What consideration has been given to the mental health impact your actions have on customers, as related to Health And Safety legislation?

The request was partially successful.

Jonathan May-Bowles

Dear Westminster City Council,

Was, at any point, a health and safety risk assessment carried out to ensure the way you treat people would not adversely affect their mental health? If so, what was the date of this assessment? What was it's outcome? Should the costs of answering these questions become prohibitive, please answer as many as possible in the order they were asked.

Yours faithfully,

Jonathan May-Bowles

Westminster City Council

Information request
Our reference: 7830433

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Dear Mr May-Bowles
 
Thank you for contacting Westminster City Council's Information Management
Team. 

Your query will be allocated for response, and someone will contact you
within 5 working days to confirm the details of your request and whether
it is subject to a fee. 

Please see the Westminster City Council website for further information on
Data Protection policies
- [1]http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/c...

Kindest regards, 
 
Information Management Team
Westminster City Council
5 Strand
London
WC2N 5HR
[email address]
 
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Westminster City Council

Information request
Our reference: 7830433

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Dear ‎Mr May-Bowles‏
 
Freedom of Information Request  7830433
 
Thank you for your recent request to the Council. You asked to be provided
with the following information:
 

Scheme
Freedom of Information Act

Details
Dear Westminster City Council,
Was, at any point, a health and safety risk assessment carried out
to ensure the way you treat people would not adversely affect
their mental health? If so, what was the date of this assessment?
What was it's outcome? Should the costs of answering these
questions become prohibitive, please answer as many as possible in
the order they were asked.
Yours faithfully,
Jonathan May-Bowles
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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Response ' Clarification required
 
Unfortunately I cannot identify the information you have requested from
the details you have provided.
 
Please therefore can you provide further details as to the context in
which we may hold the information.
 
I am writing to ask you to clarify your request. This is because we are
not certain that we have understood your request correctly. Therefore I
should be grateful if you would clarifiy the details of your request.
 
Advice & Assistance
 
Your request will be placed on hold until you provide the clarifications
as set out in the section above, whereupon your request will be allocated
to the relevant department(s) for consideration. You will receive a
response within the statutory timescale of 20 working days (from date of
receipt of the clarification) as defined by Act.
 
For your information, the Act defines a number of exemptions, which may
prevent release of the information you have requested. There will be an
assessment and if any of the exemption categories apply then it cannot be
released. You will be informed if any exemptions apply.
 
There may be a fee payable for this information. This will be considered
and you will be informed of the fee payable if this is the case. In this
event the fee must be paid before the information is processed and
released.
 
Advice on the Freedom of Information Act 2000 AND/OR Environmental
Information Regulations 2004 is available from the Information
Commissioner and I provide his contact details here for your reference:
 
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745
Fax: 01625 524510
[1]www.ico.gov.uk
  
Yours sincerely
 
 
Westminster City Council
Email: [2][Westminster City Council request email]
Web: [3]www.westminster.gov.uk
 
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Jonathan May-Bowles

Dear Westminster City Council,

To clarify: Your organisation deals with a large number of individuals who do not work for the council. For example, you may be collecting council tax or processing claims for Housing Benefit. By what means, if any, has the council ensured that these interactions do not produce effects (for example, undue stress, particularly to people with mental health issues) that would breach the relevant legislation?

For example, there would normally have been a risk assessment carried out for any interaction with a member of the public.

If you require me to produce additional FOI's for each relevant department, please do say so.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan May-Bowles

Jonathan May-Bowles

Dear Westminster City Council,

It is the statutory responsibility of all organisations to ensure that their interactions with the public comply with Health And Safety legislation. A risk assessment or similar is usually carried out in order to satisfy these statutory obligations. During these risk assessments, what conclusions were drawn about the potential mental health impact of interactions between Westminster Council and members of the public? If you can find no such considerations in any risk assessments you review, please state this in your response.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan May-Bowles

Westminster City Council

Information request
Our reference: 7830433

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

 
Dear Mr May-Bowles,
 
Freedom of Information Act 2000
 
Thank you for your request for information that was received on 28 July
2018.
 
Request summary
Dear Westminster City Council,
Was, at any point, a health and safety risk assessment carried out to
ensure the way you treat people would not adversely affect their mental
health? If so, what was the date of this assessment? What was it's
outcome? Should the costs of answering these questions become prohibitive,
please answer as many as possible in the order they were asked.
Yours faithfully,

Clarification Received 28/07/2018

Dear Westminster City Council,

To clarify: Your organisation deals with a large number of individuals who
do not work for the council. For example, you may be collecting council
tax or processing claims for Housing Benefit. By what means, if any, has
the council ensured that these interactions do not produce effects (for
example, undue stress, particularly to people with mental health issues)
that would breach the relevant legislation?

For example, there would normally have been a risk assessment carried out
for any interaction with a member of the public.

If you require me to produce additional FOI's for each relevant
department, please do say so.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan May-Bowles

Dear Westminster City Council,

It is the statutory responsibility of all organisations to ensure that
their interactions with the public comply with Health And Safety
legislation. A risk assessment or similar is usually carried out in order
to satisfy these statutory obligations. During these risk assessments,
what conclusions were drawn about the potential mental health impact of
interactions between Westminster Council and members of the public? If you
can find no such considerations in any risk assessments you review, please
state this in your response.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan May-Bowles
 
We are dealing with your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
and we aim to send a response by 24 August 2018.
 
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 may restrict the release of some or
all of the information you have requested. We will carry out an assessment
and if any exemptions apply to some or all of the information then we
might not provide that information to you. We will inform you if this is
the case and advise you of your rights to request an internal review and
to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office.
 
We will also advise you if we cannot provide you with the information
requested for any other reason together with the reason(s) why and details
of how you may appeal (if appropriate).
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Westminster City Council
Knowledge & Information Management Team
Tel: 0207 641 3921
Email: [1][Westminster City Council request email]
Web: [2]www.westminster.gov.uk
 
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.

References

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Jonathan May-Bowles

Dear Westminster City Council,

This request is now overdue. Please explain the reason why a response to a simple and clear question was not given in a prompt and timely manner before further action is taken. I would further like to request an internal review of this delay.

Yours sincerely,

Jonathan May-Bowles

Westminster City Council

1 Attachment

Information request
Our reference: 7830433

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

 
Dear Mr May-Bowles
 
Thank you for your request for information received on 28 July 2018.
 
Please find attached our response to your request.

If you are dissatisfied with your response please send your Internal
Review request to the email address below

[1][Westminster City Council request email]

 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Westminster City Council
Tel: 0207 641 3921
Email: [2][Westminster City Council request email]
Web: [3]www.westminster.gov.uk
 
NOTE: Please do not reply to this email.
 

References

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2. mailto:[Westminster City Council request email]
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