Information

Question

1. Are Service Users or the general public allowed to audio-visually record meeting and calls with your staff? If so, do they require permission or are they permitted to do so covertly?
2. Do you have any guidance or policy for the public or service users to record calls when they speak to your staff
3. What is your organisations protocol on service users recording calls when they speak to your staff or call centres? Please provide a copy of your policy, procedure and guideline notes on this issue.
4. Do you Inform Users they can record. If the answer is no what is the reason for this please if so do send me a copy.
5. Are service users made aware of their right to record the encounter, if they choose to do so? Is this reflected in you policy document on the matter?
6. Does your organisation have an “Unacceptable Behaviour” policy? If so, please can you provide me with a copy? Regarding court staff the public or the court itself.
7. If such a policy contains points of objectionable behaviour such as telephones calls being recorded by the caller due to them being not necessary or unwanted or needed, and furthermore the staff members may feel threatened or apprehensive, are you aware that denying users the right to record calls goes against the current UK laws.
8. Are your policies and procedures compliant with the public right to audio-visually record encounters with your staff, without their consent? If not, will you provide appropriate training for your staff so they are fully informed of the Public right to record?
9. What is our organisations current charging policy for Freedom of Information requests (FOI) or Subject Access Requests (SAR)? If charges are applied are concessions available for those on low income or students?
10. What is your organisations complaints policy? Please can you forward me a copy? Does your complaints procedure permit service users evidence such as covert call recordings to form part of the investigation?

Answer

I am writing to advise you that, following a search of our paper and electronic records, I have
established some of the information you requested is not held by the Office of the Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner.

1. What is your organisations complaints policy? Please can you forward me a copy?
   Does your complaints procedure permit service users evidence such as covert call
   recordings to form part of the investigation? 

   The OPCC complaints policies are published on our website and can be found at: Complaints

2. Are Service Users or the general public allowed to audio-visually record meeting and
   calls with your staff? If so, do they require permission or are they permitted to do so covertly? 

   The OPCC’s Policy for Dealing with Unreasonable and Unreasonably Persistent Complainants and Vexatious Complaints defines “electronically recording meetings and conversations without the prior knowledge and consent of the other persons involved” as unreasonable, unreasonably persistent and vexatious behaviour.

3. Do you have any guidance or policy for the public or service users to record calls when they speak to your staffNo information held
4. What is your organisations protocol on service users recording calls when they speak to your staff or call centres? Please provide a copy of your policy, procedure and guideline notes on this issue.No information held.
5. Do you Inform Users they can record. If the answer is no what is the reason for this please if so do send me a copy.No information held.
6. Are service users made aware of their right to record the encounter, if they choose to do so? Is this reflected in you policy document on the matter?No information held.
7. Does your organisation have an “Unacceptable Behaviour” policy? If so, please can you provide me with a copy? Regarding court staff the public or the court itself.The OPCC staff Code of Conduct policy is published on our website and can be found at: Staff Code of Conduct
8. If such a policy contains points of objectionable behaviour such as telephones calls being recorded by the caller due to them being not necessary or unwanted or needed, and furthermore the staff members may feel threatened or apprehensive, are you aware that denying users the right to record calls goes against the current UK laws.No information held.
9. Are your policies and procedures compliant with the public right to audio-visually record encounters with your staff, without their consent? If not, will you provide appropriate training for your staff so they are fully informed of the Public right to record?No information held
10. What is our organisations current charging policy for Freedom of Information requests (FOI) or Subject Access Requests (SAR)? If charges are applied are concessions available for those on low income or students?The OPCC complies with all relevant Data Protection and Freedom of Information legislation.