very unhappy with the delay of months responding to my
freedom of information request. Please can you address the comments
above and give be an informed letter back & answer the information
request above clearly.

Please can you respond to this information request and answer the
letter above.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/tr...

Yours faithfully,

chris Ogden

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From: Gardner1,Richard
Lambeth Borough Council

10 May 2010

Dear Mr Ogden

Thank you for your email as below. I have traced the FOI request that
you refer to as our ref FOI 127049 and will ask my colleagues in Adult &
Community Services who provided the original response for their comments
on the issues that you raise.

Richard Gardner
Information Compliance Adviser
Legal Services
Finance & Resources
London Borough of Lambeth
tel: 020 79267741
www.lambeth.gov.uk
Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1RW
Lambeth - Making a difference

show quoted sections

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From: Gardner1,Richard
Lambeth Borough Council

24 May 2010

Dear Mr Ogden

Please find below a response from my colleagues in Adult & Community
Services to your recent complaint. This relates to our previous Freedom of
Information Response and has been considered under our FOI Internal Review
procedure.

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the review you have a
further right to appeal to the Information Commissioner, who regulates the
implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. The Commissioner can be
contacted at the following address:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Enquiry line: 01625 545745

Thank you for your interest in Lambeth Council.

Richard Gardner

Information Compliance Adviser

Legal Services

Finance & Resources

London Borough of Lambeth

tel: 020 79267741

[1]www.lambeth.gov.uk

Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1RW

Lambeth - Making a difference

Dear Mr Ogden

Response to Complaint - From George Marshman

Our Divisional Director George Marshman would like to apologies to you for
the delay in responding to your FOI request 127049, which was due to an
oversight on his part.

Response to the other two areas of concern - From David Bello

1). I am sorry you are unhappy with the policy decision that was made but
it was not possible for the Council to continue to issue discretionary
freedom pass to new applicants without a proper criteria being in place.
As previously advised, we have now developed a proposed discretionary
freedom pass criteria and consultation has begun with key mental health
supporting organisations.

2). You mentioned that key mental health organisations were not notified
of the changes. I can assure you that all the known mental health
organisations were informed of the situation with discretionary freedom
pass. This was done largely by contacts from mental health advocates and
attendance at various community network partnership meetings.

Many thanks

Raquel Dixon

Customer and Community Relations

Lambeth Adults and Community Services

3^rd Floor Phoenix House

10 Wandsworth Road

London SW8 2LL

Tel: 020 7926 4701

[mobile number]

Fax: 020 7926 5159

E-mail: [2][email address]

Website : [3]www.lambeth.gov.uk

Making a difference

Disclaimers apply for full details see
http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/EmailDisclaime...

References

Visible links
1. http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/
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mailto:[email address]
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http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/

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From: chris Ogden

30 May 2010

Dear Lambeth Borough Council,

Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of
Information reviews.

I am writing to request an internal review of Lambeth Borough
Council's handling of my FOI request 'Travel information'.

The recent letter does not answer my questions & is selective with
just two points with no dates or any time frame for the policy
review / contacts for community mental health groups consulted .

Clearly your Lambeth Council does not want to answer my letter & is
unclear of it's own position for 2010.

Please answer the letter properly to all my points and at the level
of detail requested.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is
available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/tr...

Yours faithfully,

chris Ogden

Link to this

From: Gardner1,Richard
Lambeth Borough Council

1 June 2010

Attachment FOI 127049.pdf
452K Download View as HTML

Attachment FOI 127049 TfL.pdf
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Attachment Response to FOI 127049 complaint.htm.html
15K Download

Dear Mr Ogden

Thank you for your email, as below, which refers to your FOI request
(our ref 127049) which was received in March 2010 and which has also
been the subject of more recent correspondence from you in May 2010
which has already been handled as an internal review of your original
FOI request. The next step following an internal review, if you are
still unsatisfied, is normally a complaint to the Information
Commissioner rather than a further internal review.

However, I attach copies of the documents that were prepared by my
colleagues in Adult & Community Services (ACS) to send to you in March
which I understood you had already received but from your more recent
FOI it would appear you may not have, as well as the more recent
complaint answer.

I do not myself know what stage the policy review has reached as that is
outside my area of responsibility so I am also copying this email to my
colleagues in ACS to see if they have any further comments to make. I
would however advise you that there is an exemption under Section 22 of
the FOI Act for "information intended for future publication" so that if
the policy is as yet undecided or still only prepared in draft pending a
decision we are not necessarily obliged to reveal it.

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the review you have a
further right to appeal to the Information Commissioner, who regulates
the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. The Commissioner
can be contacted at the following address:

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

Enquiry line: 01625 545745

Thank you for your interest in Lambeth Council.

Richard Gardner
Information Compliance Adviser
Legal Services
Finance & Resources
London Borough of Lambeth
tel: 020 79267741
www.lambeth.gov.uk
Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1RW
Lambeth - Making a difference

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Things to do with this request

Anyone:
Lambeth Borough Council only: