Our Ref: 8581  

Dear Enquirer,

INFORMATION REQUEST

Thank you for your request for information which will be dealt with under
the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 / Environmental
Information Regulations 2004.

In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, we
will let you know the likely charges before proceeding.

If you have any queries about this matter please contact us. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.

Please note, that due to the recent outbreak of Covid-19, there may be a
delay in responding to your request. We appreciate your patience at this
busy period.

Kind regards

Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF

Tel: 0345 600 6400
Email: [Northumberland County Council request email]
Web: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk

Our Ref: 8581   

Dear Enquirer,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST
I refer to your Freedom of Information request in relation to care plan
information.

This request is being handled under the Freedom of Information Act 2000

I am writing to ask you to clarify your request. This is because we are
not certain that we have understood your request correctly.

Therefore I should be grateful if you would please clarify whether you are
interested in the electronic systems used by the Council to record care
plans and if so whether your interest extends to the systems used by
children's social care within their children's home settings?
 
Please contact me by the above email address if you need assistance with
this.

If we do not receive your clarification within 3 calendar months from
today we will close your request. If after the 3 month period you then
provide clarification, your request will be logged as a new request.

Yours faithfully

FOI/EIR Co-ordinator - Central Team
Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF

Tel: 0345 600 6400
Email: [Northumberland County Council request email]
Web: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk

Dear Gina,
Could you please confirm if this includes children's social care within
children's homes settings?

kind regards

Julia

Information Governance Office

(t)  0345 600 6400

(e) [email address]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Gina Pyke <[FOI #710024 email]>
Sent: 01 December 2020 13:23
To: FOI Mailbox <[email address]>
Subject: Re: FOI/EIR Clarification required
 
Dear Northumberland County Council,

To clarify I am requesting interested in the electronic systems used by
the Council to record care

plans.

Yours faithfully,

Gina Pyke

show quoted sections

Dear Gina,
In response to your email received 02.02.2021.  Please see below the
additional clarification requested on the 1st December 2020.

As soon as we receive this information we will be able to proceed with
your request.

kind regards

Julia

Information Governance Office

(t)  0345 600 6400

(e) [email address]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: FOI Mailbox <[email address]>
Sent: 01 December 2020 14:41
To: Gina Pyke <[FOI #710024 email]>
Subject: 8581 - clarification received
 
Dear Gina,
Could you please confirm if this includes children's social care within
children's homes settings?

kind regards

Julia

Information Governance Office

(t)  0345 600 6400

(e) [email address]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Gina Pyke <[FOI #710024 email]>
Sent: 01 December 2020 13:23
To: FOI Mailbox <[email address]>
Subject: Re: FOI/EIR Clarification required
 
Dear Northumberland County Council,

To clarify I am requesting interested in the electronic systems used by
the Council to record care

plans.

Yours faithfully,

Gina Pyke

show quoted sections

Our Ref: 8581   

Dear Enquirer,  
  
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST  
  
I refer to your Freedom of Information request in relation to Care Plan
information.  
  
Right of Access  
  
Section 1(1) of the Act provides any person making a request for
information to a public authority is entitled.  
  
(a) to be informed in writing by the public authority whether it holds
information of the description specified in the request (which Section
1(6) of the Act designates as the "duty to confirm or deny"), and  
  
(b) if that is the case, to have that information communicated to him.  
  
The right is to obtain access to the information itself and not to the
document or record which contains it.  
  
The Act creates a general right of access to information held by public
authorities subject to various exemptions.  

Q.1   How do you currently handle care planning in your care homes -
electronically or on paper?  

A.1   While Adult Services care homes make use of general-purpose office
software, they do not make use of any system specifically designed to
support care planning.  

The following relates to children's homes operated by the Council rather
than placements that are commissioned from private providers who take an
individual approach; each child has a Home Care Plan which follows closely
the overarching Care Plan that has been developed by the child's social
worker. Home Care Plans are recorded on an in-house system whereas the
Care Plan prepared by the child's social worker is recorded on the wider
data recording system used by Children's Services known as ICS.  

Q.2   If you you’re using electronic care planning, who is the current
supplier, what is the value of the contract and when will the contact
expire?  

A.2   ICS offers a service wider than care plan recording and is supplied
by Liquid Logic.   

The value will not be provided pursuant to Section 43 of the Freedom of
Information Act. 

Q.3   If you use paper for care planning, do you have any plans for public
tender within the next 12 months?  

A.3   We have no current plans to tender for special purpose software to
support care planning in Adult Services care homes.  

Q.4   What are the contact details of the procurement officer?  

A.4   [1][email address]  

  
Duty to confirm or deny  
  
Northumberland County Council confirms that we hold certain information
relating to your request.  
  
Exemptions  
  
The Freedom of Information Act sets out various exemptions to the right of
access.  
  
In the present case the County Council takes the view that the information
is exempt under section 43 on the basis that it is commercially sensitive.
In this case the Authority relies on section 43(2).  
  
Freedom of Information Act 2000 Section 43(2): Information is exempt
information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to,
prejudice the commercial interests of any person (including the public
authority holding it).  
  
Public Interest Test Considerations  
  
Section 43 is a qualified exemption which means that the information
falling within the exemption still has to be released unless the public
interest in disclosure is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining
the exemption.  
  
The reasons why the public interest favours withholding the information
are:  

* there is a public interest in allowing public authorities to withhold
information which if disclosed, would reduce its ability to negotiate
or compete in a commercial environment  

* revealing information such as a pricing mechanism can, for example, be
detrimental to a public authority’s negotiations on other contracts
and procurements. If an organisation knows how a public authority
costs an item or service for example, then it can exploit this for
profit or other gain.  

  
Advice and Assistance  
  
The County Council recognises its statutory duty to provide advice and
assistance under Section 16 of the Act.  
  
Subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, the Council
is seeking to be transparent and open in its response. As you
will appreciate we are constrained by the requirements of the
legislation.  
  
Notice of Refusal  
  
With the exception of the limited information disclosed herewith, please
treat this as a section 43(2) Exemption.  
  
Complaints  
  
If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been
handled, you can request an internal review by writing within 2 months
from the date of this response to the Information Governance Office:  
  
Information Governance Office  
Northumberland County Council  
County Hall  
Morpeth  
NE61 2EF  
  
Email: [2][Northumberland County Council request email]  
  
Information Commissioner  
  
If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint,
you have a right by Section 50 of the Act to apply to the Information
Commissioner for a decision as to whether your request has been dealt with
in accordance with the requirements of the Act at:  
  
The Information Commissioner's Office  
Wycliffe House  
Water Lane  
Wilmslow  
Cheshire  
SK9 5AF  
  
Tel: 0303 123 1113  
Email: [3][email address]  
  
There is no charge for making an appeal.  
  
Yours faithfully  
  
FOI Coordinator - Central Team  
Information Governance Office  
Northumberland County Council  
County Hall  
Morpeth  
Northumberland  
NE61 2EF  
  
Tel: 0345 600 6400  
Email: [4][Northumberland County Council request email]  
Web: [5]http://www.northumberland.gov.uk 

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. mailto:[Northumberland County Council request email]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[Northumberland County Council request email]
5. http://track.vuelio.uk.com/z.z?l=aHR0cHM...