Dear Mr Carruthers

REF: 2008/COR0373 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION - INFORMATION REQUEST

I acknowledge your request received on 26 August 2008

Your request is being considered and you will receive the information requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as defined by the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to the information not being exempt or containing a reference to a third party.

If appropriate, the information may be provided in paper copy, normal font size, or electronically. If you require alternative formats, e.g. language, audio, large print, etc. then please let me know.

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 the information will not be released. You will be informed if this is the case, including your rights of appeal.

If the information you request contains reference to a third party then they may be consulted prior to a decision being taken on whether or not to release the information to you. You will be informed if this is the case.

There may a fee payable for this information. This will be considered and you will be informed if a fee is payable. In this event the fee must be paid before the information is processed and released. The 20 working day time limit for responses is suspended until receipt of the payment.

If you have any queries do not hesitate to contact me.

Further information is available from the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, Telephone: 01625 545 700, http://www.ico.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Alison Ross-Dow
Information Governance Manager
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
Business Technology/Finance & Corporate Services
6th Floor, Hammersmith Town Hall Extension
King Street
London W6 9JU
DL: 020 8753 2455

www.lbhf.gov.uk

Director of Finance & Corporate Services: Jane West

Dear Mr Harwicke Carruthers

REF: 2008/COR0373 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION - INFORMATION REQUEST

I apologise for the delay in responding to your request for information.

We are still gathering some of the information requested, however in order to avoid further delays I am forwarding such information as I have been given and the remainder will be sent as soon as possible.

I would like to know the average proportion of time the elected representatives of your authority spend as part of their duties for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 on their main activities. The activities that form their duties (employment) as an elected representative are:

1. Directly resolving complaints against the executive (Council staff) of the Council by residents;

2 Sitting on committees;

3 Acting for the political parties that they represent and/or ceremonial duties (i.e. all time not spent on sitting on a Committee or resolving a complaint against the executive;

The total time spent by an elected representative for a Council on these three activities should be 100 per cent of the time they spend `working for a Council' as an elected representative.

We are unable to supply the information requested regarding the average proportion of time our elected representatives spend on directly resolving complaints, sitting on committee's and acting for the political parties' represented. The information you requested is not held by Hammersmith & Fulham Council so we are unable to provide it to you.

I would also like to know how many Complaints in total were submitted to your Council in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 for each year. I would further like to know how many of these complaints were formally considered by an elected representative for each of these years.

We're unable to confirm how many complaints were submitted, as some complaints are resolved on the spot and are not routinely recorded. The number of recorded complaints for each year is:

2005/2006: 1236 Stage 1 complaints, 102 Stage 2 complaints, 42 Stage 3 complaints
2006/2007: 690 Stage 1 complaints, 100 Stage 2 complaints, 44 Stage 3 complaints
2007/2008: This information is still being compiled, so it cannot be provided

We do not hold any records for the number of complaints considered by an elected representative.

I would further like to know how many complaints against the Executive (Council staff) led to the elected representatives formally identifying that the Executive had acted wrongly for the years 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 and how many of these formal determinations by the elected representatives identify that there was no wrong doing by the Executive.

2005/2006: 1236 Stage 1 complaint - 440 part or fully upheld
102 Stage 2 complaints - 34 part or fully upheld
42 Stage 3 complaints - 19 part or fully upheld

2006/2007: 690 Stage 1 complaint - 376 part or fully upheld
100 Stage 2 complaints - 45 part or fully upheld
44 Stage 3 complaints - 28 part or fully upheld

2007/2008: This information is still being compiled, so it cannot be provided

I would further like to know how much money the Council has paid to a complainant ( i.e. victim of a Council's wrongdoing) through it's own complaints system (i.e. excluding any intervention by the Local Government Ombudsman, Valuation Tribunal or similar body) in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008.

I would like to know how much money either in the form of local settlement or additional formal finding of maladministration causing injustice the Local Government Ombudsman has recommended that your Council pay in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 (for each year) and if the Local Government Ombudsman's recommendations have been met in full (including and non-financial recommendations for each year).
Please detail any recommendations that has not been met in full and provide a copy of the Elected representatives decision.

