Bullying in Dundee City Council

The request was successful.

Dear Dundee City Council,

This request is being made to make the public at large and people in each authority aware of which councils are the worst offenders or the better examples when it comes to bullying in the workplace. All councils have very similar anti-bullying / dignity at work policies, but there seems to be a difference in the level of bullying. This is intended to statistically show those differences.

Please reply to the first two questions first as they are the most important:

a) Please inform me of the cost of dealing with this request.

1) How many official complaints of harassment and bullying at work did you receive between the 1st April 2009 and the 31st December 2015?

2) How many of these complaints were upheld in favour of the
complainant?

Please reply to these questions if the £450 limit is not exceeded or in order of the questions up to the limit should the limit be surpassed somewhere within these questions:

3) How many of those which were not upheld in favour of the
complainant went on to Appeal?

4) How many of those that went to Appeal were found to favour the
complainant?

5) How many complaints went on to an Employment Tribunal?

6) How many of these were found to uphold the complaint?

7) Out of how many of those allegations (the number given to question 1) did the complainant of
bullying claim that the bullies were telling lies?

8) How many staff does your authority have and what is the current population within your authority's area?

Yours faithfully

Mr Lewis

yabootoyou

Dundee City Council

Your request dated 12/07/2016 has been submitted to the Freedom Of Information Database.

Please quote Reference No.: 20160712005 for future correspondence.

Thank You.
------------------------------------------------------------

This is an automated e-mail - please do not reply.

foi@dundeecity.gov.uk, Dundee City Council

1 Attachment

Please see attached.

Dear Dundee City Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Dundee City Council's handling of my FOI request 'Bullying in Dundee City Council'. Whilst I see that there is no right of appeal on the result, I believe you have gone about this wrongly.

Questions 1 and 2 are my most important questions and I would like a response to question 2. I point you to the decision relating to Rutland (although in England) below (where I asked the same questions) and I believe that the questions are sufficient to mean that any figure would mean the data would be anonymised. In the Rutland case, it was mentioned that the refusal must relate to a living person - you have provided no information on this. We don't know if the person would be identifiable - your assertion of greater risk doesn't mean that there would be in reality any risk. In Rutland, the time period was a factor - a period of 6 years - same with you - I am not asking the dates of complaints, nor staff names, just numbers. The risk is not "reasonably likely" of a motivated intruder obtaining such information.

Other councils have also replied on this (available on the WDTK website), councils like Copeland (1 and 0 to questions 1 and 2) with a lower staff level than your authority (266 against your 305) and Dover (1 and 0 with 306 staff) or Rushmoor (1 and 0 with 300 staff). Your answer has to be at least 1 for question 1 and 1 or 0 for question 2, so this is the worst case scenario. If they can reply on these questions, so can you.

"Decision (including any steps ordered)

1. The complainant submitted an eight-part request for information about harassment and bullying complaints in the workplace. Rutland County Council (the ‘Council’) provided some information, but refused the remainder citing sections 40(2) of FOIA, personal information, and 12, the cost exclusion. The complainant was concerned only with the Council’s reliance on section 40(2) which was applied to parts 2 to 6 of his request.

2. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Council has incorrectly applied the exemption for personal data at section 40(2) of FOIA to parts 2 to 6 of the request, as the withheld information is sufficiently anonymised to take it out of the definition of personal data. "

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

Yours faithfully,

Yabootoyou

Dundee City Council

Dear Mr Lewis
I acknowledge your email below which has been forwarded to my
Legal Manager for his attention.
 
Best Regards
Charlaine Mellor
 
Freedom of Information Liaison
Dundee City Council
21 City Square
Dundee DD1 3BY
E: [1][Dundee City Council request email]
[2]www.dundeecity.gov.uk/foisa

-----Yabootoyou <[FOI #345460 email]> wrote: -----
To: FOI requests at Dundee City Council <[Dundee City Council request email]>
From: Yabootoyou <[FOI #345460 email]>
Date: 15/08/2016 03:44PM
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Bullying in
Dundee City Council

Dear Dundee City Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Dundee City Council's
handling of my FOI request 'Bullying in Dundee City Council'.  Whilst I
see that there is no right of appeal on the result, I believe you have
gone about this wrongly.

