Dear Mr Figueira,

Thank you for your request asking for information that we hold as follows. We are sincerely sorry for the delay in response, we had thought this had already been sent to you – please see our responses below in blue:

Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I request disclosure of the following information regarding staffing levels and FOI processing from January 2024 – March 2025:

  1. Staff Numbers & Absences

For each month from January 2024 – March 2025, please provide:

  • The total number of staff employed by Barnet Homes, including permanent, temporary, and agency staff.
  • A breakdown of staff numbers within the following teams:
    • Complaints & FOI Processing – 3 full time staff – please see attached
    • Housing Allocations 111 – please see attached
    • Repairs & Maintenance 71 – please see attached
    • Customer Service 23 – please see attached
  • The number of staff on leave or absent each month, including a breakdown of reasons (e.g., sickness, maternity, unfilled vacancies).

 

Refusal notice – S40(2) identification of employees

I can confirm that Barnet Homes holds the information you have requested. However, we believe that the exemption detailed below applies to the information you requested and so we are withholding that information.

 

Providing the sickness and maternity data on a monthly basis, per team as requested, could identify individuals and therefore by virtue of section 40 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) we are withholding this data. Disclosure of this information to the public generally, in the Barnet Homes’ view, would not be consistent with the data protection principle found in Article 5.1(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) lawfully, transparently and fairly. We have considered whether disclosure is lawful and fair and whilst it may be lawful under Article 6.1(f) GDPR (legitimate interests) it would not be fair to the individuals concerned who would not expect their sickness or maternity status to be disclosed as part of such a request.

 

This is an absolute exemption and is not subject to the Public Interest Test.

 

  1. FOI Processing & Delays
  • The total number of FOI requests received each month from January 2024 – March 2025. 305
  • The number of FOI requests completed within the 20-working-day timeframe. 259
  • The number of FOI responses that exceeded the statutory deadline, including reasons provided for the delay. 46
  • Copies of internal communications discussing FOI processing delays (e.g., emails or meeting notes where staff shortages were cited as a reason). Barnet Homes does not hold this information
  • Copies of internal guidance or policies related to FOI request handling and staff workload management.  Barnet Homes does not hold this information
  1. Alternative Justifications for FOI Delays
  • Any records of technical issues, system failures, or operational disruptions cited as reasons for not publishing FOI responses since April 2024. Barnet Homes does not hold this information
  • Any plans, policies, or measures taken to mitigate these delays and when publication is expected to resume. Publication has resumed and approximately half of the backlog has been published, we expect this to be complete within the next 3 months

Your Rights

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been handled, you can request a review by emailing Barnet Homes and marking it as an appeal for the attention of the Data Controller. There is no charge for making an appeal.

After this, if you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint, you have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner:

Kind regards,

 

Complaints and Information Team