Bullying in Redditch Borough Council

The request was successful.

Dear Redditch Borough 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

Our Reference: 3080

 

Dear Mr. Lewis,

 

Thank you for your recent request for information.

 

Your request is being dealt with in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act.  We will respond by 5^th August 2016 at the latest.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

 

Julie Smout

Information Support Officer, Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough
Councils

 

Tel: (01527) 64252, extension 3871

Email: [1][email address]

 

Bromsgrove District Council Redditch Borough Council

Parkside, Town Hall,

Market Street, Walter Stranz Square,

Bromsgrove, Redditch,

Worcestershire B61 8DA Worcestershire B98 8AH

[2]www.bromsgrove.gov.uk [3]www.redditchbc.gov.uk

   

 

 

 

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/
3. http://www.redditchbc.gov.uk/
4. mailto:[Redditch Borough Council request email]
5. mailto:[email address]

Our Reference: 4887

 

Dear Mr. Lewis,

 

Thank you for your recent request for information.

 

Your request is being dealt with in accordance with the Freedom of
Information Act.  We will respond by 5^th August 2016 at the latest.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

 

Julie Smout

Information Support Officer, Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough
Councils

 

Tel: (01527) 64252, extension 3871

Email: [1][email address]

 

Bromsgrove District Council Redditch Borough Council

Parkside, Town Hall,

Market Street, Walter Stranz Square,

Bromsgrove, Redditch,

Worcestershire B61 8DA Worcestershire B98 8AH

[2]www.bromsgrove.gov.uk [3]www.redditchbc.gov.uk

   

 

 

 

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/
3. http://www.redditchbc.gov.uk/
4. mailto:[Redditch Borough Council request email]
5. mailto:[email address]

Our Reference: 3080

 

Dear Mr Lewis

 

Thank you for your recent Information request. I can now offer you the
following information: Where there are very low numbers we cannot give out
the exact figures as this may lead to the identification of an individual.

 

a) Please inform me of the cost of dealing with this request. Not held

 

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

 

10

 

 

2)    How many of these complaints were upheld in favour of the
 complainant? Less than 5 partially upheld

 

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?  Less than 5

 

4) How many of those that went to Appeal were found to favour the 
complainant? 0

 

5) How many complaints went on to an Employment Tribunal? 0

 

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

 

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?
0

 

8) How many staff does your authority have and what is the current
population within your authority's area? Staff in Redditch Borough Council
602 Redditch Borough Population: 84,743– these are taken from the ONS
mid-year estimates.

 

 

I hope this resolves your enquiry and that you are satisfied with the
response.

 

However, if you are dissatisfied with the way your request has been
handled, you have the right to request an internal review.

 

If you are still dissatisfied following a review by the Council, you have
the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. You can contact the
Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone 01625 545 700

www.ico.gov.uk/

 

regards,

 

 

 

Charlotte Shepard

 

Information Officer, Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils

 

Tel: 01527 64252 ext 3258

 

Email: [1][email address]

 

Bromsgrove District Council Redditch Borough Council

Parkside, Town Hall,

Market Street, Walter Stranz Square,

Bromsgrove, Redditch,

Worcestershire B61 8DA Worcestershire B98 8AH

[2]www.bromsgrove.gov.uk [3]www.redditchbc.gov.uk

   

 

 

 

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References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/
3. http://www.redditchbc.gov.uk/
4. mailto:[Redditch Borough Council request email]
5. mailto:[email address]

Dear Redditch Borough Council,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of Redditch Borough Council's handling of my FOI request 'Bullying in Redditch Borough Council'.

Questions 1 and 2 are my most important questions and I would like a response to question 2 and to question 3. I point you to the decision relating to Rutland 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

Our Ref: 3080

Dear Mr. Lewis,

We are in receipt of your request for an internal review of the above referenced request, and expect to have this completed by 13th September 2016 at the latest.

Kind regards

Julie Smout
Information Support Officer, Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils

Tel: (01527) 64252, extension 3871
Email: [email address]

Bromsgrove District Council
Parkside,
Market Street,
Bromsgrove,
Worcestershire B61 8DA
www.bromsgrove.gov.uk

Redditch Borough Council
Town Hall,
Walter Stranz Square,
Redditch,
Worcestershire B98 8AH
www.redditchbc.gov.uk

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Our Ref:  3080

 

Dear Mr. Lewis,

 

Having completed an internal review, I can confirm that the Council has
incorrectly applied the exemption for personal data in respect of
questions 2 and 3.  On this basis, the information is detailed below.  May
I take this opportunity to point out that the response provided by us to
ref 3080 was on behalf of Redditch Borough Council and Bromsgrove District
Council (ref 4887), however staff numbers were not included in question 8
for Bromsgrove District Council, so these are now included here also.

 

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

 

3) How many of those which were not upheld in favour of the  complainant
went on to Appeal? 2

 

8) How many staff does your authority have and what is the current
population within your authority's area? Staff in Bromsgrove District
Council - 468, Bromsgrove District Council population - 95,768 (taken from
the ONS mid-year estimates).

 

I hope this resolves your enquiry and that you are satisfied with the
response.

