The Disclosure Log details each Freedom of Information (FOI) request we have processed, including when it was received, what it concerned and our response to it.

FOI Requests from 11 November 2019

Request No.

Request

Request Date

Resolution

 001

1. All information held by the Association relating to an investigation into an alleged breach of the Code of Conduct for Governing Body Members;

2. The total amount paid to Henderson Loggie for carrying out their investigation and preparing their report;

3. A copy of the Grampian Housing Association Staff Code of Conduct and the date this was last approved by the Board of Management and confirmation that this had been received and signed by all members of staff in the employment of the Association on Wednesday 24 July 2019.   

21 November 2019

Partial Release of Information

Exemptions applied to the information requested under Sections 38(1)(a), 38(1)(b), 36(1) and 17 of the Act.

Information disclosed is available on request.

002

1. A full and unredacted copy of the draft and final report from Henderson Loggie (requestor confirmed they were content for their information contained in the report to be disclosed under the Act);

2. All copies of correspondence relating to the handling of the requestor's complaint;

3. Full disclosure of the method of appointing and servicing of the sub-committee of the Board of Management set up to oversee the requestor's complaint, together with its membership.

2 January 2020

Partial Release of Information

Exemptions applied to the information requested under Sections 38(1)(a), 38(1)(b), 36(1) of the Act. 

Information disclosed is available on request.

003

1      An unredacted copy of the report into the complaint;

2      To be advised of the total cost of the investigation;

3      To be advised of the total amount paid for legal advice for the alleged breach of the code of conduct; and for the legal advice received in connection with the complaint;

4      To be advised of the total expenditure by the Association in carrying out the investigation into an alleged breach of the code of conduct, in whatsoever way that expenditure was incurred; and

5      To be advised of the total expenditure by the Association in carrying out the investigation into the complaint, in whatsoever way that expenditure was incurred.

7 February 2020

Partial Release of Information

Exemptions applied to the information requested under Sections 38(1)(a), 38(1)(b), 30(b)(1), 33(1)(b), 36(1), 25(1), 17(1)(b) of the Act.

Information disclosed is available on request.

004 1. Records of inspection for the communal property including road/footway at Market Stance, Aberdeen; 

2. Maintenance records including records of independent contractors working in Market Stance, Aberdeen; 
 
3. Records of complaints about the state of the communal areas, roads and footway at Market Stance; 
 
4. Records of other accidents which have occurred within the communal areas or on the stretch of road/footway at Market Stance; 
 
5. Date stamp/electronic audit trail showing the date each record of inspection was created; and 
 
6. Records showing any complaint(s) or defect(s) in the area of Market Stance, Aberdeen, which were forwarded on to or shared with Aberdeen City Council.
12 February 2020 Request refused under Section 39(2) of FOISA - request treated as a request for environmental information under the EIRs.
005 How many staff at Grampian have a private parking space in the secure underground car park at Stevenson Court? 19 February 2020 Full release of information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
 
Information disclosed is available on request.
006 1. The number of properties under the factoring service of Grampian Housing Association on Morrison Drive, Aberdeen.  Additionally, the number of properties under the factoring service of Grampian Housing Association privately owned.

2. Who from Grampian Housing Association authorised the permission to install fibre on buildings in Morrison Drive, Aberdeen and the process of authorising the permission. What factors were considered in authorising this without seeking permission from property owners?
19 May 2020 Partial release of information.
 
Exemptions applied under Section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
 
Information disclosed is available on request. 
007 How much has been spent repairing a specific Grampian Housing Association property? 10 June 2020

Full release of information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Information disclosed is available on request.

008

1.The date on which the first report prepared by Henderson Loggie was circulated to members of the Board of Management  of Grampian Housing Association

2. To confirm the actual date on the report circulated to members of the Board of Management  of Grampian Housing Association

3. Advise of the date of the Board Meeting at which members of the Board of Management of Grampian Housing Association gave further instruction to Henderson Loggie and also request a copy of the minute of that Board Meeting

4. Did anyone from Grampian Housing Association ask any third parties organisations to advise them, if or when, an application for information under FOI, or GDPR legislation was made?    As FOI requests are for information that can legally be requested by anyone worldwide, why would Grampian Housing Association need to know such information?

