Policy on Service User Recording of Meetings with the LA

The request was partially successful.

Dear Rutland County Council,

What is the Local Authorities Policy & Practice on recording of
meetings with the LA by service users especially in social services
matters under the children act 1989 (IE Recordings by parents or
children or those that might act for or assist them) ie in any form
of recording including where there are legal proceedings as
follows:

A. What is the official policy and actual practice regarding
parents who wish to or who do audio or video or photographic record
meetings either with or without (ie covertly) the LA's knowledge:

1. In Parents/Children's Homes
2. In socials services premises
3. In LA Third Party contractors premises such as contact centres.
4. Does the LA have any contracts that allow or forbid such
recordings with or without (ie covertely) the knowledge:.
5. Does the LA engage with third parties that provide service that
allow or forbid with or without (ie covertely) the knowledge:

And

B. What is the LA's policy and practice regarding such recordings
by service users.

1. Does it forbid or discourage such and how
2. Allow and encourage such and how
3. How does it inform on such policies as in 1 or 2 above prior to
or during a meeting and how
4. If it is realised that such recording is or has taken place what
is the LA's policy and practice regarding its response.
5. Does the LA have any sanctions policy or framework either under
contract as in A 4. above or otherwise where such recordings have
taken place by service users:
5. Does the LA LA engage with third parties that provide services
especially such as contact centers for children as in A. 5. above
have any sanctions policy or framework where such recordings have
taken place by service users:

Notes:

i) For the purpose of this FOI Request: Recording means any Audio,
Video or Photographic Recording on any device, the LA may of course
specify regarding reference to specific types where there are
differences in policy and practice to these types.

ii) The thrust of this FOI request is aimed at matters involving
Children's Services and Parents/Children under the children act
1989. However the LA response can include covering all policies &
practices of the LA if those also include matters involving
Children's Services and Parents/Children.

iii) This FOI request regarding third parties such as contact
centers are regarding those service providers who provide services
to the above service providers are a contracted service to Service
Users under arrangements involving the LA directly such as
supervised contacts under the children act 1989.

Yours faithfully,

Advocacy Fund

FOI, Rutland County Council

Good Morning,

Thank you for your FOI Act request. Before logging the request and forwarding it to the appropriate officers, may we please ask for a contact name, rather than "Advocacy Fund".

Rutland County Council
Catmose, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6HP
t: 01572 722577 / e: [email address]

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Dear FOI,

This FOI Request is made by the Advocacy Fund.
http://advocacy-fund.org

Section 8 Guidance states

In the case of a company, it is not necessary to provide the full registered name. It will be acceptable to provide another name which exists as a real entity, such as a trading name.

Also under the guidance an email address is considered sufficient under the DPA for an address

Yours sincerely,

Advocacy Fund

FOI, Rutland County Council

Thank you for the information. We did not realise that Advocacy Fund was in fact a company name. Your request will be logged and forwarded to the appropriate officers accordingly.

Freedom of Information
Rutland County Council
Catmose, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6HP
t: 01572 722577 / e: [email address]

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Dear FOI,

Gentle reminder

Yours sincerely,

Advocacy Fund

FOI, Rutland County Council

Dear Sir/Madam

The response from Rutland County Council is as follows:

As a local authority we promote partnership with service users and deal with such requests on a case by case basis. If it is felt helpful to service delivery we would agree to audio recording of interviews or meetings in our premises or homes of service users. However sometimes when requests are made in the context of contentious child care cases or where there is a high level of conflict between third parties we would deem it appropriate to refuse the requests. So far as video recording or photographic record is concerned we would usually refuse such requests because of concerns about staff security and the possibility of misuse of such material if it was not kept securely. For example it could mean that photos of staff went on to the internet without their permission.

Please accept our apologies for the delay in responding to your request.

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been handled, you can request a review by writing to:-

Monitoring Officer, Rutland County Council, Catmose, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6HP
Telephone: 01572 722577 e-mail: [email address]

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint, you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at:-
The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.
Telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45 Website: www.ico.gov.uk
There is no charge for making an appeal.

Freedom of Information
Rutland County Council
Catmose, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 6HP
t: 01572 722577 | f: 01572 758457 | e: [email address]

Rutland County Council

Customer Service Centre: 01572 722 577

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http://www.rutland.gov.uk/customer_servi...

Email Enquiries: [email address]
Council Website: http://www.rutland.gov.uk
Visiting Rutland? http://www.discover-rutland.co.uk

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