Questions 1 and 2 are my most important questions and I would like a
response to question 2. I point you to the decision relating to Rutland
(although in England) below (where I asked the same questions) and I
believe that the questions are sufficient to mean that any figure would
mean the data would be anonymised. In the Rutland case, it was mentioned
that the refusal must relate to a living person - you have provided no
information on this. We don't know if the person would be identifiable -
your assertion of greater risk doesn't mean that there would be in reality
any risk. In Rutland, the time period was a factor - a period of 6 years -
same with you - I am not asking the dates of complaints, nor staff names,
just numbers. The risk is not "reasonably likely" of a motivated intruder
obtaining such information.

Other councils have also replied on this (available on the WDTK website),
councils like Copeland (1 and 0 to questions 1 and 2) with a lower staff
level than your authority (266 against your 305) and Dover (1 and 0 with
306 staff) or Rushmoor (1 and 0 with 300 staff). Your answer has to be at
least 1 for question 1 and 1 or 0 for question 2, so this is the worst
case scenario. If they can reply on these questions, so can you.

"Decision (including any steps ordered)

1. The complainant submitted an eight-part request for information about
harassment and bullying complaints in the workplace. Rutland County
Council (the ‘Council’) provided some information, but refused the
remainder citing sections 40(2) of FOIA, personal information, and 12, the
cost exclusion. The complainant was concerned only with the Council’s
reliance on section 40(2) which was applied to parts 2 to 6 of his
request.

2. The Commissioner’s decision is that the Council has incorrectly applied
the exemption for personal data at section 40(2) of FOIA to parts 2 to 6
of the request, as the withheld information is sufficiently anonymised to
take it out of the definition of personal data. "

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on
the Internet at this address:
[3]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/b...

Yours faithfully,

Yabootoyou

-------------------------------------------------------------------
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[FOI #345460 email]

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show quoted sections

L Anderson left an annotation ()

Suggest FOI asking how many DCC foster carers have complained about being bullied?

Dear Dundee City Council,

Please let me know the date by which you have to reply. We are approaching a calendar month now.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Lewis

Yabootoyou

Dundee City Council

Dear Mr Lewis
I acknowledge your email below.
 
A review should be answered within 20 working days, this fell on the 12th
September. I apologise for the delay in responding and I have forwarded to
my Legal Manager for his attention.
 
Best Regards
Charlaine Mellor
 
Freedom of Information Liaison
Dundee City Council
21 City Square
Dundee DD1 3BY
E: [1][Dundee City Council request email]
[2]www.dundeecity.gov.uk/foisa

-----Yabootoyou <[FOI #345460 email]> wrote: -----
To: FOI requests at Dundee City Council <[Dundee City Council request email]>
From: Yabootoyou <[FOI #345460 email]>
Date: 13/09/2016 09:21AM
Subject: Re: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Bullying
in Dundee City Council

Dear Dundee City Council,

Please let me know the date by which you have to reply.  We are
approaching a calendar month now.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Lewis

Yabootoyou

show quoted sections

Dundee City Council

Dear Mr Lewis
Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to your request for
a review.
 
The answer to question 2 is one was upheld and one was partially upheld.
 
Best Regards
Charlaine Mellor
 
 
Freedom of Information Liaison
Dundee City Council
21 City Square
Dundee DD1 3BY
E: [1][Dundee City Council request email]
[2]www.dundeecity.gov.uk/foisa

To: FOI requests at Dundee City Council <[Dundee City Council request email]>
From: Yabootoyou <[FOI #345460 email]>
Date: 13/09/2016 09:21AM
Subject: Re: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Bullying
in Dundee City Council

Dear Dundee City Council,

Please let me know the date by which you have to reply.  We are
approaching a calendar month now.

Yours faithfully,

Mr Lewis

Yabootoyou

show quoted sections

Dundee City Council

Dear Mr Lewis
I should have stated in my earlier email that we have reassessed our
answer and that information was given on the basis that you agree that you
will not attempt to look behind the answer and find personal information.
 
Best Regards
Charlaine Mellor
 
Freedom of Information Liaison
Dundee City Council
21 City Square
Dundee DD1 3BY
E: [1][Dundee City Council request email]
[2]www.dundeecity.gov.uk/foisa

show quoted sections

Dear Dundee City Council,

Firstly, 29 complaints with 1 full and 1 partial success is a rubbish rate of success for the complainant, in the lower echelons as far as councils are concerned (this is what the results are showing) and puts you towards the "culture of bullying" end. This may be explained perhaps by the fact that you are unique in that the alleged victim has no right of appeal on the outcome. I have written to all UK councils and the results are available on this website.

