Data of how direct payments are being used by users

Dear Sir/Madam

Thank you for your email received on 16 May 2023. Whilst you have provided us first name, you do not appear to have provided us with your surname. Section 8(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 states that a request for information must include the requester’s real name.

The ICO guidance states that if the requester:

• fails to provide a name;
• can’t be identified from the name provided (for example because they have only used their first name or initials); or
• is using an obvious pseudonym,

then their request won’t meet the requirements of section 8(1)(b) and will technically be invalid.

Can you therefore resubmit your request and provide me with your full name please?

Yours sincerely

Y Swyddfa Rhyddid Gwybodaeth | Freedom of Information Office
Cyfarwyddiaeth y Prif Weithredwr| Chief Executive’s Directorate
Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-Y-Bont ar Ogwr | Bridgend County Borough Council
Ffon / Phone: (01656) 643473
Ffacs / Fax: (01656) 657899

E-bost / E-Mail [Bridgend County Borough Council request email]
Gwefan / Website: www.bridgend.gov.uk

show quoted sections

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau a drosglwyddir gydag ef yn cynrychioli
safbwyntiau'r unigolyn a'i anfonodd (unigolion a'u hanfonodd) ac ni ddylid eu
hystyried fel safbwynt swyddogol Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr.
Mae'r cynnwys yn gyfrinachol ac wedi'i fwriadu ar gyfer y sawl y'i cyfeiriwyd
ato yn unig. Os ydych wedi ei dderbyn mewn camgymeriad, rhowch wybod i weinyddwr
y system ar [email address]

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau wedi cael eu sganio.

Dear [name removed]

FOI REQUEST FOI001-5013

We acknowledge your request for information received on 7 June 2023. 

We are considering your request and you should receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days, unless the information is
exempt or we require additional time to consider whether disclosure is in
the public interest in accordance with section 2 of the Freedom of
Information Act.

We will try to supply information in electronic format by email, but if
this is not possible we will let you know. If you have any special
requirements e.g. language, audio, large print, etc. then please let us
know.

The Act defines a number of exemptions which may prevent release of the
information you have requested. Before we provide the information we will
consider whether it is proper to release it and if any of the exemption
categories do apply then the information will not be released. We will
tell you if this is the case, and you will have a right 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. We will tell you if this is the case.

You may have to pay a fee for this information. We will consider this and
let you know. If so you will have to pay the fee before we process and
release the information.

If you have any queries or concerns, then please contact me directly. You
can find out more about the Act from the Information Commissioner at:

Information Commissioner’s Office – Wales 2nd Floor Churchill House
Churchill Way Cardiff

CF10 2HH

Telephone: 02920 678400 Fax: 02920 678399

Email: [1][email address]

Website: [2]https://ico.org.uk/

Yours sincerely

Y Swyddfa Rhyddid Gwybodaeth | Freedom of Information Office

Cyfarwyddiaeth y Prif Weithredwr|  Chief Executive’s Directorate

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-Y-Bont ar Ogwr | Bridgend County Borough
Council

Ffon / Phone: (01656) 643473

Ffacs / Fax: (01656) 657899

E-bost / E-Mail [Bridgend County Borough Council request email]

Gwefan / Website: www.bridgend.gov.uk

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

This e-mail and any attachments transmitted with it represents the
views of the individual(s) who sent them and should not be regarded
as the official view of Bridgend County Borough Council. The contents
are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee. If
you have received it in error, please inform the system administrator
[email address]

This e-mail and any attachments have been scanned.