22 June 2020

Partial Release of Information

Exemption applied under Section 17 of the Act.

Information disclosed is available on request.

009 1. Details of all of the housing association’s  housebuilding projects approved in the last ten years, including the address of the project, the affected geographical area,  the total number of units built, the number of units built for social housing, the number of affordable houses built, and the date the project was approved 6 July 2020 Request refused under Section 39(2)(a) of FOISA and confirm that request will be treated as a request for environmental information under Regulation 2(1) of the EIRs.
010 1. The average waiting time for housing accommodation, broken down by bedroom number, in each of the last ten years.
 
2. The average waiting time for housing accommodation in each geographical area, broken down by bedroom number, in each of the last ten years.
 
3. The longest waiting time for housing accommodation, broken down by bedroom number, in each of the last ten years.
 
4. The longest waiting time for housing accommodation in each geographical area, broken down by bedroom number, in each of the last ten years. 
6 July 2020 Request refused under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - information is not held because Grampian Housing Association does not have access to council housing waiting times.
011 1. The total number of people currently on the waiting list for housing properties, broken down by bedroom number?
 
2. The number of people currently on the waiting list for housing in each geographical area, broken down by property bedroom number.
 
3. The anticipated waiting time for housing accommodation in each geographical area, broken down by bedroom property number.
 
4. The anticipated waiting time for housing accommodation, broken down by bedroom number.
 
5. The average waiting time for housing accommodation, broken down by bedroom number, in each of the last ten years.
 
6. The average waiting time for housing accommodation in each geographical area, broken down by bedroom number, in each of the last ten years.
6 July 2020 Release of information for Request 1.
Information disclosed is available on request.
 
Requests 2.-6. refused under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - information is not held either because Grampian Housing Association is unable to predict the availability of properties and availability is based on properties becoming available or because the information is not available through HomeHunt and Grampian Housing Association does  not hold any information prior to joining HomeHunt in 2016.
012 1. The total number of social housing properties owned by the housing association, broken down by geographical area and bedroom number. 

2. The total number of social housing properties built by the housing association in each of the past ten years, broken down by geographical area and bedroom number.
19 May 2020 Information released under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Information disclosed is available on request.
013 1. Percentage increases on rent imposed on social tenants by the housing association in each of the last ten years. 

2. The total number of housing association tenants in each of the last ten years. 
 
3.1 The total value of rent arrears accumulated by housing association tenants, as well as 
 
3.2 The total number of tenants who have entered rent arrears, in each of the last ten years. 
 
4. Details of all evictions carried out on housing association tenants in the last ten years, including the number of evictions carried out and the reasons for the evictions. 
 
5. The number of housing association tenants currently facing evictions, including all active eviction notices. 
6 July 2020 Release of information for Request 5.

Information disclosed is available on request.
 
Request 3.2 refused under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 in respect of this part of the request - information requested under point 3.2, the total number of tenants who have entered rent arrears in each of the last ten years, the requested information is not held by Grampian Housing Association.
 
With regard to requests 1 to 4 (with the exception of 3.2), the information requested is otherwise accessible.
014 Details of all complaints made by tenants about the organisation’s housing service in the past five years, including the date of the complaint, reason given for complaint, whether the complaint was investigated and upheld, and what the outcome of the complaint was. 6 July 2020
Partial release of information.
 
Exemptions applied under Section 16 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 in respect of the third party personal data within the scope of the request.
 
Information disclosed is available on request.
015 Who at GHA gave written permission when the first tenants moved into a property to cover brand new turf laid in the back garden to be covered up by black thick plastic sheets and covered by stones. 29 July 2020 Request refused under Section 17 of FOISA (2002):

The requested information is not held by Grampian Housing Association.
 016 What is GHA 's duty of care towards tenants with regards to property maintenance. 20 August 2020

Request refused under Section 14 (1) of FOISA (2002)

Grampian Housing Association concluded the request was vexatious.

