Use of Agency Social Work professionals

Dear Mr Elliot

RE: Request for Information under The Freedom of Information Act 2000

I acknowledge with thanks your request for information received at this office on 19/03/2010. This request has been considered as a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Your request may take up to 20 working days to be processed, and has been passed onto an appropriate officer.

Please be advised that if an exemption applies to the information that you have requested, the statutory period may be exceeded in accordance with the provisions of that Act.

Should you have any queries, please contact me on the number below.

Yours Sincerely

Nicola Jumeaux
Development Support Officer
Business Support Unit
Level 4 Civic Centre
0161 770 3307
[email address]

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Dear Sir, Madam

Please be advised that a decision on this request for information has not yet been reached and that under the provisions of the Act, Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council will require additional time to fully consider this request. We are currently considering the provisions of Section 43, commercial interest, in relation to your questions about contract information.

Barbara Mulvihill
Information Manager
Oldham Council
West Street
Oldham OL1 1UG
Tel: 0161 770 4827
Email: [email address]

Visit the access to information pages
http://intranet.oldham.gov.uk/working-fo...

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Dear Mr Elliott

Request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

Oldham  Council is able to provide the following information in response
to your request under the Freedom of Information Act.

1. a copy of the Comensura, "Neutral Vendor", contract and fee schedules
for recruitment to Oldham Council

I understand that a redacted version of the contract has been provided to
you by Bolton Council, who are the lead authority in relation to the
contract. Consequently Oldham Council considers this information exempt
under  Freedom of Information Act 2000 Section 21,   Information
Reasonably Accessible to the Applicant by Other Means.

I understand that contract does not include the following:

o Comensura’s negotiated mark-up agreements with their Panel
Vendors
o Details of Comensura’s commercial pricing deal with the authority
o Comensura Processes and Operating procedures
o Any details referring to the names of Comensura's team
o CV details of Comensura's team
o Comensura's own internal management structure
o Any details relating to Comensura’s management information system
(C-net)

This information has been exempted under Freedom of Information Act 2000
Section 43(1) as the information is a trade secret and is used by
Comensura for the purpose of their business and upon consultation with
Comensura, the information if released, would be advantageous to their
competitors. The public interest has been considered and the disclosure of
this information would not facilitate the transparency of public spending
or lead to greater understanding of decisions impacting on individual’s
lives and indeed, would only serve to benefit Comensura’s competitors.
The disclosure of supplier rates would be likely to damage Comensura’s
business and hence the public interest is in withholding the
information. 

.

2. all agencies on the Comensura contract for the supply of social
workers, senior practitioners, assistant team managers, team managers and
service managers (referred to from now as "qualified social work
professionals") to Oldham Council

Comensura manage the engaged agency community on behalf of the authority
and this can change on a daily basis. Any data released around suppliers
engaged could therefore be detrimental to the business of a supplier or
potential supplier, as their status as a supplier may change but this
would not be reflected in the information released.

We therefore consider that this information is exempt under section 43(1)
for the reasons given above and that the balance of the public interest
remains in withholding this information.

3. all agencies currently supplying Oldham  Council with agency social
work

professionals

The contract to supply staff is with Comensura and not with individual
agencies. Which agencies are used is a matter of negotiation between
Comensura and the agencies and it is important to Comensura’s business
that details of the agencies used remains commercially confidential. We

consider that to release this information would be likely to prejudice the
commercial interests of Comensura and the agencies. It is therefore exempt
under section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act for the reasons
given above and that the balance of the public interest remains in
withholding this information.

4. the total number of qualified social work professionals currently
working on an agency basis at Oldham  Council

25

5. the number and grade of qualified social work professionals currently
working on an agency basis at Oldham  Council by supplier

We consider that to release the names of suppliers would be likely to
prejudice the commercial interests of Comensura and of the suppliers. It
is therefore exempt under section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act
for the reasons given above and that the balance of the public interest
remains in withholding this information.

The number and grade of agency social work professionals is shown in the
table under question 6

6. the number and grade of qualified social work professionals currently
working on an agency basis at Oldham  Council by department

8 Social Worker advanced Adult and Community Services
3 Social Worker standard Adult and Community Services
7 Social Worker advanced Children, Young People and Families
1 Social Worker newly qualified Children, Young People and Families
4 Social Worker standard Children, Young People and Families
1 Team Manager Children, Young People and Families
1 Anti Social Behaviour Officer Environmental Services

7. the pay and agency charge rate of each qualified social work
professional currently working on an agency basis at Oldham  Council by
department

We consider that the agency charge rates constitute trade secrets which
are exempt from disclosure under section 43(1) of the Freedom of
Information Act as explained under Question 1.

8. the fiscal budget for qualified social work professional recruitment
through agencies for 2009-2010

Oldham Council does not have a budget for Agency Social Workers

9. the fiscal budget for qualified social work professional recruitment
through agencies for 2010-2011

Oldham Council does not have a budget for Agency Social Workers.

10. the total fiscal spend on agency qualified social work professionals
by department for the last 12 months

Oldham Councils spend in Adult Social Care from 2009/2010 is £530,785 and
for Childrens’ Social Care £196,196

11. the total fiscal spend on agency qualified social work professionals
by agency for the last 12 months

As indicated above, our contract is with Comensura and not with the
individual agencies and therefore the specific information requested is
not held.

If you disagree with the exemption applied to this information, you may
appeal to

Paul Entwistle

Borough Solicitor

OMBC, PO Box 33, 

Civic Centre, West Street,

Oldham OL1 1UL 

Tel 0161 770 4822   Fax: 0161 770 5185

Email: [1][email address]

Should you further disagree with the decision following the appeal you may
wish to contact the Office of the Information Commissioner:

Office of the Information Commissioner

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire   SK9 5AF

[2]www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk

Tel: 0303 123 1113           Fax: 01625 524510

Should you have any queries, please contact me.

Yours sincerely

Barbara Mulvihill

Information Manager

Oldham Council

West Street

Oldham OL1 1UG

Tel: 0161 770 4827

Email: [email address]

 

Visit the access to information pages

http://intranet.oldham.gov.uk/working-fo...

 

 

 

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