 

However, if you remain dissatisfied with the review by the Council, you
now have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. You can
contact the Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone 01625 545 700

[1]www.ico.gov.uk/

 

Regards

 

Julie Smout

Information Support Officer, Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough
Councils

 

Tel: (01527) 64252, extension 3871

Email: [email address]

 

Bromsgrove District Council

Parkside,

Market Street,

Bromsgrove,

Worcestershire B61 8DA

www.bromsgrove.gov.uk

Redditch Borough Council

Town Hall,

Walter Stranz Square,

Redditch,

Worcestershire B98 8AH

www.redditchbc.gov.uk

 

 

 

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Dear foi RBC,

This is a little confusing as I has some amalgamated and some separated figures. I have also written to Bromsgrove on this website and am awaiting a reply following a delayed response request from you. Please can you divide the figures accordingly for each borough for each question and put them under the questions to each authority?

Yours sincerely,

Yabootoyou

Dear Mr. Lewis,

We are in receipt of your email and will respond shortly.
Kind regards

Julie Smout
Information Support Officer, Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Councils

Tel: (01527) 64252, extension 3871
Email: [email address]

Bromsgrove District Council
Parkside,
Market Street,
Bromsgrove,
Worcestershire B61 8DA
www.bromsgrove.gov.uk

Redditch Borough Council
Town Hall,
Walter Stranz Square,
Redditch,
Worcestershire B98 8AH
www.redditchbc.gov.uk

show quoted sections

Dear Mr. Lewis – following your request to receive a separate response
from each council showing individual figures, please find below response
on behalf on Redditch Borough Council.  Another email will follow on
behalf of Bromsgrove District Council.

 

 

Our Reference: 3080

 

 

Thank you for your recent Information request. I can now offer you the
following information:

 

a) Please inform me of the cost of dealing with this request. Not held

 

1)    How many official complaints of harassment and bullying at work did
you receive between the 1st April 2009 and the 31st December 2015? 7

 

2)    How many of these complaints were upheld in favour of the
 complainant? 1

 

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?  2

 

4) How many of those that went to Appeal were found to favour the 
complainant? 0

 

5) How many complaints went on to an Employment Tribunal? 0

 

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

 

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?
0

 

8) How many staff does your authority have and what is the current
population within your authority's area? Staff in Redditch Borough
Council – 602, Redditch Borough Population - 84,743 (these are taken from
the ONS mid-year estimates).

 

I hope this resolves your enquiry and that you are satisfied with the
response.

 

However, if you are dissatisfied with the way your request has been
handled, you have the right to request an internal review.

 

If you are still dissatisfied following a review by the Council, you have
the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. You can contact the
Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone 01625 545 700

www.ico.gov.uk/

 

regards,

 

 

 

Julie Smout

Information Support Officer, Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough
Councils

 

Tel: (01527) 64252, extension 3871

Email: [1][email address]

 

Bromsgrove District Council Redditch Borough Council

Parkside, Town Hall,

Market Street, Walter Stranz Square,

Bromsgrove, Redditch,

Worcestershire B61 8DA Worcestershire B98 8AH

[2]www.bromsgrove.gov.uk [3]www.redditchbc.gov.uk

   

 

 

 

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. http://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/
3. http://www.redditchbc.gov.uk/
4. mailto:[Redditch Borough Council request email]
5. mailto:[email address]

Dear Mr. Lewis – following your request to receive a separate response
from each council showing individual figures, please find below response
on behalf on Bromsgrove District Council.  Another email will follow on
behalf of Redditch Borough Council.

 

 

Our Reference: 4887

 

 

Thank you for your recent Information request. I can now offer you the
following information:

 

a) Please inform me of the cost of dealing with this request. Not held

 

1)    How many official complaints of harassment and bullying at work did
you receive between the 1st April 2009 and the 31st December 2015? 3

 

2)    How many of these complaints were upheld in favour of the
 complainant? 0

 

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?  0

 

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

 

5) How many complaints went on to an Employment Tribunal? 0

 

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

 

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?
0

 

8) How many staff does your authority have and what is the current
population within your authority's area? Staff in Bromsgrove District 
Council - 468, Bromsgrove District Council population - 95,768 (taken
from  the ONS mid-year estimates).

 

I hope this resolves your enquiry and that you are satisfied with the
response.

 

However, if you are dissatisfied with the way your request has been
handled, you have the right to request an internal review.

 

If you are still dissatisfied following a review by the Council, you have
the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. You can contact the
Information Commissioner at:

 

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone 01625 545 700

[1]www.ico.gov.uk/

 

 

regards,

 

 

 

Julie Smout

Information Support Officer, Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough
Councils

 

Tel: (01527) 64252, extension 3871

Email: [2][email address]

 

Bromsgrove District Council Redditch Borough Council

Parkside, Town Hall,

Market Street, Walter Stranz Square,

Bromsgrove, Redditch,

Worcestershire B61 8DA Worcestershire B98 8AH

[3]www.bromsgrove.gov.uk [4]www.redditchbc.gov.uk

   

 

 

 

show quoted sections

References

Visible links
1. http://www.ico.gov.uk/
2. mailto:[email address]
3. http://www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/
4. http://www.redditchbc.gov.uk/
5. mailto:[Redditch Borough Council request email]
6. mailto:[email address]