Information request about access to PHSO services for individuals with disabilities
I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request dated 19 March 2015. I have responded to your questions below.
1. A summary of the training the Data Protection and Freedom of Information officers have in the field of occupational therapy, so that they are better able to understand the meaning and needs of your disabled customers.
Freedom of Information and Data Protection Officers are not trained in the field of occupational therapy. As with all Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) staff we are required to attend an equality and diversity induction session when joining PHSO. We also have online learning resources such as iLearning modules to better our understanding of diversity and inclusion.
You may be interested to know PHSO has adopted the Social Model of Disability and throughout 2015 we will be looking to embed the model across the business and provide bite size training to staff. Please find attached a copy of the brief guidance for PHSO staff entitled 'Introduction to the Social and Medical Models of Disability' which may be of some interest to you.
Where an individual has difficulties with speech, hearing or has any special requirements to communicate with us we will make adjustments if we can. For example we will use simple language or communicate using a signed video. More details can be found on our contact us page.
Where an individual is unable to submit an information request in writing (a requirement under both the Data Protection Act 1998 and Freedom of Information Act 2000) we will make adjustments such as accepting their request in person or by telephone.
We also aim to meet an individual's needs where we can in providing information, for example we will use a translation and interpreting service or SignVideo for customers who first language is not English, or we will arrange information to be provided in alternative formats such as audio CD, easy-read, DAISY and braille.
2. Copies of feedback surveys from disabled customers who are not understood by the Data Protection and Freedom of Information officers.
I am sorry we do not hold any recorded information for this part of your request.
3. What outreach programs do the Data Protection and Freedom of Information departments have for disabled customers who might need to know how to access medical services, but are not able to do so?
We do not have an outreach program.
4. Please send me the summary statistics over the last five years showing on a monthly basis how many customers have:
a) requested feedback surveys,
b) been sent feedback surveys, and
c) returned feedback surveys.
1) Data Protection, and
2) Freedom of Information services.
We do not hold the information you have requested. This is because an independent research company carries our customer feedback surveys on behalf of us. These surveys are conducted by telephone and the customers are randomly selected, as a result we would not invite someone to complete the survey because they asked.
In relation to question 4(b) we do not record instances where a customer has specifically requested a feedback survey.
Please find attached a copy of our most recent Customer Feedback Survey Summary 2013/14 which may be of some interest to you. If you would like to read the summaries for past surveys please click on the links:
5. How many of the returned feedback surveys have not been properly completed, and of those not-properly-completed surveys, how many are due to disability?
Please see our response for question 4.
6. Overall, how does the PHSO measure disabled access to its services, and how does it differentiate between the needs of a disabled person versus the needs of a non-disabled person?
The access to our services is the same for all our customers, however on our customer complaints form we will ask individuals to let us know of any adjustments we need to make for them.
7. Over the last five years, how many times has an occupational therapist been employed to work out the reasonable adjustments required for a disabled customer to access:
None.
8. How successful has the use of occupational therapists been in measuring the correct adjustments required?
Please see our response for question 7.
9. Please provide me with the name and contact details of the PHSO's Equalities Officer.
Our current Diversity and Inclusion Manager is Elanor McCombe, however as of 1 May 2015 the responsibility of diversity and inclusion will move our HR business partners. Details for contacting our staff about general enquiries can be found on our website.
I hope the information is helpful.
FOI/DP Officer
Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman