Today I found out something truly shocking. Barnet Council have been less than honest with me in a response to an FoI request I sent in. What is more I can prove it. Today Mrs Angry posted an excellent blog detailing responses to FoI's she'd sent Barnet Council in this excellent blog -
http://wwwbrokenbarnet.blogspot.com/2011/09/straightforward-and-open-as-possible.html
The key section I have repeated is here (between the two broken lines). Read this very carefully. This is an email sent to Mrs Angry in response to an FoI request.
----------------------------
Again, as late as 28th March, someone has thought to query the extent of close contact that MetPro staff had with children. The response came:
So there you have it. Metpro stated that a Barnet Council employee had acted as a reference. It couldn't be more plain or clear. This email was dated 28th March. On Friday 1st July, I received this response to an FoI request . I have redacted the officers name
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So tell me this. Barnet Council told me that no references had been given, yet they knew that Metpro had claimed a reference had been given and senior Barnet Council employees had raised the matter at a high level. When giving legal responses, the law requires, you tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. There is no way any reasonable person can say Barnet Council fulfilled their obligations to me in their response. They knew that there was a "hot issue" regarding references for this company. They deliberately chose to mislead me with their answer. Any reasonable person reading the response from Barnet Council would say that "they were unaware of any references supplied for Metpro". Any reasonable person reading Mrs Angry's blog would say that it is patently obvious that when Barnet Council responded to me, they damn well knew that their own staff were aware of an issue with Metpro and references from Barnet Council. To me that is clearly misleading. What are they trying to hide? It couldn't be more clear that there is an issue with references, could it?
Today I read that one of my fellow bloggers, Mr Mustard had an FoI request refused on the grounds that it was "vexatious" (whatever that means). It is clear from Mrs Angry's blog that Barnet Council are not being completely frank with their responses. It is clear from the email they sent me, they are deliberately misleading people who ask awkward questions.
What price trust in Barnet Council now?
http://wwwbrokenbarnet.blogspot.com/2011/09/straightforward-and-open-as-possible.html
The key section I have repeated is here (between the two broken lines). Read this very carefully. This is an email sent to Mrs Angry in response to an FoI request.
----------------------------
Again, as late as 28th March, someone has thought to query the extent of close contact that MetPro staff had with children. The response came:
From: [Redacted – s40(2) FOIA]
Sent: 28 March 2011 22:24
To: [Redacted – s40(2) FOIA]
Subject: RE: MetPro security
Importance: High
Hello [Redacted – s40(2) FOIA]
I was unaware that MetPro had put me on their materials as a reference and would certainly
not have agreed to this if I had been asked.
The section below surprised me - I am not aware that anyone in Children's Service was
involving MetPro in 'developing a future operational model for the enforcement of the
council's duty of care for looking after children.' Whilst working as Contact Team Manager I
was aware that MetPro wanted to develop their role, but not that Children's Service had
expressed interest in them doing so.
(note from Mrs Angry - there follows the MetPro claim from their pdf document):
"In the near future, we will
have officers being
specially trained to work
closely with children and
social workers in a plain
clothes role. They will play
an instrumental part in
developing a future
operational model for the enforcement of the
council’s duty of care for looking after children"
continues
As stated when we spoke on the phone, my knowledge of MetPro was limited to their role in
providing security for high-risk contact arrangements for children in care. It may be that they
had a role with other Children's Services' work - if you want to find out I suggest you contact
[Redacted – s40(2) FOIA], the Service Manager for children in care teams, or [Redacted –
s40(2) FOIA], Head of Care for children's social care.
[Redacted – s40(2) FOIA]
---------------------------------------------------------------So there you have it. Metpro stated that a Barnet Council employee had acted as a reference. It couldn't be more plain or clear. This email was dated 28th March. On Friday 1st July, I received this response to an FoI request . I have redacted the officers name
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, July 01, 2011 9:06 AM
Subject: Response to your request ("Metpro group of Companies")
Dear Mr Tichborne,
I write in response to your request, received by us on 3 June 2011, for:
“…a copy of all references given for any company in the Metpro group (ie Metpro rapid response Ltd, etc) from Barnet Council to any third party”
We have processed this request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Response
After searching the council’s records I confirm we do not hold any information falling within your request.
