Freedom of information response

1. The name of each Monitoring Officer for the Authority since 1.1.2019. Kindly also provide the dates they were in post and any other roles they held within the Authority (before, during and after).

This information is publicly available through published reports, please see link below, using the search term 'Monitoring Officer'.

Committee details.

2. The name of each Deputy Monitoring Officer for the Authority since 1.1.2019. Kindly also provide the dates they were in post and any other roles they held within the Authority (before, during and after).

We are unable to provide this information under S40.

3. Please provide the date of every report made by the Monitoring Officer under Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

There have been no Section 5 reports which have been published in recent years

4. Please provide a copy of each report made by the Monitoring Officer under Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

Not applicable.

5. The name of each Director of Children’s Services for the Authority since 1.1.2019. Kindly also provide the dates they were in post and any other roles they held within the Authority (before, during and after).

This information is publicly available through published reports, please see link below, searching: Appointment of director of children's services.

Committee details

6. The name of each Lead Member for Children’s Services for the Authority since 1.1.2019. Kindly also provide the dates they were in post and any other roles they held within the Authority (before, during and after).

We are unable to provide this information under S40.

Section 40 exemption

Unfortunately we are unable to provide in full the information you have requested for questions 2 and 6. We do hold the information but an absolute exemption applies. Personal Information (Section 40,2)

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.

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: thurrock.gov.uk/chief-executive-directors-and-services