Validation of staff identities and number of cases of impersonation
Dear Oxfordshire County Council,
In a discussion today with someone in MASH it was disclosed that it is impossible to confirm the identify of OCC staff members i.e. to confirm that someone claiming to a social worker with an OCC identity card is who they say they are,
I was that that because of Data Protection Act issues it was not possible to confirm someone worked for the council or whether they were legitimately present at a property.
This is outrageous and can you confirm that OCC operate no such system?
On how many occasions in the last 10 years have someone been found too have been impersonating a social worker? If it has occurred what changes were put in place to prevent such actions?
Yours faithfully,
Kenton Bush
Dear Mr Kenton,
Thank you for your request of 29 November 2018 in which you asked for
information about OCC identity systems.
Your request is being considered and Oxfordshire County Council will
respond within 20 working days in compliance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. This means that the council will send a response to
you by 03 January 2019.
There may be a fee payable for this information. You will be informed if
this is the case and you can decide if you wish to proceed with your
request.
If appropriate, the information requested can be made available in
alternative formats, including other languages, Braille, large print, and
audiocassette. If you require any of these formats then please let us
know.
Please contact us if you have any have further enquiries about your
request. We would be grateful if you could quote the reference number
given at the top of this email.
Kind regards
Renata Malinowski
E&E Freedom of Information Support Officer
Joint Commissioning and E&E
Email: [1]E&[email address] and
[2][email address]
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Dear Mr Bush,
Thank you for your request of 29 November 2018 in which you asked for
information about statutory social care complaints and child procedures.
Your request is being considered and Oxfordshire County Council will
respond within 20 working days in compliance with the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. This means that the council will send a response to
you by 03 January 2019.
There may be a fee payable for this information. You will be informed if
this is the case and you can decide if you wish to proceed with your
request.
If appropriate, the information requested can be made available in
alternative formats, including other languages, Braille, large print, and
audiocassette. If you require any of these formats then please let us
know.
Please contact us if you have any have further enquiries about your
request. We would be grateful if you could quote the reference number
given at the top of this email.
Kind regards
Renata Malinowski
E&E Freedom of Information Support Officer
Joint Commissioning and E&E
Email: [1]E&[email address] and
[2][email address]
Save money and paper - do you really need to print this email.
This email, including attachments, may contain confidential information.
If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
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If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. [4]email disclaimer. For information about how
Oxfordshire County Council manages your personal information please see
our [5]Privacy Notice.
References
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2. mailto:[email address]
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Our reference: 14604 FOI
Dear Kenton Bush,
Thank you for your request of 29 November 2018 in which you asked for
information about verifying the identity of Oxfordshire County Council
(OCC) employees.
Your request was as follows:
In a discussion today with someone in MASH it was disclosed that it is
impossible to confirm the identify of OCC staff members i.e. to confirm
that someone claiming to a social worker with an OCC identity card is who
they say they are,
It was that because of Data Protection Act issues it was not possible to
confirm someone worked for the council or whether they were legitimately
present at a property.
This is outrageous and can you confirm that OCC operate no such system?
Answer:
Our Customer Service Centre can confirm whether a name on a Council
identity card is an employee of the Council.
In respect of whether the person holding the card is on legitimate council
business at a specific address and time, this can be confirmed by the
manager of the named employee, once Customer Service Centre has identified
the individual and their role.
I apologise for the inaccurate information given by the MASH team, and
this matter will be addressed with them to avoid any recurrence.
On how many occasions in the last 10 years have someone been found to have
been impersonating a social worker? If it has occurred what changes were
put in place to prevent such actions?
Answer:
No central record is kept of such instances, but we can recall being
alerted to such a risk on 2-3 occasions in the last 10 years. In each
circumstance we refer the matter to the police, if they are not the
referrer, and have alerted all frontline adult and children’s teams.
If a name is used, we alert the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)
which keeps a register of all social workers, and bogus names. All our
social workers are required to be registered with the HCPC as a condition
of employment.
Internal review
If you are dissatisfied with the service or response to your request you
can ask for an internal review as follows:
o Contact the Complaints & Freedom of Information team in Law &
Governance :
[1][Oxfordshire County Council request email]
o Use the online complaints form on our website:
[2]www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/complaints
o Write to the Complaints & Freedom of Information team at the FREEPOST
address:
Complaints and Comments
Oxfordshire County Council
FREEPOST RTLL-ECKS-GLUA
Oxford OX1 1YA
If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint,
you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at:
The Information Commissioner's Office,
Wycliffe House,
Water Lane,
Wilmslow,
Cheshire,
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: [3]www.ico.gov.uk
Please let me know if you have further enquiries. I would be grateful if
you could use the reference number given at the top of this email.
Yours sincerely,
Maria Godfrey
Area Social Care Manager
Locality & Community Support Service
Oxfordshire County Council
Email: [4][email address]
[5]www.oxfordshire.gov.uk
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delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
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This email, including attachments, may contain confidential information.
