FOI Friday: Saying sorry to dodge court, parents smacking children, arsonists wanting to work in schools and the safety of bail hostels

Saying sorry to get away with violent crimes < Eastern Daily Press Fears over the misuse of restorative justice measures have been raised after the revelation that Norfolk Police have used informal agreements to deal with more than 7,000 crimes since 2010 – including almost 3,000 violent offences. The measures can be used by officers

Newspaper campaigning in a click-to-sign age: Why speaking truth to power is more important than ever

With print circulations going down, and tools online making it possible for anyone, anywhere to launch a campaign, how does a local newspaper ensure its campaigns still get attention and, most importantly, get results? Simple: They innovate. And in this age of austerity, areas outside of London have perhaps never needed a campaigning voice which

FOI FRIDAY: Shop burglaries, looked after children a long way from home, army redundancies and homeless in B&Bs

‘Looked after’ children housed in different counties < < < Bury Free Press More than 130 looked after children in Suffolk are being placed outside the county as the demand for placements increases. Following a Freedom of Information request, the Bury Free Press can reveal that upto the end of February 135 out of the

FOI FRIDAY: Asbestos, Facebook, police cells and sham marriages

10 good examples of FOI in action from the local, regional and national media: 1. Asbestos found at public buildings – Milford Mercury Asbestos, known as the silent killer, is regularly the subject of health and safety campaigns – so an FOI which reveals that the majority of council buildings in an area contained asbestos,

FOI FRIDAY: Mice at Manchester United, appealing students, cabbie grumbles and turning the lights off

Mice raid Manchester United < < < Manchester Evening News I love this FOI. Simple, but effective – although the sports editor might not thank you Manchester United had to deal with a mice infestation at Old Trafford, the M.E.N. can reveal. The outbreak was one of a number of hygiene and safety issues flagged

FOI Friday: Hospital parking, strange police phone calls, cheating students and criminals applying to work in schools

Toilet seats and compensation < < < Birmingham Mail A WORKER sued Birmingham City Council and won £1,750 after a toilet seat collapsed causing him injuries, it has emerged. The man was one of 274 successful claims in the last five years leaving taxpayers with a bill of almost £5 million. Trips, exposure to deadly asbestos

FOI Friday: Classroom languages, councillor pensions and criminals applying to be teachers

1. What land has your council sold? Interesting stuff from the BBC in London (although finding a link to their story was very hard, so I’ve linked to one from a local newspaper which credits the BBC at least). They used FOI to ask all London councils how many plots of land they have sold

FOI Friday: Council workers earning less than a living wage, mental health wards and publicly-funded competitions

From revealing the impact of hospital ward closures to the number of people working for councils below a living wage – here are 10 FOI ideas from around the country

FOI Friday: Driving test interpreters, hospital inspection reports, school bus cuts … and getting more from police numbers

1. Driving test interpreters We’ve seen a few FOI success stories out of the Driving Standards Agency, which runs driving test centres. The latest one, though, from the Brighton Argus, could demonstrate that the agency is the gift which keeps on giving. The Argus reports on the number of people taking their test who required an interpreter

FOI Friday: Council employee compo, eating disorders, gypsy education and spying

 1.  Employer liability claims against councils Lancahsire County Council paid out £1,250 to a member of staff who got a bad back from carrying a heavy refreshments tray while on duty. That was one of 179 claims made against LCC, reported by the Lancashire Evening Post, over the past four years – payouts have totalled