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau a drosglwyddir gydag ef yn
cynrychioli
safbwyntiau'r unigolyn a'i anfonodd (unigolion a'u hanfonodd) ac ni ddylid
eu
hystyried fel safbwynt swyddogol Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar
Ogwr.
Mae'r cynnwys yn gyfrinachol ac wedi'i fwriadu ar gyfer y sawl y'i
cyfeiriwyd
ato yn unig. Os ydych wedi ei dderbyn mewn camgymeriad, rhowch wybod i
weinyddwr
y system ar [email address]

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau wedi cael eu sganio.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email%20address]
2. https://ico.org.uk/

Dear [name removed]

I write in respect of your request made on 7^th June 2023

Unfortunately we are not in a position to respond at this time. We will
endeavour to provide you with a response in the next 10 working days.

Please accept our apologies for the delay.

Yours sincerely

Ffion Ffon / Phone: (01656) 643603
Walker                                                                                
Y Swyddfa Rhyddid Gwybodaeth | Freedom of Information Office Ffacs / Fax: (01656) 657899

Cyfarwyddiaeth y Prif Weithredwr|  Chief Executive’s Directorate E-bost / E-Mail
[1][email address]
Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-Y-Bont ar Ogwr | Bridgend County Borough Council
Gwefan / Website:
www.bridgend.gov.uk

From: foi
Sent: 08 June 2023 11:57
To: [name removed] <[FOI #981240 email]>
Subject: FOI001-5013

Dear [name removed]

FOI REQUEST FOI001-5013

We acknowledge your request for information received on 7 June 2023. 

We are considering your request and you should receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days, unless the information is
exempt or we require additional time to consider whether disclosure is in
the public interest in accordance with section 2 of the Freedom of
Information Act.

We will try to supply information in electronic format by email, but if
this is not possible we will let you know. If you have any special
requirements e.g. language, audio, large print, etc. then please let us
know.

The Act defines a number of exemptions which may prevent release of the
information you have requested. Before we provide the information we will
consider whether it is proper to release it and if any of the exemption
categories do apply then the information will not be released. We will
tell you if this is the case, and you will have a right 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. We will tell you if this is the case.

You may have to pay a fee for this information. We will consider this and
let you know. If so you will have to pay the fee before we process and
release the information.

If you have any queries or concerns, then please contact me directly. You
can find out more about the Act from the Information Commissioner at:

Information Commissioner’s Office – Wales 2nd Floor Churchill House
Churchill Way Cardiff

CF10 2HH

Telephone: 02920 678400 Fax: 02920 678399

Email: [2][email address]

Website: [3]https://ico.org.uk/

Yours sincerely

Y Swyddfa Rhyddid Gwybodaeth | Freedom of Information Office

Cyfarwyddiaeth y Prif Weithredwr|  Chief Executive’s Directorate

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-Y-Bont ar Ogwr | Bridgend County Borough
Council

Ffon / Phone: (01656) 643473

Ffacs / Fax: (01656) 657899

E-bost / E-Mail [4][Bridgend County Borough Council request email]

Gwefan / Website: [5]www.bridgend.gov.uk

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

This e-mail and any attachments transmitted with it represents the
views of the individual(s) who sent them and should not be regarded
as the official view of Bridgend County Borough Council. The contents
are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee. If
you have received it in error, please inform the system administrator
[email address]

This e-mail and any attachments have been scanned.

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau a drosglwyddir gydag ef yn
cynrychioli
safbwyntiau'r unigolyn a'i anfonodd (unigolion a'u hanfonodd) ac ni ddylid
eu
hystyried fel safbwynt swyddogol Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar
Ogwr.
Mae'r cynnwys yn gyfrinachol ac wedi'i fwriadu ar gyfer y sawl y'i
cyfeiriwyd
ato yn unig. Os ydych wedi ei dderbyn mewn camgymeriad, rhowch wybod i
weinyddwr
y system ar [email address]

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau wedi cael eu sganio.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email%20address]
2. mailto:[email%20address]
3. https://ico.org.uk/
4. mailto:[bridgend%20county%20borough%20council%20request%20email]
5. http://www.bridgend.gov.uk/

Dear Sir/Madam

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST FOI001-5013

We refer to your email dated 7 June 2023 which contained a request for
information as set out in italics below.  Following consideration of your
request, in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I respond
to each point as follows:

☆For the attention of Adult Social Services☆

The term data in the heading above refers to the actual
activity/service/goods that a direct payment was/is used for and not just
the broader category that it falls within. Of course, the broader category
can be included as well. Where direct payments are used for personal
assistants (PA), these can be excluded from the dataset.