If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. [7]email disclaimer. For information about how
Oxfordshire County Council manages your personal information please see
our [8]Privacy Notice.
References
Visible links
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2. http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/complaints
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4. mailto:[email address]
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Dear Oxfordshire County Council,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Freedom of Information reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of Oxfordshire County Council's handling of my FOI request 'Validation of staff identities and number of cases of impersonation'.
I am sorry but putting my experience down as a one off mistake isn't good enough.
It is quite obvious that your procedures are simply inadequate.
For instance what happens if a manager is unavailable to confirm a staff members reason for being present at an address.
No thought has been put into your procedures and you just continue to act in your usual irresponsible manner that puts child welfare bottom of your list of priorities.
You are a failing council with absolutely no intention of improving it would seem.
A full history of my FOI request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/v...
Yours faithfully,
Kenton Bush
Dear Mr Kenton,
In accordance with the council's Freedom of Information policy, I will
arrange for an internal review of your request to be undertaken.
The review will be undertaken by Lara Patel, Deputy Director –
Safeguarding, a manager not involved in the original handling of your
request. In line with guidance from the Information Commissioner’s
Office, we will aim to provide a full response within 20 working days
beginning the day following receipt of your complaint. This means you will
receive a response by 31 January 2019.
Kind regards
Renata Malinowski
E&E Freedom of Information Support Officer
Joint Commissioning and E&E
Email: [1]E&[email address] and
[2][email address]
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If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. [4]email disclaimer. For information about how
Oxfordshire County Council manages your personal information please see
our [5]Privacy Notice.
References
Visible links
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2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://webmail.tiscali.co.uk/cp/ps/Mail...
4. http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/emaildiscl...
5. https://www2.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/site...
Dear Mr Kenton,
In accordance with the council's Freedom of Information policy, I will
arrange for an internal review of your request to be undertaken.
The review will be undertaken by Lara Patel, Deputy Director –
Safeguarding, a manager not involved in the original handling of your
request. In line with guidance from the Information Commissioner’s
Office, we will aim to provide a full response within 20 working days
beginning the day following receipt of your complaint. This means you will
receive a response by 31 January 2019.
Kind regards
Renata Malinowski
E&E Freedom of Information Support Officer
Joint Commissioning and E&E
Email: [1]E&[email address] and
[2][email address]
Save money and paper - do you really need to print this email.
This email, including attachments, may contain confidential information.
If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. [3]http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/emaildiscl....
This email, including attachments, may contain confidential information.
If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. [4]email disclaimer. For information about how
Oxfordshire County Council manages your personal information please see
our [5]Privacy Notice.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:E&[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://webmail.tiscali.co.uk/cp/ps/Mail...
4. http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/emaildiscl...
5. https://www2.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/site...
Dear Mr Bush,
In accordance with the council's Freedom of Information policy, I will
arrange for an internal review of your request to be undertaken.
The review will be undertaken by Lara Patel, Deputy Director –
Safeguarding, a manager not involved in the original handling of your
request. In line with guidance from the Information Commissioner’s
Office, we will aim to provide a full response within 20 working days
beginning the day following receipt of your complaint. This means you will
receive a response by 31 January 2019.
Kind regards
Renata Malinowski
E&E Freedom of Information Support Officer
Joint Commissioning and E&E
Email: [1]E&[email address] and
[2][email address]
Save money and paper - do you really need to print this email.
This email, including attachments, may contain confidential information.
If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. [3]http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/emaildiscl....
This email, including attachments, may contain confidential information.
If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. [4]email disclaimer. For information about how
Oxfordshire County Council manages your personal information please see
our [5]Privacy Notice.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:E&[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://webmail.tiscali.co.uk/cp/ps/Mail...
4. http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/emaildiscl...
5. https://www2.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/site...
Dear Mr Bush,
In accordance with the council's Freedom of Information policy, I will
arrange for an internal review of your request to be undertaken.
The review will be undertaken by Lara Patel, Deputy Director –
Safeguarding, a manager not involved in the original handling of your
request. In line with guidance from the Information Commissioner’s
Office, we will aim to provide a full response within 20 working days
beginning the day following receipt of your complaint. This means you will
receive a response by 31 January 2019.
Kind regards
Renata Malinowski
E&E Freedom of Information Support Officer
Joint Commissioning and E&E
Email: [1]E&[email address] and
[2][email address]
Save money and paper - do you really need to print this email.
This email, including attachments, may contain confidential information.
If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. [3]http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/emaildiscl....
This email, including attachments, may contain confidential information.
If you have received it in error, please notify the sender by reply and
delete it immediately. Views expressed by the sender may not be those of
Oxfordshire County Council. Council emails are subject to the Freedom of
Information Act 2000. [4]email disclaimer. For information about how
Oxfordshire County Council manages your personal information please see
our [5]Privacy Notice.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:E&[email address]
2. mailto:[email address]
3. https://webmail.tiscali.co.uk/cp/ps/Mail...
4. http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/emaildiscl...
5. https://www2.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/site...
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