This is surely bad practice.
My response would be:
Either the risk is substantial, in which case look for an official way to
raise the issue - which should include checks and balances, opportunity of
appeal, etc - or the risk is not so substantial, in which case any
authority's normal risk management approach should be sufficient - e.g.
checking references, security around buildings, or whatever.
Sending out a non-specific letter (a) doesn't allow the recipient to assess
the risk for themselves (even if the person is a genuine risk, they may not
be a risk in all circumstances), (b) infringes the individual's rights to
natural justice, and (c) doesn't allow the warning to be checked for
inaccuracy or malicious intent. It is also unlikely to achieve its purpose.
You may remember receiving the letter for a few weeks or months, but a year
down the line the risk may remain but you would not be so likely to identify
it.
If an 'official' way of reporting the risk (such as POCA/POVA) doesn't
exist, that makes the options a bit fuzzier but doesn't change the
underlying problem that the course of action taken is likely to be both
ineffective and unjust. There must be a better way.
Paul Ticher
0116 273 8191
22 Stoughton Drive North, Leicester LE5 5UB
I hereby require any recipient of this message not to use my personal data
for direct marketing purposes.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Rooney" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, July 26, 2007 8:25 AM
Subject: Candidates of concern
Dear All,
Our HR department has received a letter from another Local Authority which
gives personal identification details (names, addresses, n.i. no., d.o.b.)
about an individual and a message to the effect that if this person should
apply for any job whatoever with us we should call the named officer at
this LA. It give no reasons (it could be that they looking for the
individual or perhaps the individual is unsuitable as an employee) or
further details. On enquiring I am led to understand that this type of
letter is not a rare occurrence, that we have other such contacts on file,
and that some departments (childrens and adult social services
particularly) receive quite a number of such "warnings".
The letter was addressed to "all local authorities", I'd be grateful,
therefore, to hear about the approaches that other LAs are taking to
holding these kinds of records and how they justify doing so in DPA terms?
I'm sorry if I have missed this issue being raised previously. The ICs
office have no experience of this practice, I have checked there.
Many thanks.
Peter Rooney
Corporate Information Manager
North Somerset Council
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