Use of automated decision-making and automated decision support tools
Dear Croydon Borough 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
Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA
Contact: Information Team
[email address]
Dear Caroline Selman
Request FOI/10470
Further to your request received on 15/08/2024, I confirm that the Council
has now considered your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to your request.
Specifically, 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.
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."
We are not using any ADM tools.
The Council publishes Access to Information requests and responses on its
online Disclosure Log. (Any request included within this log will be
anonymised appropriately)
To view the Council’s Disclosure Log, please visit our website available
here:
[1]The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act | Croydon Council
(disclosure-log.co.uk)
If you are dissatisfied with the way the Council has handled your request
under the Freedom of Information Act, you may ask for an internal review.
This should be submitted to us within 40 working days of this response.
You can do this by outlining the details of your complaint by:
Email: [2][email address]
Writing: Information Team
London Borough of Croydon
Bernard Weatherill House
Floor 7 - Zone B
8 Mint Walk
Croydon, CR0 1EA
Any requests received after the 40 working day time limit will be
considered only at the discretion of the council.
If you are not content with the outcome 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:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Yours sincerely,
Information Team
Croydon Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House,
Mint Walk,
Croydon,
CR0 1EA
[3][email address]
[4][email address]
References
Visible links
1. https://croydon.disclosure-log.co.uk/
2. mailto:[email address]
3. mailto:[email address]
4. mailto:[email address]
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