 017 Name of GHA's Senior Health and Safety Officer. 9 September 2020

Information released under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Information disclosed is available on request.

 018 Cost to GHA to repair damage by tenants leaving a specific property. 30 September 2020

Request refused under Section 14 (1) of FOISA (2002)

Grampian Housing Association concluded the request was vexatious.

 019 Details of all staff salaries from CE to cleaners to see where tenants' rent are going. 12 October 2020

Request refused under Section 14 (1) of FOISA (2002)

Grampian Housing Association concluded the request was vexatious.

 020 A full copy of the directors report and accounts for the Grampian Group for the year ended 31 March 2020 – including the front page listing all the appointments and departures since the 2019 AGM.   22 October 2020 Partial release of information.
 

Exemptions applied under section 25 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, information is 'otherwise accessible'.

Information disclosed is available on request.

 021 Information about placement of a garden shed at a specific property. 9 November 2020

Request refused under Section 14 (1) of FOISA (2002)

Grampian Housing Association concluded the request was vexatious.

 022

Information about the following:-
1. Why a Special General Meeting was held on 15 December 2020?  Was any other meeting of board members held that day?  Why was the Special Meeting either not held earlier in 2020, or delayed until 2021?
2. Despite the question being asked, why were GHA members never informed whether the existing rules could remain in effect until after the current pandemic had subsided, it was presented in such a way that these rules had to be accepted at the Special General Meeting, and also in the prescribed format – despite there being a number of anomalies in the proposed wording of the rules. 
3. Did the Association ever consider holding a ballot of association members, which might have been more in keeping with its stated values; thus requiring 75% of the total membership being required for a change of rules rather  than using a format that was more likely to result in a situation where the majority of its members were unlikely or unable to attend a meeting, thus having their voice unheard?    
4. What proportion of Scottish RSLs adopted the new rule, which gave the board the power to reject a nomination to the board?      How did such a rule come in to being since it appears that very few RSLs, apart from GHA, opted to adopt such a rule.  Did GHA lobby the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations for such a rule?
5.The meeting was informed that members either had to accept, or else reject in totality the proposal to adopt the new rules – i.e. no amendments were allowed.  I have it on good authority that in other RSLs amendments were accepted to the proposals put forward,  therefore:
5.1.Why was it the  case that no amendments  were allowed with the draft GHA’s rules? 
5.2 A new rule entitling the board to reject a nomination was accepted, even though that rule was not properly laid out i.e. it did not set out any process for a meeting of the board to consider such a rejection of a nomination.  Can you please advise what is being done to rectify this apparent anomaly?
5.3 Can you please advise why when calling members to ask for their vote on the matter, the Chair appeared to address members in a different format. Why was this the case?
5.4 Will you please confirm:
5.4.1 the total number of Association members who were invited to attend the Special General Meeting held on 15/12/2020
5.4.2 the number of members who attended the online special general meeting on 15 December 2020
5.4.3 the number of board members who attended  -  can you please differentiate between GHA Board  and any members of subsidiary boards who attended the meeting
5.4.5 the number of proxy votes received and counted at the Special Meeting held on 15/12/2020
6. Does the Code of Conduct for Board members apply to all members of both the GHA Board, as well as subsidiary boards?
7. Will you kindly provide a full unredacted copy of the draft minute of the Special General Meeting of Association members held on 15 December 2020

18 January 2021  Full release of information
023

Information about the following:-
a) Current number of Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) employees at your association. 
b) The total number of BAME former employees who have left your association in the last 5 years.
c) The total number of BAME individuals employed in senior and strategic roles within your association to date. 
d) What actions your association has taken to proactively encourage, support, and assist your employees from a BAME background into senior and strategic roles within your association to date. 
e) What actions your association has taken to understand the ethnic backgrounds, needs, and aspirations of BAME individuals to date.
f) What actions your association has taken to recruit BAME individuals into working for your association to date.
g) What actions your association intends to take to recruit BAME individuals into working for your association in the future.

