188 07 23 – Complaints Received 2017-2023 (July 2023)

Date of Request

July 23

Request

Dear FOI office,

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following details.

For each of the financial years 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 to date:

  1. How many complaints have your Fire and Rescue Service received?
    1. Please can this be broken down by who has made the complaint, including by members of the public and by members of your staff.
    1. Please can this be broken down by who/what the complaint has been made against, including against members of your staff.
    1. Please can this be broken down by the type of complaint, including sexual harassment/assault.
    1. Please can you outline the outcome of the complaint, including whether there was an investigation, whether misconduct by your staff was found, and whether a member of your staff was dismissed.

I would like this information in Word or Excel format. If some of the information is already published, please can you direct me to it.

Please can you let me when you have received my request. I look forward to your response within 20 working days.

Thanks and best,

Response

Dear X

Thank you for your request for information which has been received by Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (the Service) and considered under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000.

A summary of complaints received is reported to the Authority’s Audit & Standards Committee on an annual basis, usually at the April meeting and published on the Authority’s website here. The most recent report can be found here. We therefore believe that the information you have requested is reasonably available to you by other means and your request has therefore been refused in accordance with s.21 Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Should you have any queries regarding the management of your request and wish to make either a complaint or request a review of the information disclosed to you, please do so by using Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service’s complaints system: Comments and Complaints. This must be done within 40 working days of our response to your request. After this date and in line with ICO guidance the Service is not obliged to provide an internal review of your request.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the internal review, you may appeal the decision by contacting the Information Commissioner, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF, Tel: 0303 123 1113 (alternatively 01625 545745) or E-mail: casework@ico.org.uk

Further information on Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service may be viewed at the Service’s website: www.hwfire.org.uk

Thank you for your request for information.

Kind regards

Information Governance Team