My results generally show that a greater belief in the complainant leads to a lower number of complaints and vice versa. Plenty of internet sites say that bullies tell lies yet I believe a lot of councils have a job seeing through them (employment tribunals too) or simply don't want to.

A guest has asked the following on the website and I would be grateful if you could answer it. I should point out to you that your late response (regardless of how late it was) to an appeal is unimpressive and you risk an ICO challenge. All round, you would never find me working for Dundee City Council.

"L Anderson left an annotation (12 September 2016)

Suggest FOI asking how many DCC foster carers have complained about being bullied? "

Yours faithfully,

Mr Lewis

Yabootoyou

Dundee City Council

Dear Mr Lewis
I acknowledge receipt of your email below.
 
Best Regards
Charlaine Mellor
 
Freedom of Information Liaison
Dundee City Council
21 City Square
Dundee DD1 3BY
E: [1][Dundee City Council request email]
[2]www.dundeecity.gov.uk/foisa

-----Yabootoyou <[FOI #345460 email]> wrote: -----
To: FOI requests at Dundee City Council <[Dundee City Council request email]>
From: Yabootoyou <[FOI #345460 email]>
Date: 16/09/2016 09:37AM
Subject: Re: Fw: Foisa Ref 20160712005 - Lewis

Dear Dundee City Council,

Firstly, 29 complaints with 1 full and 1 partial success is a rubbish rate
of success for the complainant, in the lower echelons as far as councils
are concerned (this is what the results are showing) and puts you towards
the "culture of bullying" end.  This may be explained perhaps by the fact
that you are unique in that the alleged victim has no right of appeal on
the outcome.  I have written to all UK councils and the results are
available on this website.

My results generally show that a greater belief in the complainant leads
to a lower number of complaints and vice versa.  Plenty of internet sites
say that bullies tell lies yet I believe a lot of councils have a job
seeing through them (employment tribunals too) or simply don't want to.

A guest has asked the following on the website and I would be grateful if
you could answer it.  I should point out to you that your late response
(regardless of how late it was) to an appeal is unimpressive and you risk
an ICO challenge.  All round, you would never find me working for Dundee
City Council.

"L Anderson left an annotation (12 September 2016)

Suggest FOI asking how many DCC foster carers have complained about being
bullied? "

Yours faithfully,

Mr Lewis

Yabootoyou

show quoted sections

Dundee City Council

Your request dated 21/09/2016 has been submitted to the Freedom Of Information Database.

Please quote Reference No.: 20160921007 for future correspondence.

Thank You.
------------------------------------------------------------

This is an automated e-mail - please do not reply.

Dundee City Council

Dear Mr Lewis

In order to respond to the request below, can you please provide a time
period?

"L Anderson left an annotation (12 September 2016)

Suggest FOI asking how many DCC foster carers have complained about being

bullied? "

Yours faithfully,

Mr Lewis

Best Regards
Charlaine Mellor
 
Freedom of Information Liaison
Dundee City Council
21 City Square
Dundee DD1 3BY
E: [1][Dundee City Council request email]
[2]www.dundeecity.gov.uk/foisa

show quoted sections

Dear Dundee City Council,

Let's say the same timescale as my request.

Yours faithfully,

Yabootoyou

L Anderson left an annotation ()

Thank you

L Anderson left an annotation ()

Dear Mr Lewis
FYI See link below
Another concern at the meeting was the right to due process. Many foster care workers have complained that children can be removed from their care without their input or consultation. They claim there is little redress for them in cases of unfair and inappropriate removals.

They are sometimes excluded from the discussion about removal of the child, or removal is based on accusations against the foster carer which he or she is not allowed to defend.

The complaint about lack of due process also applies to decisions of local authorities to “de-register” foster care workers, meaning that they will no longer receive any placements from that local authority.

Some foster care workers told the BBC it is very difficult to become registered with another local authority or private agency. They claim that de-registration can serve as a sort of black-listing.

http://www.fostercarenews.co.uk/fosterin...

foi@dundeecity.gov.uk, Dundee City Council

1 Attachment

Please see attached.