21 May 2021

Full release of information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

Information disclosed is available on request.

 024

 Information about the following:-
1.Can you advise if it is correct that the Chief Executive, has recently left the employment of Grampian Housing Association by “mutual consent” and on which date the board of management decided to investigate the CE and the date it was agreed for the CE to leave the Association’s employment, by mutual consent, and the reasons for the CE leaving?
2. 
Has the Association made the CE any payments, over and above the statutory and contractual entitlement, to leave the employment of the Association?

 4 July 2021  Partial release of information
025

Information about the following:-
1. Association's Tree Maintenance Policy
2. Association's Redress Policy

23 September 2021
Full release of information
026

Information requested about the following:-
1. Has the Association complied with the requirements of both its own procedures as well as the regulatory framework to instigate an independent investigation into potential breaches of the Governing Body Members Code of Conduct by its Chair; Vice Chair and other members of the Association’s Governing body?
2. If not, why has the Association chosen not to follow its own established procedures and regulatory requirements to investigate possible breaches of the Governing Board Member Code of Conduct?
3. Has the Association complied with the requirements of both its own procedures as well as the regulatory framework to instigate an independent investigation into potential breaches of the Governing Body Members Code of Conduct by its Chair; Vice Chair and other members of the  Association’s Governing body?
4. If not, why has the Association chosen not to follow its own established procedures and regulatory requirements to investigate possible breaches of the Governing Board Member Code of Conduct? 

21 October 2021 Partial release of information
027

Information about the following:-
1. Request for a copy of the recording of the first part of the Association's Annual General Meeting and a transcript of the proceedings.
2. Why the Association has chosen to engage a lawyer to respond to queries about the way it has run its AGM?  What is the total cost being allocated to this?

21 October 2021 Full release of information
028

Information about the following:-
1. What does the Association understand as its duties and obligations under the FOISA?  
2. Why has the Association sought not to answer legitimate requests under the FOISA?

21 October 2021 Full release of information
029

Information about the following:-
What is the total expenditure in paid out by the Association in ex-gratia payments to former members of the Association’s staff in the last 2 years  e.g. October 2019  - October 2021?

21 October 2021 Full release of information
030
  • Information about the following:-
    1. What the Association understand are the requirements of an Annual General Meeting?
    2. Why the Association refused to answer a question at the recent 2021 Annual General Meeting relating to the departure of their former Chief Executive?
21 October 2021 Partial release of information
031

Information about the following:
1.  the terms of reference given by the Association to the independent investigator in relation to the investigation of a complaint of 15 October 2021 in relation to the Chair; Vice Chair and other Board Members of Grampian Housing Association.
2.  a copy of the independent investigator's "thorough" report sent in relation to detailed complaints of 8 and 15 October 2021.
3. the cost of the independent investigation into complaints of 15 October 2021.

27 November 2021 Full release of information
 032

Information about the following:-
New fire alarm legislation in Scotland:-
1. Firstly how many homes do you look after in Scotland;
2. And how many of your homes are still to have the interlinked smoke alarm systems installed

14 February 2022 Full release of information
 033

Information about the following:-
Use of Expanded Polystyrene insulation (EPS) in (a) your housing stock, and where (b) external wall cladding insulation has been retrofitted to existing homes to improve the insulation, including through existing Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland, such as the ABS and other programmes now closed.
For both a) and b) please indicate:
1.on how many properties EPS has been installed
of the properties which had it installed, how many had (i) fire retardant and (ii) non-fire retardant EPS installed
2.how many of those properties EPS been removed from of the properties which had EPS installed, how many had 6mm or more of render cover installed

9 May 2022 Request refused under Section 39(2) of FOISA - treated as a request for environmental information under the EIRs.
 034

Information about the following:-
1. What action did GHA take against the then CEO in March 2021 which resulted in him leaving the employment of the Association in July 2021?
2. What was the total cost to the Association of the removal of the CEO in 2021, eg cost of any investigation; severence payments; etc?
3.Why did the Association refuse to provide transparency of the above at the 2021 AGM?

