Reference: FOI-638993150
Date of request: 15/08/2024
Title of request: Automated Decision & Support Tools

Dear Caroline Selman,

Thank you for submitting your FOI Request. We confirm receipt of your
request and will be in touch in due course.

If we are unable to provide you with a response within 20 working days, we
will advise you of this. Please refer to the attachment which gives a
summary of your request and explains your right to ask for a review if you
are unhappy with how the Council is dealing with your request.

Yours sincerely

Information Governance

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Reference: FOI-638993150
Date of request: 15/08/2024
Title of request: Automated Decision & Support Tools
Information 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. 

Dear Caroline Selman,

Request for Information

Thank you for your request for information dated 15 Aug 2024 (received by
the Council that same date) which has been passed to me for attention.

You have requested the following information:

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. 

We do not run any systems that perform automated decision making as per
the descriptions above.

In compiling responses to information requests we invariably use
information which is routinely published on the [1]Council's website
(opens in a new window) or through its [2]Publication Scheme (opens in a
new window). If you require further information please first check that
the information you want is not routinely published as any such
information is exempt from release in terms of Section 25 of the Freedom
of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 or Regulation 6(1)(b) of the
Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

Please note that the information contained in this reply is believed to be
accurate as at today's date (unless otherwise indicated) but no warranty
is given. Further, Angus Council does not accept liability for any loss,
injury or damage which arises from the use of the information contained in
this reply either by you or by any other party. Please refer to the
request summary document sent to you as part of your request
acknowledgement which explains your right to ask for a review if you are
unhappy with the Council's decision on this matter.

If you have any queries, please contact [email address].

Yours sincerely

Steve Leslie

Manager - Innovation & Development

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) ACT 2002

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2004

INSPIRE (SCOTLAND) REGULATIONS 2009

Your Right to Request a Review by the Council

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which Angus Council has dealt with
your request for information under any of the above legislation, you have
a right to ask the council to review its actions and/or decisions
regarding your request. If you wish to do this, you should make your
request to the Service Leader - Legal, Angus Council, Angus House, Sylvie
Way, Orchardbank Business Park, Forfar DD8 1AN or email
[3][email address] within 40 working days.

Your request must:

• be in writing (or recordable format),
• give your name and address for correspondence,
• give details of the information which you originally requested from
the council, and
• give the reasons why you are dissatisfied with the way in which your
application for information has been dealt with.

Your application for review will then be considered by the council's
review panel. The review panel will write to inform you of its decision
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The review panel will also provide you with a statement of its reasons for
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Your Right to Appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner

If you are dissatisfied with a decision of the council's review panel (or
where the review panel has not provided you with a response), you have the
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in accordance with the above statutory instruments.

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• be in a recordable format (letter, e-mail, audio tape etc),
• give your name and address for correspondence,
• give details of the request for information which you originally
requested from the council,
• give details of why you were dissatisfied with the council’s response
to your original request,
• give details of why you were dissatisfied with the decision of the
council's review panel.

In the case of an EIR or FOI request your application to the Scottish
Information Commissioner must be made within 6 months of receipt of the
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that the review panel should have responded). No such time limit applies
under the 2009 Regulations.

Appeals to the Commissioner can be lodged online through the following
hyperlink:

[4]http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourR...
or by contacting:

Scottish Information Commissioner, Kinburn Castle, Doubledykes Road, St
Andrews, Fife, KY16 9BS; Telephone - 01334 464610; Fax - 01334 464611;
Email -[5][email address]

This message is strictly confidential. If you have received this in error,
please inform the sender and remove it from your system. If received in
error you may not copy, print, forward or use it or any attachment in any
way. This message is not capable of creating a legal contract or a binding
representation and does not represent the views of Angus Council. Emails
may be monitored for security and network management reasons. Messages
containing inappropriate content may be intercepted. Angus Council does
not accept any liability for any harm that may be caused to the recipient
system or data on it by this message or any attachment.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this communication from the sender is
confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others
authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby
notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in
relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and
may be unlawful.

This email has been scanned for viruses and malware, and may have been
automatically archived by Mimecast, a leader in email security and cyber
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capabilities. Mimecast helps protect large and small organizations from
malicious activity, human error and technology failure; and to lead the
movement toward building a more resilient world. To find out more, visit
our website.

References

Visible links
1. Council's website
https://www.angus.gov.uk/
2. Publication Scheme
https://www.angus.gov.uk/council_and_dem...
3. [email address]
mailto:[email address]
4. http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourR...
5. [email address]
mailto:[email address]