FI15950
Request
Contractual Arrangements
Please provide:
1. A copy of any current contracts, SLAs (Service Level Agreements), or MOUs (Memorandums of Understanding) between Dover District Council and Paramount Independent Property Services LLP.
2. The total amount paid to Paramount for housing provision in each of the past three financial years.
3. Any documentation outlining performance expectations or contractual penalties for misconduct, poor service, or tenant mistreatment.
Complaints and Relocations
Please provide:
4. The number of complaints received (formal or informal) by the council since January 2022 regarding Paramount’s management of emergency or temporary accommodation.
5. The number of residents who were relocated from Paramount properties following or shortly after submitting a complaint.
6. Any internal communications, emails, or meeting minutes discussing resident relocations after complaints were made (redacted if necessary).
Safeguarding and Vulnerability Assessments
Please confirm:
7. Whether the council has conducted any safeguarding assessments or investigations related to Paramount accommodation since January 2022.
8. Whether any safeguarding concerns or adult protection alerts have been raised by or about residents housed by Paramount.
Please provide:
9. Copies of any monitoring reports, audits, or reviews the council has conducted on Paramount’s provision of accommodation between January 2022 and the present.
10. Details of how the council tracks whether placements into inferior accommodation are based on need, behaviour, or complaint history.
Equality and Human Rights Considerations
Please provide the following:
11. Copies of any Equality Impact Assessments (EqIAs) carried out in relation to:
- The awarding of contracts to Paramount Independent Property Services LLP;
- The ongoing use of Paramount accommodation for vulnerable or disabled individuals;
- Any policy or internal practice relating to the relocation or management of residents following the submission of complaints or safeguarding concerns.
12. Any internal or external Human Rights impact assessments or legal advice received by the council regarding:
- The compatibility of Paramount’s accommodation practices with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), particularly regarding the right to private and family life;
- The treatment of vulnerable adults under the council’s contractual arrangements with third-party accommodation providers.
13. Confirmation of whether the council considers its relationship with Paramount to fall within the scope of its obligations under:
- Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (Public Sector Equality Duty);
- Section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 (Acts of public authorities);
If so, please provide any associated monitoring or review documents.
If any of the information is held by a third party or a contractor, please confirm this and provide contact details where appropriate.
Response
1. The Council does not hold this information as there is no formal arrangement in place with Paramount.
2. This information is available on the Council’s website as part of the payment to suppliers data at https://www.dover.gov.uk/Corporate-Information/Financial-Information/Payments-to-Suppliers/Payments-to-Suppliers.aspx.
3. The Council does not hold this information.
4. Although the Council may hold this information, the Council does not record complaints in a way to easily identify this information. As it is not readily available and from our preliminary assessment, we have estimated that the cost of complying with your request would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ as a search of every complaint would need to be undertaken to see if it related to a temporary/emergency accommodation matter and then check whether the property is one owned by Paramount. The appropriate limit has been specified in regulations and for Local Government it is set at £450. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 2½ working days in determining whether the information is held, locating, retrieving and extracting the data. I regret therefore, that on this occasion I must refuse this part of your request in accordance with Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act.
5. Although the Council may hold this information, the Council does not record complaints in a way to easily identify this information. As it is not readily available and from our preliminary assessment, we have estimated that the cost of complying with your request would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ as a search of every complaint would need to be undertaken to see if it related to a temporary/emergency accommodation matter, then check whether the property is one owned by Paramount and then identify those who were relocated. The appropriate limit has been specified in regulations and for Local Government it is set at £450. This represents the estimated cost of one person spending 2½ working days in determining whether the information is held, locating, retrieving and extracting the data. I regret therefore, that on this occasion I must refuse this part of your request in accordance with Section 12(1) of the Freedom of Information Act.
6. The Council does not hold this information.
7. No.
8. None by Dover District Council.
9. The Council does not hold this information.
10. The Council would not knowingly place households into inferior accommodation.
11. The Council does not hold this information.
12. The Council does not hold this information.
13. The arrangement we have with Paramount is to spot purchase nightly paid accommodation. We place into accommodation we assess to be suitable to meet the needs of the household.