The amount of money paid to settle complaints following the Local Government Ombudsman's involvement is:

2005/2006: £14,022
2006/2007: £31,836
2007/2008: £6,739

These figures are derived from the Local Government Ombudsman's annual letters.

Finally, please provide details of the financial cost of administering all your complaints systems (including FOI and DP) by the Executive for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 and the number of staff employed in administering complaints and resolving these (Full-time equivalent staffing levels).

I am unable to provide the cost information requested but I can confirm the Council has:

1 Corporate Complaints Officer
2 Complaints Managers responsible for statutory complaints
Additionally, there are a number of other Council officers that coordinate complaints on either a part or full-time, basis.

All members of staff could be involved in investigating/resolving complaints.

If you do not have this reasonably basic management information related to complaints and/or identify that the costs of accessing the information requested will be more than £450 please state this and identify that your Authority does not have either a functioning or accountable complaints system, and does not maintain any basic management information related to this issue.

If you have a complaints system not fit for purpose please identify which political party currently controls your council, and if this political party has appointed the current Electoral Registration and Returning Officer through it's controls of the Council (with date of their formal appointment). Please name the current Electoral Registration and Returning Officer, and identify if they are also Head of Paid Service, and Clerk to your Authority. Please additionally provide and documentation maintained by your Local Authorities Head of Paid Service identifying that they personally do not believe it to be appropriate for your Council to have a complaints system that is fit for purpose. This documentation should be in existence due to the provisions of s4 of the Local Government Act 1989

Hammersmith & Fulham Council's complaints system is fit for purpose, although we recognise the benefit of holding complaints information corporately and therefore we are currently in the process of implementing a corporate system, which is hoped to be in place by April 2009. The introduction of this system will significantly improve the quality of our data.

If you are dissatisfied in any way you may complain to the Information Security Manager, Business Technology, 6th Floor, Hammersmith Town Hall Extension, London W6 9JU

Once you have exhausted the complaints procedure you may appeal to the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, Telephone: 01625 545 700, http://www.ico.gov.uk

Yours sincerely

Joan Power
Records Management Assistant
Business Technology
6th Floor, Town Hall Extension, King Street
Hammersmith & Fulham Council
Ext: 020 8753 1990
Email: [email address]
Director of Finance: Jane West

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Dear Mr HARDWICKE CARRUTHERS

REF: 2008/COR0373 FREEDOM OF INFORMATION - INFORMATION REQUEST

I apologise for the delay in responding to your request for information. Further to our e-mail of 30/09/08, please find below the remainder of the information requested.

How many staff employed by your authority in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 ceased to be employed by your authority as a direct result of a complaint against the Executive and the Councillors identifying this to be the case.

ANSWER: There have been no dismissals for this reason.

I would like to know how much money either in the form of local settlement or additional formal finding of maladministration causing injustice the Local Government Ombudsman has recommended that your Council pay in 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 (for each year) and if the Local Government Ombudsman's recommendations have been met in full (including and non-financial recommendations for each year).
Please detail any recommendations that has not been met in full and provide a copy of the Elected representatives decision.

ANSWER: We do not hold information centrally on how much money the Council has paid through our own complaints system.

The amount of money paid to settle complaints following the Local Government Ombudsman's involvement is:

2005/2006: £14,022
2006/2007: £31,836
2007/2008: £6,739

These figures are derived from the Local Government Ombudsman's annual letters.

Please additionally identify if these costs were met directly by Council Tax Payers or the Council's insurers (excluding self insurance by a Council)

ANSWER: The Council's insurers have not made any payment following an Ombudsman Inquiry.

I would additionally like to know how much in total was paid to local councillors to meet all their duties (including expenses) for 2005/2006, 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 by your authority, and how many elected representatives are (and were) represented on your authority for these years.

ANSWER:

Year Total
2005/06 £686,100
2006/07 £705,750
2007/08 £727,808

There are (and were) 46 Councillors in the authority for these years.

I understand that you have submitted an internal review request with the Information Manager. Now that your request has been answered do you want to go ahead with the review or are you satisfied with the information provided? Please let me know so that I can inform the Information Manager.

Yours sincerely

Aimee Black
Business Support Officer
Executive Services
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
Tel: +44 (0) 20 8753 2101
email: [email address]
Director: Jane West

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