Your rights
If you are unhappy with the handling of your request you can ask for an internal review. Please send such requests to our postal address or to foi@barnet.gov.uk and address them to the “FOI Officer”. Please also explain why you feel we have not correctly processed your request.
If, having exhausted our review procedure, you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint, you will have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF (telephone: 08456 306060 or 01625 545745; website www.ico.gov.uk). There is no charge for making an appeal.
Yours sincerely,
N**** T****
Governance Officer
Governance Officer
Corporate Governance Directorate
London Borough of Barnet, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, London N11 1NP
Tel: 020 8359 7****
Barnet Online: www.barnet.gov.uk
P please consider the environment - do you really need to print this email?
London Borough of Barnet, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, London N11 1NP
Tel: 020 8359 7****
Barnet Online: www.barnet.gov.uk
P please consider the environment - do you really need to print this email?
From: T***, N****
Sent: 07 June 2011 13:28
To: Roger Tichborne
Sent: 07 June 2011 13:28
To: Roger Tichborne
Subject: Acknowledgement of your request ("Metpro group of Companies")
Dear Mr Tichborne,
Thank you for your request, received by us on 3 June 2011, for:
“…a copy of all references given for any company in the Metpro group (ie Metpro rapid response Ltd, etc) from Barnet Council to any third party”
We are processing this request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Under the Act we must respond promptly and in any event within 20 working days from the date we received your request.
Please note the Act defines a limited set of exemptions from the right to know. If we decide not to release any information we shall explain why, which exemption we are relying on and how you can appeal.
Yours sincerely,
N**l T**u
Governance Officer
Governance Officer
Corporate Governance Directorate
London Borough of Barnet, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, London N11 1NP
Tel: 020 8359 7***
Barnet Online: www.barnet.gov.uk
P please consider the environment - do you really need to print this email?
London Borough of Barnet, North London Business Park, Oakleigh Road South, London N11 1NP
Tel: 020 8359 7***
Barnet Online: www.barnet.gov.uk
P please consider the environment - do you really need to print this email?
From: Roger Tichborne
Sent: 03 June 2011 07:39
To: Freedom of Information Act
Cc: Walkley, Nick; Burgess, John (Unison); Moore, Cllr Alison Labour; Harper, Cllr Andrew Conservative; Cohen, Cllr Jack Liberal Democrat; Palmer, Cllr Monroe Liberal Democrat
Subject: FOI Request : Metpro group of Companies
Sent: 03 June 2011 07:39
To: Freedom of Information Act
Cc: Walkley, Nick; Burgess, John (Unison); Moore, Cllr Alison Labour; Harper, Cllr Andrew Conservative; Cohen, Cllr Jack Liberal Democrat; Palmer, Cllr Monroe Liberal Democrat
Subject: FOI Request : Metpro group of Companies
Dear Freedom of Information
Please can you provide a copy of all references given for any company in the Metpro group (ie Metpro rapid response Ltd, etc) from Barnet Council to any third party, ie company, local authority, educational establishment.
I have been informed of several organisations which took up references from Barnet Council prior to engaging Metpro companies. It concerns me that Barnet may have given references without undertaking checks on these companies.
Regards
Roger Tichborne
So tell me this. Barnet Council told me that no references had been given, yet they knew that Metpro had claimed a reference had been given and senior Barnet Council employees had raised the matter at a high level. When giving legal responses, the law requires, you tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. There is no way any reasonable person can say Barnet Council fulfilled their obligations to me in their response. They knew that there was a "hot issue" regarding references for this company. They deliberately chose to mislead me with their answer. Any reasonable person reading the response from Barnet Council would say that "they were unaware of any references supplied for Metpro". Any reasonable person reading Mrs Angry's blog would say that it is patently obvious that when Barnet Council responded to me, they damn well knew that their own staff were aware of an issue with Metpro and references from Barnet Council. To me that is clearly misleading. What are they trying to hide? It couldn't be more clear that there is an issue with references, could it?
Today I read that one of my fellow bloggers, Mr Mustard had an FoI request refused on the grounds that it was "vexatious" (whatever that means). It is clear from Mrs Angry's blog that Barnet Council are not being completely frank with their responses. It is clear from the email they sent me, they are deliberately misleading people who ask awkward questions.
What price trust in Barnet Council now?
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