Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

The request was successful.

Dear Folkestone & Hythe District Council,

Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

Can you tell me how many different landlords the Council has contacted between 3rd April, 2018 and 26th March, 2019 in an attempt to avoid homelessness in acc9odance with the provisions of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017?

Yours faithfully,

Fergus Wilson

Information Governance, Folkestone & Hythe District Council

[1]Folkestone and Hythe Logo

Thank you for your information access request. A reference number has been
assigned to your enquiry which can be found in the subject line.

A case officer will review this matter shortly. We will endeavour to
supply any information you have requested promptly and within the
requisite 20 working days. If we think that it will take longer, we will
contact you.

Please ensure you leave the subject line in any correspondence, and
respond to the most recent item of correspondence relating to your case.
This will enable us to locate your request and respond appropriately.

For additional information about how your personal data will be used
please see the access to information privacy notice.

The contents and any attachments of this e-mail message are confidential
and intended only for the named addressees. If you have received it in
error, please advise the sender immediately by return email and then
delete it from your system. Any unauthorised distribution or copying of
this transmission, or misuse or wrongful disclosure of information
contained in it, is strictly prohibited. Folkestone & Hythe District
Council cannot accept liability for any statements made which are clearly
the sender's own and not expressly made on behalf of the council. All
email to and from the council may be monitored in accordance with the
council's policies. Folkestone & Hythe District Council is registered with
the ICO as a data controller. Our privacy notice at
[2]www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/privacy explains how we use and share
personal information and protect your privacy and rights

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References

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2. file:///tmp/www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/privacy

Information Officer Case Management, Folkestone & Hythe District Council

Dear Fergus Wilson

 

I am writing in respect of your information access enquiry dated 26 March
2020.  This request has been handled under the Freedom of Information Act
2000.

 

Please accept our sincere apologies that your request was not dealt with
within the statutory timeframe and we thank you for your patience in this
matter.  As a local authority much of our focus and resource is currently
on helping the community with the impact of COVID-19 and many of our staff
have been redeployed to provide support with respect to this.

 

Your request was –

 

“Can you tell me how many different landlords the Council has contacted
between 3rd April, 2018 and 26th March, 2019 in an attempt to avoid
homelessness in acc9odance with the provisions of the Homelessness
Reduction Act 2017?”

 

The council does not hold information in response to your request.  We do
not record this information.

 

Should you require any further information, or if you are not satisfied
with our response, please do not hesitate to contact us by responding to
this email including the full subject line. You may also request an
internal review by writing to the following address:

 

Freedom of Information Appeals Officer

Compliance & Information Governance

Folkestone & Hythe District Council

Castle Hill Avenue

Folkestone

Kent, CT20 2QY

 

Alternatively you can use our Customer Comment Form which can be accessed
at our website [1]www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk

 

In addition, if you are not satisfied with our response you may apply to
the Information Commissioner for an independent review at the following
address:

 

The Information Commissioner

Wyncliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

Telephone 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 (national rate)

[2]www.ico.org.uk

 

There is no charge for making an appeal.

 

Kind regards,

 

Case Management (Support Services)

Information Governance

Folkestone & Hythe District Council.

Email: [3][Folkestone & Hythe District Council request email]

Website: [4]Home | [5]FOI and Data | [6]Privacy

Follow us on [7]Twitter and [8]Facebook

 

show quoted sections

Dear Information Officer Case Management,

FOLKESTONE and HYTHE DISTRICT COUNCIL

Thank you for your response. It occurs to me that if you do not hold the information how does the Council asse4ss the effectiveness of the legislation within the Borough?

Yours sincerely,

Fergus Wilson

Information Governance, Folkestone & Hythe District Council

[1]Folkestone and Hythe Logo

Thank you for your information access request. A reference number has been
assigned to your enquiry which can be found in the subject line.

A case officer will review this matter shortly. We will endeavour to
supply any information you have requested promptly and within the
requisite 20 working days. If we think that it will take longer, we will
contact you.

Please ensure you leave the subject line in any correspondence, and
respond to the most recent item of correspondence relating to your case.
This will enable us to locate your request and respond appropriately.

For additional information about how your personal data will be used
please see the access to information privacy notice.