6 July 2022

Request refused under Section 16 of FOISA.

Exemption applied under Section 14(2) (repeated requests).

 035

Information about the following:-
What action GHA took to comply with its obligations under A13 or similar provision within the Association's Code of Conduct for Governing Body Members in the following cases:
1. An allegation of potential breaches of the Code of Conduct made against the then Association Chair in July 2019.
2. Concerns of possible breaches of the Code of Conduct made against the serving Chair, Vice Chair and other Board Members in October 2021.

6 July 2022

Request refused under Section 16 of FOISA.

Exemption applied under Section 14(2) (repeated requests).

036

Information about the following:
1. Over the last ten years (i.e. from 1 July 2011 - July 2021) how many “protected conversations” has the Grampian Housing Association had with members of its staff?
2. Over the last ten years (years (i.e. from  1 July 2011 - July 2021) how many staff have been made redundant?3. Has the Association outsourced any of its services?   If so which ones and on what dates?

 6 July 2022 Full release of information
037

Information about how much had been spent on taxis for a specific employee since the start of their employment.

18 July 2022

Request refused.  Exemption applied under Section 38(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.

038 What was the amount paid by GHA to Harper MacLeod for processing FOI requests between the period 01/04/2021 and today's date. 8 August 2022

Full release of information.

Information disclosed is available on request.

039

Information requested about the following:-
For the time period 31st March 2021 to 31st March 2022 please provide the following: 
1. total number of violent incidents on your staff broken down by job title/category of worker 
2. a breakdown of the nature of the violent incident e.g., verbal, physical, threatening behaviour 
3. h​ow many violent incidents have been reported under RIDDOR Regulations, with a breakdown by job title/category of worker

17 August 2022 Full release of information
040

Information about:-
1. How many times GHA has victimised a tenant on the back of reading a local newspaper to get infomation about someone who has been been to court and convicted. 
2. How much rent in last 5 years has been lost to convicted drug dealers, drug addicts and where GHA has to do work on the property they were renting. 

24 August 2022

Request refused under Section 14 (1) of FOISA (2002)

Grampian Housing Association concluded the request was vexatious.

 041

Information about the following:-
1. Are all FOI requests forwarded by GHA to its lawyers for response?  
2. If not, what criteria is used to determine which FOIs GHA answers itself and which are forwarded to their Lawyers for answer?  
3. What procedures are followed to ensure a consistent approach, that there is no prejudice when processing FOIs and that Human Rights legislation is complied with?

24 August 2022 Section 17(1) of FOISA
 042

Information about the following:-
1. Between the period 1 April 2021 and 30 August 2022 how many FOI requests have been processed by GHA?
2) Request for a copy GHA's procedures documents in relation to how FOIs are processed.
3) Request for information on the make up of the GHA board, eg how many are customers of the Association, eg tenants, sharing owners, factoring owners, are on the board?
4). Request for information on the number of "protected conversations" GHA has had with staff/former staff between 1 January 2015 - 30 May 2019; and also between 1 June 2019 - 30 August 2022.

31 August 2022

Partial release of information.

Exemption applied under section 17(1) of FOISA.

Information disclosed is available on request.

 

043

The reason why replacement of windows in Broomhill has not been completed in 29 weeks since some windows were replaced?
Although asbestos may have been found why has no action been taken yet?
Why have residents not been informed when works will begin to be completed?
What steps have been taken to arrange the replacement?
What plans are in place?
Why has nobody responsible for theses works responsded to calls/queries since March?

22 September 2022

Request refused under Section 39(2) of FOISA - request treated as a request for environmental information under the EIRs.

044 Request for the total number of tenants evicted from Grampian Housing properties for being in rent arrears between 6 September 2022 to February 2023, and number of tenants served with eviction notices due to rent arrears in same time period. 14 February 2023 Full release of information under Freedom of Information Act (Scotland) 2002.