The extent to which unverified opinion is being used as a basis for making decisions under the H4U scheme
Dear Bradford City Council,
It is our experience that BMDC bases its decisions to ban people who want to host under the Homes for Ukraine scheme from doing so, solely upon the opinion of a former guest or guests. BMDC takes no steps to check the truthfulness of the opinion which leads to the decision to ban, for example by contacting the host in advance to hear their side of the story nor does it provide any opportunity for potential hosts to appeal the ban. The host is instead condemned at a single stroke and prevented from hosting again under the scheme, prevented from helping another Ukrainian fleeing the war - on the view of a former guest, who may be speaking out of spite or any other reason. The Council takes no account of potential motives nor the previous sponsorship arrangements of this former guest (who may have a pattern of upsetting their hosts through unreasonable behaviour or attitudes for example, and then blaming them for a breakdown in arrangements), or indeed the state of mind of the former guest upon whose decision the potential host has been condemned. That this is so has been confirmed through a lengthy complaints process culminating in a letter dated 10th September 2024 from Hiron Miah which confirms that the council feels it is justified in acting in this patently undemocratic and unfair way because doing so is "in accordance with Government guidance". In this letter, Hiron stated that, following a judgement from the ICO, "The Council will regard opinions as such, and going forward, we will ensure that there is a note in our records that the information we hold on this matter may be inaccurate, as suggested by the ICO."
Given that the council has belatedly admitted that it depends upon potentially inaccurate opinions, we would like to know the extent of this practice:
How many potential or former hosts on BMDCs records have been "blacklisted" in this way, ie on the basis of an unverified opinion, and how many records are marked as being based on opinion?
Yours faithfully,
[name removed]
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Dear [name removed]
I refer to your request dated 8^th October 2024 under the Freedom of
Information Act asking to supply the following information:
It is our experience that BMDC bases its decisions to ban people who want
to host under the Homes for Ukraine scheme from doing so, solely upon the
opinion of a former guest or guests. BMDC takes no steps to check the
truthfulness of the opinion which leads to the decision to ban, for
example by contacting the host in advance to hear their side of the story
nor does it provide any opportunity for potential hosts to appeal the ban.
The host is instead condemned at a single stroke and prevented from
hosting again under the scheme, prevented from helping another Ukrainian
fleeing the war - on the view of a former guest, who may be speaking out
of spite or any other reason. The Council takes no account of potential
motives nor the previous sponsorship arrangements of this former guest
(who may have a pattern of upsetting their hosts through unreasonable
behaviour or attitudes for example, and then blaming them for a breakdown
in arrangements), or indeed the state of mind of the former guest upon
whose decision the potential host has been condemned. That this is so has
been confirmed through a lengthy complaints process culminating in a
letter dated 10th September 2024 from Hiron Miah which confirms that the
council feels it is justified in acting in this patently undemocratic and
unfair way because doing so is "in accordance with Government guidance".
In this letter, Hiron stated that, following a judgement from the ICO,
"The Council will regard opinions as such, and going forward, we will
ensure that there is a note in our records that the information we hold on
this matter may be inaccurate, as suggested by the ICO."
Given that the council has belatedly admitted that it depends upon
potentially inaccurate opinions, we would like to know the extent of this
practice:
How many potential or former hosts on BMDCs records have been
"blacklisted" in this way, ie on the basis of an unverified opinion, and
how many records are marked as being based on opinion?
The Council’s response is set out below:
It is our experience that BMDC bases its decisions to ban people who want
to host under the Homes for Ukraine scheme from doing so, solely upon the
opinion of a former guest or guests. BMDC takes no steps to check the
truthfulness of the opinion which leads to the decision to ban, for
example by contacting the host in advance to hear their side of the story
nor does it provide any opportunity for potential hosts to appeal the ban.
The host is instead condemned at a single stroke and prevented from
hosting again under the scheme, prevented from helping another Ukrainian
fleeing the war - on the view of a former guest, who may be speaking out
of spite or any other reason. The Council takes no account of potential
motives nor the previous sponsorship arrangements of this former guest
(who may have a pattern of upsetting their hosts through unreasonable
behaviour or attitudes for example, and then blaming them for a breakdown
in arrangements), or indeed the state of mind of the former guest upon
whose decision the potential host has been condemned. That this is so has
been confirmed through a lengthy complaints process culminating in a
letter dated 10th September 2024 from Hiron Miah which confirms that the
council feels it is justified in acting in this patently undemocratic and
unfair way because doing so is "in accordance with Government guidance".
