Freedom of information response
Expenditure related to software in your Children's Services Department.
Does your Local Authority have the following departments?:
1. Adult Social Care Commissioning
2. Childrens Social Care Commissioning
If so, please can you provide the contact details for the person who would make decisions about subscribing to software.
Details on the monthly costs associated with different types of software utilised in Children's Services. Please provide information on the following for the period 01.01.23 to present:
1. The names and types of software applications or systems used in Children's Services.
2. The monthly cost for each software application or system.
If possible, please categorise the costs and provide any additional relevant details regarding the functionalities and features covered by each software.
Please can you also provide information about what would be the preferred charging structure when supplying software to your local authority, specifically around:
1. Is it better to pay annually or monthly?
2. What’s the preferred method of payment?
- Adult Social Care Commissioning
Yes
- Childrens Social Care Commissioning
Yes
If so, please can you provide the contact details for the person who would make decisions about subscribing to software.
Personal data of any other person (third party data) is exempt under section 40(2) if disclosure would breach one of the data protection principles. This aspect of Section 40 is an Absolute Exemption and is therefore not subject to the Public Interest Test.
Details on the monthly costs associated with different types of software utilised in Children's Services. Please provide information on the following for the period 01.01.23 to present:
- The names and types of software applications or systems used in Children's Services.
ContrOCC supplied by Oxford Computer Consultants (finance) and Liquid logic Childrens System (LCS) systems where service lines are commissioned (integrated with finance system).
- The monthly cost for each software application or system.
We would not provide this level of information due to it being commercial sensitive. Please however do refer to our published contracts information: Current contracts | Our contracts | Thurrock Council
In issuing our response the Council has applied S21 of the Freedom of Information Act. This means that the information you have requested is already available elsewhere so is therefore exempt from disclosure.
Unfortunately we are unable to provide in full the information you have requested. We do hold the information but an absolute exemption applies. Personal Information (Section 40,2)
The names of officers working for the Council is personal data specific to them. It is therefore subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act. Information can be withheld if its disclosure would be likely to breach one or more of the Principles of the Data Protection Act. There is no prior expectation on the part of team Managers (or other officers working below the level of Director) that their names and job titles / positions would be published into the wider public domain under FOI. A disclosure made under FOI constitutes a publication to the world at large. We believe that to disclose this would be likely to breach the first Principle of the Data Protection Act by unfairly contravening their right to privacy and confidentiality in the work place.
However, in the interests of transparency we are able to share details relating to senior officers (Director level and above). For these officers, there is already a greater expectation of openness about their role given their level of accountability for service provision and budgetary decision making.
For your information please see the following link which outlines staff details of Director and above: https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/chief-executive-directors-and-services