Use of automated decision-making and automated decision support tools

Caroline Selman made this Freedom of Information request to North West Leicestershire District Council as part of a batch sent to 381 authorities Automatic anti-spam measures are in place for this older request. Please let us know if a further response is expected or if you are having trouble responding.

North West Leicestershire District Council did not have the information requested.

Dear North West Leicestershire District 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

North West Leicestershire District Council

Dear Caroline Selman,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST IG002074

Thank you for your request for information about:

Automated decision making

Your request was received on 15/08/2024 and is being handled under the
terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  You may expect a response
within 20 working days.

Yours sincerely

Information Governance Team

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

NWLDC
Council Office
Whitwick Road
Coalville
Leicestershire
LE67 3FJ
01530 454545
[North West Leicestershire District Council request email]

[1]Cyber Essentials CompliantYou can report, request and pay for things
online at [2]www.nwleics.gov.uk

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North West Leicestershire District Council

Dear Caroline Selman,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST IG002074
I write further to your email dated 15/08/2024.

Your request has been dealt with under the terms of the Freedom of
Information Act 2000 (FOIA), explained on our [1]freedom of information
page.

Your request:

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.

Our response:

1. Copies of any inventory that the authority has of tools, artificial
intelligence or software algorithms used to assist in decision-making. N/A

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. N/A

4. Where a process contains ADM or is partially supported by automated
tools, any Data Protection Impact Assessments that have been carried out.
N/A

The supply of information in response to a freedom of information request
does not confer the right to re-use the information. UK copyright law
allows information supplied for the purposes of private study and
non-commercial research to be used without permission. Information
supplied can also be re-used for the purposes of news reporting except for
in the case of photographs.

GOING FORWARD

If you are dissatisfied with the information supplied please feel free to
contact me on the number above for any queries in relation to this
response. Please note that in responding to further enquiries I can only
comment on the information contained within this correspondence and cannot
provide any further information that may pertain to an additional FOIA
request.

If you remain dissatisfied following the conclusion of the above informal
review, you have the right to ask for an internal review. A request for a
review whether formal or informal should be submitted within two calendar
months of the date of receipt of the response to your original letter and
should be sent to [2][email address] or the address above.

Please remember to quote the Authority’s eight digit reference number
given at the top of this email in any future communications.

Further details on our appeals and complaints procedure can be found on
our website [3]here.

If you remain dissatisfied following the conclusion of the internal
review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information
Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted
at [4][email address].

Yours sincerely 

Information Governance Team

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

NWLDC
Council Office
Whitwick Road
Coalville
Leicestershire
LE67 3FJ
01530 454545
[North West Leicestershire District Council request email]

[5]Cyber Essentials CompliantYou can report, request and pay for things
online at [6]www.nwleics.gov.uk

 [7]ShawTrust Accessible

------- Email confidentiality notice -------

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are
addressed. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the
originator of the message. This footer also confirms that this e-mail
message has been scanned for the presence of computer viruses.

Please note: Incoming and outgoing e-mail messages are routinely monitored
for compliance with North West Leicestershire District Council's policy on
the use of electronic communications. Any personal data that you provide
will be processed in accordance with current data protection laws. It will
be used by North West Leicestershire District Council and our partners to
deliver and improve services and fulfil our legal duties. We will not
disclose any personal information to anyone else unless required or
allowed to do so by law. Read more about how we use personal data in our
Privacy Notice on our website:
[8]https://www.nwleics.gov.uk/pages/website...

[9]Achieve Forms Footer Banner

References

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4. mailto:[email address]
6. http://www.nwleics.gov.uk/
7. https://www.accessibility-services.co.uk...
8. https://www.nwleics.gov.uk/pages/website...
9. https://nwleics-self.achieveservice.com/