In this letter, Hiron stated that, following a judgement from the ICO,
"The Council will regard opinions as such, and going forward, we will
ensure that there is a note in our records that the information we hold on
this matter may be inaccurate, as suggested by the ICO."
Given that the council has belatedly admitted that it depends upon
potentially inaccurate opinions, we would like to know the extent of this
practice:
How many potential or former hosts on BMDCs records have been
"blacklisted" in this way, ie on the basis of an unverified opinion, and
how many records are marked as being based on opinion?
Only one case has been identified and marked as potentially containing
opinion.
In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, if you are not
satisfied with the reply to your request, you can ask for a review. A
request for a review must be submitted within 40 working days by emailing
us at [1][Bradford City Council request email] or by writing to Corporate
Information Governance Team, City of Bradford Metropolitan District
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have the right of appeal to the Information Commissioner who can be
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Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113 URL: [2]www.ico.org.uk.
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council is registered with the
Information Commissioners Office (ICO) under the provisions of the Data
Protection Act 2018. The Council takes its responsibilities under the Act
very seriously.
To find out more on how we handle your information, please click on the
following link: [3]https://www.bradford.gov.uk/privacy-notice
Yours sincerely
Simon Welch
Service Coordination Manager
Economy and Development
Britannia House, Hall Ings, Bradford BD1 1HX
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Department of Place
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Dear Service Coordination Team,
Our original FOI request has two questions: "How many potential or former hosts on BMDCs records have been
"blacklisted" in this way, ie on the basis of an unverified opinion, and how many records are marked as being based on opinion?"
In answering "Only one case has been identified and marked as potentially containing opinion."
you have answered only the second question. Please also answer the first.
Yours sincerely,
[name removed] and [name removed]
Dear [name removed]
Thank you for your request dated 11th November 2024 requesting an internal
review to the Councils response to your information request under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please note that it may take up to 20 working days allowed for disclosure
under a review to enable the Council to provide a response.
We aim to respond by 9th December 2024.
If you have any queries regarding your review request, please do not
hesitate to contact the Corporate Information Governance Team at
[Bradford City Council request email] quoting reference no: 17409.
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council is registered with the
Information Commissioners Office (ICO) under the provisions of the Data
Protection Act 2018. The Council takes its responsibilities under the Act
very seriously.
To find out more on how we handle your information, please click on the
following link: https://www.bradford.gov.uk/privacy-notice
Regards
Giles Whistlecraft
Information Governance Officer
Finance, IT & Procurement Service
Telephone Number: 01274 434506
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Department of Corporate Resources
City Hall, Centenary Square, Bradford, BD1 1HY
This email, and any attachments, may contain Protected or Restricted
information and is intended solely for the individual to whom it is
addressed. It may contain sensitive or protectively marked material and
should be handled accordingly. If this email has been misdirected, please
notify the author immediately. If you are not the intended recipient you
must not disclose, distribute, copy, print or rely on any of the
information contained in it or attached, and all copies must be deleted
immediately. Whilst we take reasonable steps to try to identify any
software viruses, any attachments to this email may nevertheless contain
viruses which our anti-virus software has failed to identify. You should
therefore carry out your own anti-virus checks before opening any
documents. Bradford Council will not accept any liability for damage
caused by computer viruses emanating from any attachment or other document
supplied with this email. Emails may be subject to recording and/or
monitoring in accordance with relevant legislation.
Dear [name removed], please find attached a response to your request for
an internal review of a Freedom of Information request
Simon Welch
Service Coordination Manager
Economy and Development
Britannia House, Hall Ings, Bradford BD1 1HX
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Department of Place
A black background with white text Description automatically generated
Bradford district is the UK City of Culture in 2025
#CityOfCulture2025 | #Bradford2025 | [1]bradford2025.co.uk
This email, and any attachments, may contain Protected or Restricted
information and is intended solely for the individual to whom it is
addressed. It may contain sensitive or protectively marked material and
should be handled accordingly. If this email has been misdirected, please
notify the author immediately. If you are not the intended recipient you
must not disclose, distribute, copy, print or rely on any of the
information contained in it or attached, and all copies must be deleted
immediately. Whilst we take reasonable steps to try to identify any
software viruses, any attachments to this email may nevertheless contain
viruses which our anti-virus software has failed to identify. You should
therefore carry out your own anti-virus checks before opening any
documents. Bradford Council will not accept any liability for damage
caused by computer viruses emanating from any attachment or other document
supplied with this email. Emails may be subject to recording and / or
monitoring in accordance with relevant legislation.
References
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