The contents and any attachments of this e-mail message are confidential
and intended only for the named addressees. If you have received it in
error, please advise the sender immediately by return email and then
delete it from your system. Any unauthorised distribution or copying of
this transmission, or misuse or wrongful disclosure of information
contained in it, is strictly prohibited. Folkestone & Hythe District
Council cannot accept liability for any statements made which are clearly
the sender's own and not expressly made on behalf of the council. All
email to and from the council may be monitored in accordance with the
council's policies. Folkestone & Hythe District Council is registered with
the ICO as a data controller. Our privacy notice at
[2]www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/privacy explains how we use and share
personal information and protect your privacy and rights

ref:_00D1tqGSL._5002o2P8FoF:ref

References

Visible links
2. file:///tmp/www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/privacy

Information Officer Case Management, Folkestone & Hythe District Council

Dear Fergus Wilson,

 

I acknowledge receipt of your email of 22 April 2020 expressing
dissatisfaction with our response to your request for information (dated
26 March 2020). The original request was handled under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. 

 

We will be addressing your concerns by way of an Internal Review.
Folkestone & Hythe District Council's approach to Internal Reviews is
subject to guidance produced by the Information Commissioner's Office in
line with Section 45 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

 

The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs’ Code of Practice on the
Discharge of Public Authorities’ Functions under Part 1 of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, issued under Section 45 reads, in part, as follows:

 

“39. The complaints procedure should provide a fair and thorough review of
handling issues and of decisions taken pursuant to the Act, including
decisions taken about where the public interest lies in respect of exempt
information. It should enable a fresh decision to be taken on a
reconsideration of all the factors relevant to the issue…”

 

Consequently, the scope to be considered by a review is whether the
Council’s response on 22 April 2020 breached the Act or was otherwise
incorrect. In evaluating this, the case will be examined anew, taking into
account the points and evidence raised during your review request.

 

We anticipate that the internal review will be completed within 20 working
days of your application for review, however there may be mitigating
circumstances under which an extension is required. If this is the case
with your review, we will endeavour to notify you and explain why more
time is needed.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Case Management (Support Services)

Information Governance

Folkestone & Hythe District Council.

Email: [1][Folkestone & Hythe District Council request email]

Website: [2]Home | [3]FOI and Data | [4]Privacy

Follow us on [5]Twitter and [6]Facebook

 

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show quoted sections

Dear Information Officer Case Management,

Send a public reply to Information Officer Case Management

The response to your request has been delayed. You can say that, by law, the authority should normally have responded promptly

Can I ask you to respond?

Yours sincerely,

Fergus Wilson

Information Officer Case Management, Folkestone & Hythe District Council

Dear ‎Fergus Wilson,
 
I refer to your application dated the 22^nd April 2020 for an internal
review of the council’s decision on your request under the Freedom of
Information Act 2000.
 
Please accept our sincere apologies that your request was not dealt with
within the statutory timeframe and we thank you for your patience in this
matter.  As a local authority much of our focus and resource is currently
on helping the community with the impact of COVID-19 and many of our staff
have been redeployed to provide support with respect to this.
 
Your request for an internal review was as follows:
 
Original Request: Can you tell me how many different landlords the Council
has contacted between 3rd April, 2018 and 26th March, 2019 in an attempt
to avoid homelessness in accordance with the provisions of the
Homelessness Reduction Act 2017?
 
Follow Up Request: Thank you for your response. It occurs to me that if
you do not hold the information how does the Council assess the
effectiveness of the legislation within the Borough?
 
In considering your request I have looked at case impartially and
reconsidered the relevant factors. In light of this, I can confirm that I
consider the original handling of the case to be unjustified. I will
address each point in sequence and explain my rationale as follows.
  

* A lot of contact would have been through informal conversations over
the phone, and so we wouldn’t have access to the contact made to
landlords in this way, as it isn’t recorded.

 

* The Council does however record ‘bookings’ of Temporary Accommodation
for those classed as being homeless. We are therefore able to provide
the number of landlords that the Council has contacted for successful
bookings between these dates, although this won’t include numbers for
any that have been unsuccessful. Rather than refusing your request, we
should have explored with you how the Council may best assist you to
request relevant information which we hold, and advised this as data
that we do hold. The total number for this was 13 different landlords.

 
If you are not satisfied with the internal review response you may apply
to the [1]Information Commissioner for an independent review at the
following address: [2][email address]
 
Kind regards,
 
Case Management (Corporate Services)
Information Governance
Folkestone & Hythe District Council.
Email: [3][Folkestone & Hythe District Council request email]
Website: [4]Home | [5]FOI and Data | [6]Privacy
Follow us on [7]Twitter and [8]Facebook
 

 

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References

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