The primary purpose of this request is to receive a full breakdown of how
individual users spend their direct payments. The amount of each payment
would be very useful but not essential. The total direct payment amount
each person receives is useful though and this can be displayed weekly or
monthly or whichever is easiest for you.

So, to re-iterate, please provide all data in relation to how direct
payments are specifically being used by users aged 24 - 54 and all other
age groups can be excluded. The more comprehensive and detailed this list
is, the more useful it will be for this FOI request. For example, data
showing DPs being used for a gym membership (including how much it costs)
would be far more valuable than data showing DPs being used for "leisure
activities" which would be too broad; nonspecific and unhelpful.

If you require dates to extract this data could you extract it from either
of the following financial years (preferably both):

• 2018-2019

• 2022-2023

I appreciate that this data can be quite laborious at times, especially if
extracting the data from a manual trawl of individual care and support
plans. It may or may not be easier to consider past audits and current
monitoring systems to extract the same data and always remember to keep it
within the age parameters of 24 - 54 which should exclude the majority of
users.

The Council does not hold the level of details you have requested,
therefore it is unable to provide you with a response to this part of your
request. 

To compliment the core request, could you kindly send me your direct
payments policy including your practice guidance for practitioners. Could
you also send me your Care and Support Planning Policy along with your
practice guidance for practitioners. Please send any other policies you
feel are relevant or related to the policies and practice guidance
documents requested above.

Please find attached a copy of the recently reviewed and approved policy
which was approved by Cabinet in June 2023 relating to Direct Payments. 
The Council does not have a “Care and Support” policy.

I hope this response satisfies your request. If you are dissatisfied with
the handling of the request, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 you
have the right to request a review of the Council’s response to your
request for information.  If you wish to request a review, please write to
the below address or email [1][Bridgend County Borough Council request
email] .  Following ICO guidance, a request for a review must be made
within 2 months of a response being received.

Monitoring Officer

Bridgend County Borough Council

Civic Offices,

Angel Street

Bridgend, CF31 4WB

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of that review, you may seek
further recourse by lodging an appeal with the Information Commissioner
at:

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Tel: 0303 123 1113

E:mail : [2][email address]

Website:  [3]www.ico.org.uk

Yours sincerely

--

Freedom of Information Office

Bridgend County Borough Council

Level 4, Civic Offices

Angel Street

Bridgend

CF31 4WB

Tel: 01656 643565

Email: [4][Bridgend County Borough Council request email]

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

This e-mail and any attachments transmitted with it represents the
views of the individual(s) who sent them and should not be regarded
as the official view of Bridgend County Borough Council. The contents
are confidential and intended solely for the use of the addressee. If
you have received it in error, please inform the system administrator
[email address]

This e-mail and any attachments have been scanned.

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau a drosglwyddir gydag ef yn
cynrychioli
safbwyntiau'r unigolyn a'i anfonodd (unigolion a'u hanfonodd) ac ni ddylid
eu
hystyried fel safbwynt swyddogol Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar
Ogwr.
Mae'r cynnwys yn gyfrinachol ac wedi'i fwriadu ar gyfer y sawl y'i
cyfeiriwyd
ato yn unig. Os ydych wedi ei dderbyn mewn camgymeriad, rhowch wybod i
weinyddwr
y system ar [email address]

Mae'r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau wedi cael eu sganio.

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[bridgend%20county%20borough%20council%20request%20email]
2. mailto:[email%20address]
3. http://www.ico.org.uk/
4. mailto:[bridgend%20county%20borough%20council%20request%20email]