Policy on Familial Relationships between Staff

Waiting for an internal review by University of Salford of their handling of this request.

Dear University of Salford,

(i) I would like a copy of your policy/procedure on familial relationships between members of staff. By this I mean all policies and procedures that you operate to ensure that, where a family relationship occurs between members of your staff or has existed between members of staff, the staff concerned are not involved in the management or assessment of each other, for example in matters of appointment (including all elements of recruitment, short-listing, interviewing, etc), promotion, appraisal, allocation of duties and disciplinary action.

(ii) I would also like to know how many members of staff have declared a familial relationship with another member of staff to their line manager or other other appropriate superior. Please provide this information for each of 2007, 2008 and 2009, if possible.

(iii) Please also outline the consequences of failure to observe your policy/procedure.

Yours faithfully,

R Pritchard

Dear University of Salford,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of University of Salford's handling of my FOI request 'Policy on Familial Relationships between Staff'.

I am dissatisfied with your handling of my request - you have completely ignored it.

By law, you should have responded promptly, and at the latest within 20 working days. You haven't, and therefore the University of Salford is breaking the law.

I expect your full response promptly. It seems ludicrous that we may have to involve the Information Commissioner in such a simple request as this.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/po...

Yours faithfully,

R Pritchard

Foi, University of Salford

Dear Mr Pritchard ,

I apologise for the delay in responding. I write in response to your
request for information made to the University of Salford under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 via www.whatdotheyknow.com. This request
will not be processed because it, along with a number of other requests,
is being treated as vexatious under section 14(1) of the Act.

Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000, this letter acts as a refusal notice.

You have the right to complain against the handling of your requests. If
you wish to complain, please set out in writing your ground(s) of
complaint and send to Matthew Stephenson, Head of Information
Governance, at the address below.

Further information is also available from the Information Commissioner
at the Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, telephone 01625 545 700, website
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk.

Matthew Stephenson

Head of Information Governance
Governance Services
University of Salford
Clifford Whitworth Building
Salford
M5 4WT

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James Brown left an annotation ()

I'd challenge this. HR policies should be in the publication scheme, so this request can't be vexatious.

Dear University of Salford,

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

I am writing to request an internal review of University of Salford's handling of my FOI request 'Policy on Familial Relationships between Staff'.

I am dissatisfied by your response.

It appears that you have not yet undertaken an internal review, so my request for internal review still stands. You have refused my request as vexatious under section 14(1) of the Act.

I put it to you that it is the University of Salford's flagrant disregard for the Act that is vexatious.

I believe that the University of Salford is in breach of at least the following sections of the Act:

1: General right of access to information held by public authorities
10: Time for compliance with request
14: Vexatious or repeated requests
16: Duty to provide advice and assistance
17: Refusal of request
19: Publication schemes
20: Model publication schemes

Requests for information that should be published under your publication scheme should not be considered as vexatious. This has already been tested in the Information Commissioner's Office.
Please see:

http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/l...

"Some types of requests should not be considered as vexatious.
Examples include:
• Requests for information that should be published under your publication scheme – you will need to provide this information, or direct the requester to where it is available (eg your website)."

Please also see the Definition Document for the Model Publication Scheme for universities:
http://www.ico.gov.uk/what_we_cover/free...

"Procedures and policies relating to human resources

This will include the full range of human resources policies and procedures..."

I expect the outcome of your internal review promptly.

A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address:
http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/po...

Yours faithfully,

R Pritchard