Use of automated decision-making and automated decision support tools
Dear North East Lincolnshire Council,
I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, to make a request for information relating to your organisation’s use of automated decision making and automated decision support tools and systems (ADM tools).
For the purposes of this request, an automated decision is one in which an automated system performs at least part of the decision-making process, including:
- Decision support: where an automated system provides additional information to aid a human decision-maker in their decisions (e.g. a system assesses whether someone poses a risk of housing benefit fraud, and presents that risk score to a decision maker to inform their decision)),
- Streaming or triage: where an automated system determines the type and quality of human judgment involved in a particular case (e.g. a system deems an individual’s application to present a high risk of housing benefit fraud, which means the application is directed to a particular team to review)
- Fully automated: where an automated system takes a decision and action in relation to a person or group without human input (e.g. a system automatically assesses and approves an application)
Automation refers to any form of automation including. but not limited to, data matching, profiling, machine learning or any other tools that use software algorithms to generate outputs.
Examples of ADM usage could include, for example, risk assessments in adult social care or social housing decisions.
Please provide the following:
1. Copies of any inventory that the authority has of tools, artificial intelligence or software algorithms used to assist in decision-making.
2. If not included in the above, the names of any such tools.
3. Where a process contains ADM or is partially supported by automated tools, any Equality Impact Assessments that have been carried out.
4. Where a process contains ADM or is partially supported by automated tools, any Data Protection Impact Assessments that have been carried out.
Yours faithfully,
Caroline Selman
Dear Sir / Madam
I am pleased to acknowledge your request for information, which has been
allocated the reference number NELC/31488/2425.
Your request has been passed to the relevant department and you can expect
your response within the 20 working day limit. If it will take us longer
than 20 working days to respond to you, we will inform you of this and
provide you with the expected date for receiving a response.
Further information about how we will deal with your Freedom of
Information requests is available on our website at:
[1]https://www.nelincs.gov.uk/your-council/...
Please feel free to contact me if you require any further information or
assistance quoting the reference number above.
Yours sincerely
North East Lincolnshire Council
Dear Requester
Thank you for your information request, reference number NELC/31488/2425.
I can confirm that North East Lincolnshire Council holds the following
information
1. Copies of any inventory that the authority has of tools, artificial
intelligence or software algorithms used to assist in decision-making.
North East Lincolnshire Council does not use any automation solutions
2. If not included in the above, the names of any such tools.
North East Lincolnshire Council does not use any automation solutions
3. Where a process contains ADM or is partially supported by automated
tools, any Equality Impact Assessments that have been carried out.
North East Lincolnshire Council does not use any automation solutions
4. Where a process contains ADM or is partially supported by automated
tools, any Data Protection Impact Assessments that have been carried
out.
North East Lincolnshire Council does not use any automation solutions
If you believe that your request for information has not been handled in
accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, you have the right to
request an internal review by the Council. If you wish to request an
internal review, please write to us detailing the reasons why. Please be
clear about which elements of the Council’s response or handling of the
request you are unhappy with and would like the Council to address during
the internal review process. If following this, you are still
dissatisfied you may contact the Office of the Information Commissioner.
Yours sincerely
North East Lincolnshire Council
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